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?

Every week I receive countless emails from readers who are attempting to or who would like to attempt to remediate their own homes in order to avoid the cost of professional mold remediation. Sometimes, this is easily done with techniques and products I have featured on the blog. Most small, contained mold issues are pretty easy to successfully tackle with EC3 products, a “cold” fogger, proper protective gear, and a certified HEPA vacuum. As a matter of fact, there have been many situations in our current home when we have had a small leak or water intrusion incident and have addressed and remediated the issue ourselves lickety-split. Those situations are isolated events and leaks and/or water intrusion that is caught quickly and right when it occurs.

There are other indoor mold situations that are not so straightforward and contained. Thus, I feel it is my responsibility to address the fact that there are definitely times when hiring a professional mold remediation company is the best decision for you and your family. Even with the tools and knowledge I have now, there are some mold clean-up jobs that I would not touch or advise anyone to do themselves, because the risk is not worth the possible reward or savings. Most of the mold situations I am referring to fall into one or more of the following categories: