A-STAT Inspection Service

A-STAT Inspection Services

Mold Basics

The presence of mold within a home that is being sold/purchased has become a very popular issue over the last few years and the more I discuss it with real estate professionals the more I realize what little information has been presented to anyone involved in a real estate transaction. Many individuals that are testing today are not trained to use a set of parameters that are consistent with each test performed and therefore produce inconsistent results that can damage a transaction unnecessarily. Here is a brief summary to help you understand a little about mold and the testing options available.

Molds (molds plural is correct as there are many different types of mold that growth and proliferate in many different environments) are everywhere, they are a natural part of the environment that we live in. Molds found within a home originated on the exterior and migrated inside.

Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of the Census indicate that approximately 35% of American homes are water damaged each year.

Only 10% of the approximately 1.5 million species of fungi have been identified. The size, shape, color and structure of the spores are keys in classification of molds.

Not all molds are considered harmful to human health. Toxic spores produced by certain strands of mold that are referred to as mycotoxins present a threat. Molds that can produce toxigenic spores are certain species of Fusarium, Penicillium and Aspergillus, Stachybotrys, Chartarum, Cladosporium, Trichoderma and Aspergillus Vericolor in particular may produce toxins. The presence of these molds or their spores does not necessarily mean that the toxigenic forms are present.

The color of the mold come from the spores and often the substrate they are growing on. You cannot identify a species of mold by color alone.

The life cycle of mold can be extensive. Generally it takes 24 hours for mold to start growth and 5-7 days for mold to germinate and grow sufficiently to produce spores.

Molds are part of the fungi kingdom and require moisture to thrive and expand.

Molds will grow in an environment where the relative humidity is 40% and above.

Testing options

Non-Viable Testing – when a mold sample is collected in a field environment and observed under a microscope. Non-viable testing is fast (as short as 24 hours) and relatively inexpensive. Analysis includes all mold spores and parts of molds present. The species is usually not identified; however this information is not needed to detect a microbial problem.

Limited Mold Inspection – The purpose of the Limited Mold Inspection is to detect the presence of microbial contamination in only client-defines areas of the subject property. This is a non-invasive approach to testing and is the most common form of testing in a real estate sales transaction.

General Mold Inspection – The General Mold Inspection utilizes a visual assessment of the entire house, identification of any red flags for mold and limited sampling for microbial contamination. If red flags are found in multiple areas, the client will be advised and offered the chance to have additional sampling performed in any/all identified areas.

Post Remediation Verification – Limited sampling of a previously infected area of a subject property that has been professionally remediated and requires independent verification that the remediation service has properly cleaned and treated the infected areas.

Mold Structure

Hyphae – The portions of the mold that are long branched threadlike strings (or filaments) of cells called hyphae (singular, hypha)