Mold sampling

[John E. Cubit, Jr.]

Can anyone out there tell me how much I should charge for air spore trap sampling per sample? I am charging $95 for each one I run. Is one outside standard ok or should I take 2 ?

Thank you,John Cubit
JC Home/Mold Inspections
Manchester,Tn.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

The going rate in my area is $125-150 per sample.

The number of outside samples is determined by your testing protocol or SOP, or what your Industrial Hygienist says.

If your Industrial Hygienist will not set your procedure for you, I would just find another lab. You will need somebody on your side just in case you do everything right and still get sued. Always keep your As* covered.

[David P. Valley]

I still fail to understand why Mold samples are being taken from homes, unless of course it's for an "All clear" professional confirmation.

When I see Mold, I tell all my clients to have it professionally removed. What Mold (that is tested) is allowed to stay on an initial Mold inspection?

[Jeff Merritt]

You should have at least 1- outside air sample, however if it is below freezing or the ground is snow covered or it rained in the last 24 hrs the outside sample will not give you all the information that you need.
You should consider taking an on line course to better serve you clients.
Mold sampling is a necessary part of remediation, people need to know what kind of mold was in the property before remediation, that way when the remediation is complete and a post cleaning or clearance testing is complete, the quality of work will show how well it was done.
I have been on a few jobs that a handy man did the remediation and spread it through the entire house. I have also been a some that the 1-st mold sampling was used to compare the air in one room to determine where the mold was actually coming from.

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by jmerritt1

You should have at least 1- outside air sample, however if it is below freezing or the ground is snow covered or it rained in the last 24 hrs the outside sample will not give you all the information that you need.
You should consider taking an on line course to better serve you clients.
Mold sampling is a necessary part of remediation, people need to know what kind of mold was in the property before remediation, that way when the remediation is complete and a post cleaning or clearance testing is complete, the quality of work will show how well it was done.
I have been on a few jobs that a handy man did the remediation and spread it through the entire house. I have also been a some that the 1-st mold sampling was used to compare the air in one room to determine where the mold was actually coming from.

But if your sampling to determine what kind of Mold it is....who cares what kind it is? It's Mold.

All Mold must be removed period, and the individual removing it must be properly suited/protected....Right?

So what benefit is the initial test going to prove? It's Mold.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Initial testing tells you how to the handle the mold, how thorough of a cleaning needs to be performed, and how much of the house needs to be cleaned, also if the HVAC system needs cleaning.

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by jbraun

Initial testing tells you how to the handle the mold, how thorough of a cleaning needs to be performed, and how much of the house needs to be cleaned, also if the HVAC system needs cleaning.

All moldy materials need to be removed (on the more serious cases) and all HVAC ducts are to be included in this clean-up.

Why would anyone go any other way?

[Jeff Merritt]

Some mold can be toxic, it needs to be identified, when someone gets sick and the law suits start coming, to have a cavalier attitude about mold is not servicing you client and you open yourself up for a lawsuit. I some what agree with you if it's mold it's mold, but an IH will chew you up in court if you follow that train of thought.

[Larry J. Michael]

Originally Posted by jcubit

Can anyone out there tell me how much I should charge for air spore trap sampling per sample? I am charging $95 for each one I run. Is one outside standard ok or should I take 2 ?

Thank you,John Cubit
JC Home/Mold Inspections
Manchester,Tn.

That seems cheep. Some of the guys I have seen take a while. Maybe they charge more for looking busy, lol.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Originally Posted by dvalley

All moldy materials need to be removed (on the more serious cases) and all HVAC ducts are to be included in this clean-up.

Why would anyone go any other way?

Legally, mold is not considered toxic until it is proven by testing.

[Rob Jones]

Testing is a racket, just another way to play on the fear some people have toward mold. If there is mold present, find out whats causing the mold(poor ventilation, leak, mossy roof etc...). Fix the issue causing the mold and remediate. Doesn't matter the type. Some people have allergic reaction, most people don't. NO matter, the "mold" must be cleaned up/remediated no matter the type.

From the CDC;

"Generally, it is not necessary to identify the species of mold growing in a residence, and CDC does not recommend routine sampling for molds. Current evidence indicates that allergies are the type of diseases most often associated with molds. Since the susceptibility of individuals can vary greatly either because of the amount or type of mold, sampling and culturing are not reliable in determining your health risk. If you are susceptible to mold and mold is seen or smelled, there is a potential health risk; therefore, no matter what type of mold is present, you should arrange for its removal. Furthermore, reliable sampling for mold can be expensive, and standards for judging what is and what is not an acceptable or tolerable quantity of mold have not been established"

Again from the CDC;

"Standards for judging what is an acceptable, tolerable, or normal quantity of mold have not been established"

[James E. Braun, CMI]

How do you know if the mold is cleaned up properly without testing? It is not always what you can see with the naked eye to be concerned about, it what you cannot see.

I have made several threads on this message board that I proved the government are hyprocites when it comes to mold. I would suggest you read them, Rob.

[Randy D. Stufflebeem]

I have a young sun that has allergic reactions to high counts of aspergillus. I or no one else has established that high count tolerance yet but I can tell. I test my home doing air sampling. Why? Because its the mold I can't see that I am concerned with. I have yet had to remediate anything but because of my son I monitor it and therefore believe it is a good service for a client if they should want the sampling.

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by jbraun

How do you know if the mold is cleaned up properly without testing? It is not always what you can see with the naked eye to be concerned about, it what you cannot see.

I have made several threads on this message board that I proved the government are hyprocites when it comes to mold. I would suggest you read them, Rob.

We all realize that a clean-up of Mold must be tested for safety reasons, and that's an ideal money maker....but we are referring to initial testing.

From Robs thread...
From the CDC;

"Generally, it is not necessary to identify the species of mold growing in a residence, and CDC does not recommend routine sampling for molds. Current evidence indicates that allergies are the type of diseases most often associated with molds. Since the susceptibility of individuals can vary greatly either because of the amount or type of mold, sampling and culturing are not reliable in determining your health risk. If you are susceptible to mold and mold is seen or smelled, there is a potential health risk; therefore, no matter what type of mold is present, you should arrange for its removal. Furthermore, reliable sampling for mold can be expensive, and standards for judging what is and what is not an acceptable or tolerable quantity of mold have not been established"

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Refer back to post #6.
Do you know what a proper mold remediation really cost? If testing can just cut 10% of that cost down, it is well worth the money. And most reputable mold remediators will not even bid a job until they have a mold remediation protocol in their hands. Like I have said before search for all of the mold threads and start reading. I have covered all of this very thoroughly in the past, several times.