John Papageorge

While reading an article recently about indoor allergens, I found a quote from a allergy and asthma Doctor giving some wrong recommendations for treating allergies in the home. Since I am NOT a Doctor, nor have I ever played one on TV, I stay away from diagnosing people or telling them how to treat their bodies. The good Doctor had overplayed his knowledge of homes and home maintenance by recommending replacing your standard air conditioning or furnace filter with a super high efficiency HEPA filter. There is science and good research behind these filters.

First, thing first. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. Originally, the HEPA filter was designed in the 40's for use in the Manhattan Project to prevent the spread of airborne radioactivity. As it became commercialized, and the original term was trademarked and later became a generic term for highly efficient filters. True HEPA filters, as defined by the U.S. standards adopted by most American industries, remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns (µm) or larger in diameter. That measurement of 0.3 microns doesn't mean much to the average person, so here are some examples: mold spores are 1 to 30 microns; facial powder is 0.1 to 30 microns; and bacteria are 0.3 to 30 microns. General thought is that particles over 10 microns settle by gravity in a matter of hours, whereas smaller particles, less than 1 micron, can stay afloat for weeks.

Products that claim to be "HEPA-type" or "HEPA-like" are not true HEPA. A true HEPA filter would create major problems for a residential a/c system if it was not designed for it. Unfortunately, most systems are designed by the installers to operate with filters on the lower spectrum of air filters. They provide more airflow through the coil with just the right back-pressure. Installing a high efficiency filter may restrict the airflow through the coil causing other a/c system problems.

MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, ratings are the better gauge of filters for modern homes. MERV is a number from 1 to 16. Most of the furnace filters I find are 4 or 5. Those are the "see-through" filters that typically only stop those things in the air larger than golf balls. The pleated filters that cost a few dollars are usually at least a MERV 6-7. Better filters that can stop SOME mold spores are rated MERV 7-8. Higher MERV rating filters are more difficult to find and can easily cause problems for your average home. Higher rated filters are for hospitals and other special facilities. Never should a HEPA filter be installed in a system that was not designed for it.

So what is a highly allergic person to do?
1. Know your indoor allergy triggers and stay away from them.
2. Keep the dust down in your indoor environment.
3. Change your a/c or furnace filter regularly, preferably every 30 days during the season.
4. Vacuum often with a cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter.
5. Wash bed linens in water at least 130 degrees F once a week and replace your pillow yearly.

While none of the solutions offered above are "end-all" solutions, they may make the difference between living well and just surviving. For more tips on allergen proofing your home or office, visit our special website, www.FlAirTesting.com

During a recent presentation to one of the largest residential real estate sales office in North Tampa, Coldwell Banker. I updated the group on the latest Florida and Federal regulations affecting indoor environmental pollutants. The bulk of the presentation was geared toward our mold testing including pre-purchase inspections. If you live in Florida, you are probably aware of the state's legislative attempts to deregulate many professions, including mold assessment.

One topic that captured much attention was the Federal Lead RRP program. The RRP program was put into effect exactly one year ago, April 22, 2010. The Lead RRP (Renovation, Repair and Paint) program addresses activities that disturb lead-based paint in target housing and child-occupied facilities. It requires renovators to be certified through training, firms to be certified and lead-safe work practices during renovations. Basically the program requires firms and individuals working in pre-1978 built homes and child-occupied facilities be certified according to EPA, HUD and OSHA. The training is only 8 hours, the cost is reasonable and is something that any tradesman charging for his work and who may disturb paint during a renovation must participate.

The Lead RRP program appears to have struck a chord as disclosure to prospective purchasers who intended to proceed with remodeling after purchase of the home. Not having presented the RRP Lead-safe Program to real estate professionals before, I missed the implications to purchasers. The RRP Program requires renovators to perform minimal testing before the work, but more importantly requires lead-safe work practices during the work and clean-up requirements after the demolition work is completed. The work procedures include containing work areas to prevent dust from escaping into other areas. The clean-up requirements include assuring that no dust remains. Sounds simple, and it truly is simple. Most professional companies have been following these procedures for years and are in the habit of doing things the "right" way. The problem is that many smaller contractors avoid these procedures because of the minimal costs involved. There are currently many qualified small contractors who have been laid off from their full-time, long-term jobs and been forced to form their own small business as a matter of self-preservation. While these tradesmen are qualified to do fine work, they may not be versed in the finer points of running a business and doing so according to all the regulations.
My fear is that I may have given the impression that the Lead RRP program involved a lead abatement project with occupants moving out while men in white suits performed costly work for months on end. That is NOT the case. The RRP Program may add a small cost to each job, it is SMALL. To a professional company that is conscientious in safety, occupant and worker protection, and keeps their job-site clean as SOP, this adds a minuscule amount to a renovation job.

In my opinion, the Fed has done the right thing here. Too many children have been harmed by the 'dust' from lead paint. I was one who thought that children needed to chew on the door or baseboard to acquire lead poisoning, but when I found out that Dad's job as a painter could bring home enough dust to harm that baby, I changed my mind.

Many tradesmen have fought this regulation, but the facts are we will all be better-served by a little regulation. Did I forget to mention that if a tradesman gets caught doing the wrong things, he faces a stiff fine of $37,500? Whoa!
I know there will be plenty of questions, and since I don't speak for the Fed, you can look up the facts yourself. The complete RRP Program is explained here: http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm#owners
The "Renovate Right" brochure is available here: http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf
And the story is available here designed for real estate professionals at: http://www.realtor.org/government_affairs/lead_paint_main

Should a mold inspection by a certified professional be on a "Due Diligence" list when purchasing a home? If the home is older? If the home has been foreclosed? Certainly not when a home is new, right?

Well, maybe.

The temptation to avoid spending a few hundred dollars on a good mold inspection is certainly great. The market is loaded with purchasers who are pulling their hair out dealing with problems that could have been caught prior to purchasing. What are the reasons a purchaser would hire a mold professional to look over that bargain?

1. The home was foreclosed at one time. The chances are good that power was also disconnected. That would mean that climate control was not operating for some time. The chances that humidity has caused problems is very high. Mold Rule #1, it must have moisture to grow.

2. During a walk-through, signs of water leaks, rotted kitchen or bathroom cabinets were found, or there was a "musty" smell. Remember, mold must have moisture to grow.

3. One of the future occupants has severe allergies, is elderly (or very young), or has a compromised immune system. Most people think that HIV/AIDS patients are the only immuno-compromised individuals, but those with diabetes, asthma, Rheumatoid arthritis, vitamin deficiencies, chronic sleep disorders, cigarette smoking and chemotherapy patients should all be considered to have a compromised immune system. See http://goo.gl/cig3

4. Peace of mind. If the roof is new, was the old roof leaking? If the interior painting is fresh, could it be covering up old water damage? Mold and water damage are not always visible. Let the people who know help you with answers.

While many home inspectors offer mold testing, a professional mold inspection is truly the best alternative. Many home inspectors in Florida offer mold testing at a very reasonable price to go along with the home inspection. While many home inspectors offer certificates that they attended a four to eight hour course on mold testing, they often do not have the experience a certified mold inspector has. If the person offering the mold testing cannot explain the difference between the types of mold that could be found, they are not the person to bet your family's future upon.

Florida now licenses Home Inspectors, Mold Assessors and Mold Remediators. Experience in each field is the key to licensure. Many mold inspection firms offer discounts for pre-purchase mold inspections if a recent home inspection report is available to them.

As a professional mold inspector, I get calls from homeowners who want to know if there is a mold problem in their homes. What we do is not without cost or effort - therefore a practical cost is involved. Beside the manpower, analysis by an accredited lab analysis is not paltry. With that in mind, home improvement centers and online allergy supply stores have decided to jump into the mix with home mold testing kits. So, how do these DIY home mold test kits work? I decided to have a look at the over-abundance of processes myself.

