During active growth molds produce microbial volatile organic compounds as part of their metabolic process of breaking down their nutrient source. These microbial volatile organic compound chemicals are volatile, this means they are readily released directly into the air. These chemicals have a moldy or musty odor. Such odors have been shown to contribute to allergy like health complaints and even are associated with the development of asthma in children. If you have such odors in your home, then it is possible that mold is growing somewhere. Some health problems caused by molds are listed below: - Molds contribute to breathing and upper respiratory problems such as allergy and asthma. - If the immune system is weak, mold may produce infection especially in the lungs. - Children and elderly persons are more prone to mold infection. - Long term chronic exposure can lead to hypersensitivity pneumonitis; short term heavy exposure can cause flu like organic dust toxic syndrome. - Consuming toxic molds that produce mycotoxins may cause a variety of short-term and long-term adverse health effects. These range from immediate toxic response and immune-suppression to potential long-term effects which would include cancer. - In this mold inspectors experience people living in moldy homes also appear to have increased cases of colds and sinus infections. It has been proposed by allergy doctors that mold allergy causes temporary damage to the protective mucous membrane linings thus letting in more infectious viruses and bacteria. This hypothesis may support and explain the inspector’s personal observations. All these problems will result in diminished health if left unchecked. However, the sad news is that most of the people are unaware of the fact that these problems are caused by mold. Only after proper removal of the mold from your home will your health problems clear up. In order to detect mold that may be hidden in walls or AC coils, or to find the cause of a mold problem or water leak, or to identify the numbers and types of spores that may be floating as microscopic invisible specks in your air, you should obtain the services of a experienced certified mold inspector or, where applicable, a state-licensed mold assessor to take inner wall samples or air samples, and most importantly to provide a detailed inspection. Un experienced mold inspectors often rely heavily on testing you air and may not provide the detailed inspection that is often needed to uncover the root cause and location of mold problems. Even mold training schools and the teachers they employ often have no clue as to how to inspect for mold. Many certifications firms and mold training schools often are out to make a quick buck from this industry and provide notoriously poor training. Though no inspector can guarantee that he or she will be able to find all hidden mold, experienced mold inspectors know what to look for and where to look. An experienced inspector knows to look: - On the bottom of AC coils - Inside the supply plenum - Inside the return Plenum - Under peeling corners of wall paper - On furniture - Even on the back side of furniture - On clothes in closets. - And hundreds of other places where mold or indications of moisture, mold, or humidity may reside. Molds and moisture will destroy your walls from the inside out and make you feel ill without you even knowing you have a problem, thus it is wise to check the home using an experienced mold inspector before buying a home. Health issues or strange odors in an existing home are other reasons to have a property inspected. Mold inspections involve different types of testing and more importantly a visual inspection to find and diagnose the mold problem. An inspector will not know where to sample if they do not know how to inspect for clues of possible locations of mold or moisture issues. Certified mold inspectors can also perform air testing after the mold has been removed by remediators, this is done to insure that removal was successful.
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