On 3/3/2015 2:37 PM, micky wrote:
On Tue, 03 Mar 2015 11:49:57 -0600, Moe DeLoughan
wrote:

On 3/3/2015 10:13 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

Has anybody been through the process of testing for mold in their house?

Googling, I see services; I see do-it-yourself kits; I see mention of
"Safe mold", "Bad-for-you mold", "Treat all molds as problematic..."

Interestingly, the county I live in recommends that homeowners *not*
test for mold - unless they see or smell evidence of it. They don't
recommend hiring a test firm or buying a test kit unless you see/smell
something that suggests you may have a problem. That sounds to me as
if they're hinting that a lot of these mold test companies will find
mold even when there is none, because that's how they stay in business.

I think it would be worth trying to find out more about their motives,
which I too think are good. . Can you tell us what county and state
you're in?


My bad. It's actually the state health department, which I came to by
clicking a link on the county site. Here's the page:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/e...old/index.html

Should I test for mold?

The Minnesota Department of Health does not recommend testing for
mold. Instead, you should simply assume there is a problem whenever
you see mold or smell mold odors.

The EPA seems to hold the same opinion:
http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.html

Testing or Sampling for Mold

Is sampling for mold needed? In most cases, if visible mold growth is
present, sampling is unnecessary. Since no EPA or other federal limits
have been set for mold or mold spores, sampling cannot be used to
check a building's compliance with federal mold standards. Surface
sampling may be useful to determine if an area has been adequately
cleaned or remediated. Sampling for mold should be conducted by
professionals who have specific experience in designing mold sampling
protocols, sampling methods, and interpreting results. Sample analysis
should follow analytical methods recommended by the American
Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the American Conference of
Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), or other professional
organizations.