Assessing biological contaminants in a building requires more than taking samples of the suspected contamination. What is the extent of the contamination? What caused it? What should be done to correct it? A Qualified Professional Can Help Answer These Questions.

Cleveland mold testing

Water Damage? Flooding? Odors?

Do you suspect that you may have a mold problem in your building or home? If the answer is yes, the first course of action is to make a decision concerning what to do about your suspicions. At this stage you need to decide if the problem is serious enough to bring in outside help. If it is, you will want to make sure that you hire a qualified professional to assess the problem. It is suggested that you consult with an environmental consultant that can assess your concerns and guide you in what to do next.

What is an Environmental Consultant?

An Environmental Consultant is a professional who can identify the causes of poor indoor air quality – even when problems seem vague or unrelated to visible causes.  The Environmental Consultant is trained to see a building the way a general practitioner sees the body of his patient – as an organic whole with dozens of inter-related systems contributing to overall health.  In order to diagnose the patient properly, the Consultant must be able to gather and interpret data from various systems operating in a building.  His experience and training must therefore come from a wide range of disciplines:

Reference: American Indoor Air Quality Council

There are so many certified inspectors, so how do I choose?

Choose a CIEC or CIH

Both the American Indoor Air Quality Council and the American Board of Industrial Hygiene offer certifications that meet the stringent requirements for CESB accreditation. The CIEC (Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant) and CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist) designations show that the individual has been certified in a CESB accredited program.

CIEC or CIH are designations which are accredited as engineering-related programs by the CESB, to individuals whose training and field experience in industrial hygiene, building sciences and environmental risk assessment warrants professional recognition. These individuals have extensive education and experience in indoor environmental related issues.

In addition to looking for the credentials mentioned above, make sure to evaluate the IAQ professional overall.

Diagnosing and recommending remediation strategies for water damage, mold and other such problems requires more than guesswork. It will require true diagnostic evaluations which includes actually measuring the buildings performance, not simply guessing.

After you have hired a qualified environmental consultant, they will help in properly assessing your problem and giving you the information which will be needed to make the best choices in dealing with the problems being experienced.

What Not to Do

If you suspect that your building has fungal growth and that it is significant enough to require outside help, you want to make the best decisions at this point. As stated above, that begins with hiring the services of a qualified indoor environmental professional. A common mistake building owners make is skipping this critical step and going directly to remediation contractors. A remediation contractor has a financial interest in the remediation of any problems and therefore has a built in bias when evaluating such a problem. It is a wise choice to have an independent (third party) consultant evaluate the problem, develop a remediation scope of work, perform oversight of the remediation and perform clearance to assure that the scope of work has been fulfilled. Remember, an improperly performed remediation may make conditions worse and could cost you thousands of dollars. A qualified indoor environmental consultant will be your ally when it is time to make critical decisions concerning what procedures are warranted and assuring that procedures are properly followed to complete the project successfully.

Important: If you consult with a remediation contractor that says you do not need a scope of work developed or offers to perform their own testing or clearance....find a new remediation contractor. It may be a significant conflict of interest when a remediation contractor performs their own clearance on a project. Not only is it a conflict of interest, it may also be unethical.

Bias Based on Financial Interests

When it is time to call in an expert, you should be aware of your options. The first thing you will want to consider in hiring a professional is having an un-biased analysis of the problem. Is the contractor you have called involved in the remediation industry? the waterproofing industry? the HVAC industry? If you answered yes, chances are you are going to get a biased assessment of the problem based on the background and financial interests of the consultant. The one thing you will likely not get in such a situation is a satisfactory solution to your problem. What you may end up doing is making the conditions worse.

We have dealt with many consumers that have contacted C.L.I. Group, LLC after having a remediation already performed with unsatisfactory results. Why? First, the consumer did not understand the need for an independent third-party consultant to perform the assessment. Many consumers do not see the need for this additional expense and unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous contractors out there that will fully support their decision. Why? Because the unscrupulous contractor would much rather make their own biased evaluation, which of course finds their product and techniques are the needed solution. The second reason, the unscrupulous contractor likes this approach is because they get to do their own clearance at the project completion. Needless to say, in such cases, the success rate is an astounding 100%!!!! On a recent, large commercial project where C.L.I. Group, LLC was hired as a third-party consultant, we were informed by the remediation contractor that they had performed their own clearance and all samples were found to be clean. Needless to say, we wanted to perform our own clearance and when we did it was completely the opposite of what the contractor found??? Hmmmm?? The contractor must have mistakenly used broken sampling equipment. They had to perform cleaning over again to pass our clearance before clearance sampling could even begin.

Another issue we find all too often are contractors that agree to come in and spray, seal, kill the mold, etc. They all offer lengthy guarantees of some sort. Unfortunately, the guaranty does not cover a new occurrence which is exactly what most of their clients get. It is amazing to me in most of these cases, the remediation contractor never investigated the cause of the problem, except enough to tell the client they had what they needed. Remember this....if the conditions that caused the problem are not addressed, the problem is guaranteed to return. Now that's a guaranty!!  

Where does mold come from and how did it get in my home?

Mold is ubiquitous. Without mold we probably would not be here. For the most part, the mold that we come into contact every day does not bother healthy human beings. However, when exposed to higher doses or certain types of fungi in the indoor environment certain types of symptoms may begin to occur. Your home will never be free of mold spores in the air which can enter through doors, windows, ventilation system and leaks in the building envelope. It is when reservoirs of fungi begin to colonize inside the building that problems occur. Mold has a few requirements for survival that should be pointed out before going any further. One, a source of water and two a source of nourishment. Any building which can provide these two things could experience indoor fungal reservoirs. In a nutshell, conditions that are comfortable to building occupants are also ideal for fungal or bacterial reservoirs.