There are more different types mold testing kits than I can describe, ranging from a petri dish that you can place in on a table to real air samples that you can take yourself with the pump the lab sends you. Then, there are the labs that ask you to cut out and handle a piece of wallpaper or drywall material with suspect mold and mail it to them for analysis.

The reality of what the lab will find from these consumer samples is questionable. The petri dish results are the easiest to disparage. Those are less than worthless because there is no scientific means of collection. How did air turbulence affect the particles that fell out of the air and decided to deposit on that petri dish. Mold is everywhere - how much is normal and how much is too much? The results could range from "no mold found" to "high" counts of a specific genus of mold. Send in a segment of wallpaper that has mold on and you could get similar results. What size area of the home is affected by this representative mold sample? What is reasonable to find on a surface sample? What's the difference if there is a low amount of Stachbotrys or a high amount of Basidiospores. The results of the air samples are actually no different - does the type of mold truly matter?

There are so many aspects of analyzing the data from mold tests, it's not something an assessor can learn in a few hours of class, or a two week apprenticeship with a PHD microbiologist. A true professional mold assessor collects the samples with scientific accuracy, inspects the location where the samples are taken, and knows the time of day, the weather conditions and the neighborhood where the samples were taken. With all that information in hand, the inspector begins to determine if there is truly a problem in the inspected area. IF there is a mold issue, how did the mold get there? What caused the mold to grow in that particular location? How should the mold be removed so that it does not contaminate the entire house? Did mold already become airborne and contaminate other parts of the home?

True, anyone can take mold samples with the proper instructions, but it takes a real professional to use that information properly.

Need a good Mold Inspector? Your state may have a licensing program. Or, go to the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC.org) or NORMI (NORMIPro.com) and locate one in your neighborhood.

In the Tampa Bay area, your local mold inspection company is Alpha Environmental. Visit our website or call us now at (888) 514-MOLD

When I first started in Mold Inspection and IAQ Consulting in Tampa, I was weary after 20 years in the water damage and mold remediation side of construction. I thought I would be on "Easy Street" because eventually every home sold would require a mold inspection. I made a major miscalculation in my business plan.

Soon I realized that there was a group of people I had not calculated - those who had already closed the deal and were living in the home that should have been inspected for mold. There were hints, there were suspicions, but someone talked them out of having it inspected for mold. May it was the lack of funds in their wallet, who knows? The bottom line is, they bought a pig-in-a-poke.

Those of us who make a living consulting on mold and other Indoor Air Quality issues have spent many years learning about mold, microbiology, health effects, air conditioning, building sciences, proper remediation techniques, and all the other issues that make us Mold Inspectors, not Mold Testers. Mold Inspectors don't always test for mold. Mold Inspectors must have a reason, a suspicion, a theory to perform air samples. Is there a problem that was seen in a closet, or under a vanity cabinet? Did someone catch an odor that was musty when they walked in? Did the listing real estate professional see evidence of past water damage? Did the home inspector find an area where the wallboard was unreasonably wet?

If you haven't deciphered the subtle wording - MOLD TESTING is NOT the same as a MOLD INSPECTION.

Mold Testing without a comprehensive Mold Inspection is worthless. Mold Testing by someone who cannot explain what the test results will mean is without value. Mold Testing by a person or company that also remediates mold is unethical and in many states - Florida for one - is illegal. Mold Testing by an individual who cannot explain how that mold got there, or cannot write a detailed plan on how to safely remediate it, is not only useless, but invites a repeat of the same situation in a few months. There is a reason mold appeared where it did. All mold standards and guidelines start with the same directive - confirm the moisture problem which caused the mold has been repaired before the remediation begins - otherwise, the mold will return.

Need a good Mold Inspector? Your state may have a licensing program. Or, go to the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC.org) or NORMI (NORMIPro.com) and locate one in your neighborhood.