Brian Karr Discusses Mold Inspections, Mold Testing, and Why Some Mold Remediations Fail

Of all of the questions I get from readers of this blog, the vast majority are from people completely exhausted and burned out from dealing with mold inspections, mold testing, and remediation companies. Some have been mold testing, inspecting, and remediating their homes exhaustively for years, and are still not feeling any better. Many have had multiple mold inspectors come out to their homes to help them find and “solve” their mold problems. They take all advice and have their homes remediated, only to find days, weeks, or even months later that they are just as sick and just as reactive as ever. They embark upon further home inspection and investigation, only to find that the mold is still there, or that the real source of the mold was never found or properly remediated. In some cases, there were even additional mold problems and sources that were not found or addressed in the first place. Then, the mold ordeal begins again, kind of like the movie Groundhog Day, where individuals and families are forced to relive the same experience with only a slightly altered perspective. For some people, this nightmare goes on for years! It is emotionally exhausting and financially draining. In the end, the people who write to me don’t know who to trust, and don’t have any confidence that spending more money on inspections or remediation is even worth it. At the point when I am finally reached out to, the person is just plain ready to give up entirely.

What Can I Do to Help?

Even though I have been there, done that, and know my fair share about mold inspections and investigations, I am obviously not a certified mold or microbial inspector. So, while I can give advice and share heartfelt “if I were you, what I would do,” feedback from my own experience, I am not out there working in the field, so speak, investigating homes and seeing what other homeowners are dealing with. Thus, in order to really do my part to help the people who need guidance, I thought I would reach out to one of the best and most knowledgeable mold inspectors I know, Brian Karr of We Inspect and creator of the Mold Masterclass. (For my in-depth post about Brian and my experience of taking the Mold Masterclass, click HERE.)

Learn How to Identify and Remediate Mold and Mycotoxin Exposure With the Mold Masterclass

If you are reading this post, you have probably wondered about or faced the health implications of living in a moldy environment at some point. Having to deal with the whole “mold question”—whether or not mold exists in your home and if it is dangerous to your health or not—can be daunting, to say the least. Most people know very little, if anything, about where to begin with a mold inspection or what they should even be looking for, other than obvious mold growth. So, when the decision is made to investigate a home for mold, the goal is usually to find a professional to guide the process with clear diagnostics and methodologies that will yield answers and solutions. Unfortunately, many times, the inspection procedure ends up being far from clear, and homeowners, including myself at one point, end up with a bunch of test results that are hard to interpret, but no definite answers, next steps, solutions, or piece of mind. In the end, questions remain and the home and people in it often remain sick, confused, and out the money that was spent on an inconclusive mold inspection.

The main breakdown here, in my opinion, is that not all mold inspectors are created equal, nor do all mold inspectors truly understand and respect the health concerns associated with mold. In addition, in some states there is little barrier to entry to the profession. Some mold inspectors are even allowed to perform both the inspection and the remediation—a clear conflict of interest. Within the profession, there is also no clearly established lens through which an inspector is required to view the definition of a healthy home or healthy levels of mold inside of a home. This is particularly important, because, depending on your method of mold evaluation and testing, it can be like comparing apples to oranges from one inspector’s point of view to another. For example, if one mold inspector bases her diagnosis of your home solely upon the airborne mold counts indoors in comparison to those outdoors, she may decide that the home is safe, while another inspector who employs thermography, moisture readings, and mycotoxin testing, in addition to airborne mold counts, might deem the exact same home as needing major remediation to be safe.

What is the solution, especially if you are mold-sensitive and already not in a state of good health?