In many cases, there may be musty odors in the home without many visible signs of damage. The images below show such a case. The occupants complained of musty odors which were getting worse, however there were limited signs of any damage in the home. C.L.I. used infrared thermography to scan the walls in the home and discovered the anomaly below. This area was further investigated with moisture detection equipment and a plumbing leak was discovered in the wall cavity as well as a significant amount of fungal amplification. The area was repaired and remediated and there were no further problems.

Water & Nourishment Sources

Water and nourishment sources can be many in a building. Fungi can thrive on any cellulose material if it is wet, including carpet, wallboard, lumber, insulation. It is important to note that fungi can begin to colonize these materials in 24-48 hr. so promptly dealing with water intrusion into a building is critical. How you deal with water intrusion will be dependent on where the water comes from. Water that intrudes the building is categorized by many in the water damage restoration industry into three distinct categories:

The source and category of the water damage is important for the safety of the building occupants and the remediation workers. The category of the water will also affect the cleanup costs. Gray and Black water contamination will require Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) be used by remediation workers, containment may also be required. In some situations, building evacuation may also be necessary. There may also be some remediation projects which require critical barriers (containments) and air scrubbers, HEPA vacs, negative air and equipment (e.g. Omniguard Differential Pressure Manometer) for monitoring the containment 24/7 until project completion.

The OmniGuard, pictured to left is a continuous manometer capable of monitoring changes in pressure over the containment. Often used during asbestos abatement projects, it can also be used for larger mold remediation projects.

Water/moisture issues in buildings can come from many sources and are not always system failures and leaks. Other items which may need to be evaluated are relative humidity in the building, dew-points, pressure differences and air movement, HVAC component sizing, duct leakage and other sources of high humidity within the building envelope. In some cases (interstitial space) the moisture and/or mold may not be visible and it will require specialized equipment to evaluate such as thermal imaging devices, borescope, laser thermometer, air and surface temperature reading devices, electronic moisture detection equipment and in some cases, air samples may be taken from the wall cavity.

Infrared Thermography

C.L.I. Group, LLC is the only area building science company utilizing infrared thermography during moisture assessments. By using this technology, we can spot thermal anomalies not visible to the eye to locate suspected hidden moisture and areas that are favorable to fungal amplification. This can prevent mold, if present, from being disturbed and possibly becoming airborne during more destructive types of testing and assessment.

In many cases, it is found that after flooding, a cleaning contractor may miss hidden areas of moisture which can lead to fungal amplification. By utilizing infrared thermography we can find thermal anomalies which indicate that further investigation is necessary to determine the successfulness of a remediation and help contractors in locating hidden problem areas. Thermographic images also provide a visual record of anomalies which can then be documented using proper electronic moisture detection methods so that before and after repair or remediation diagnostics can be made. This is a wise move when dealing with insurance claims from flooding, pipe breaks, etc. Our services can provide documented evidence that the cleanup was successful or not successful before signing off on the project. It also provides a visual record if litigation may be involved. The most common mistake building owners make when having water damage or mold problems assessed is hiring companies to perform assessments and/or testing that are not capable of providing defendable results and documentation. Ask your consultant these questions:

1. Is all of your equipment calibrated and N.I.S.T. certified and can you provide proof of this certification?
2. When was the last time your equipment was calibrated to a Primary Standard? May I have a copy of the calibration documentation?
3. Are you using thermography to verify the successfulness of a remediation or find hidden moisture? If they answer yes, you may wish to consider hiring a new consultant. Infrared thermography detects thermal anomalies, NOT MOISTURE. Thermal imaging equipment can help in determining areas which require a more in-depth investigation using proper moisture detection techniques.
4. Are you experienced in evaluating building pressures, dew-points and interstitial space conditions.
5. Is your equipment capable of time and date stamping conditions within the building?
6. Are your results reproducible? If you cannot prove the conditions during the assessment, the answer is definitely NO.
7. What protocols are you using during any mold testing? Ask for a copy of the protocols. If the inspector is simply taking samples, the results may be biased and unreliable. (This is CRITICAL if litigation may result)
8. May I have a copy of your sampling strategy. This will let you see how the investigator decided what types of samples were necessary, how that number was arrived at, the reasons for specific media selection for sampling, the reasons for selecting equipment, etc. (It is important to note, that sampling results can be easily biased by not selecting proper media, equipment, etc.) Asking for this information in writing BEFORE commencement of investigation will help to avoid unqualified investigators.
9. Do your research!! There are almost as many certifications today as there are consultants. Does the person you are hiring have accepted credentials and certifications? Be certain that the consultant has documented experience in dealing with mold issues. Simply having a C.I.H. designation does not automatically mean the investigator has experience with mold issues and most importantly, may have little, if any experience in construction issues, HVAC issues, building science or other building related issues which may be critical to properly assessing mold in a building. There are also numerous home inspection organizations which promote a one day certification for mold inspectors. One day of training probably qualifies the inspector for little more than taking money and making mistakes.
10. If mold is discovered during a home inspection and your inspector offers to take some samples...RUN!! (We often receive calls from consumers that have suspected mold problems. Many tell us that they want us to orchestrate the remediation, develop a scope of work for the remediation and oversee the project. Many tell us that no testing is required because their home inspector has already taken a sample. First, one tape lift or swab sample gives us little useful information. Second, any qualified IAQ professional will want to perform their own evaluation and their own sampling (if required). Third, for remediation, health questions, litigation, insurance claims, etc. one sample taken by a home inspector would be insufficient and non-defensible). It is our opinion that from a legal and professional standpoint, any testing and/or sampling should be left to a qualified IAQ professional).

If any of the above questions cannot be satisfactorily answered, you may be paying for useless information. If you must litigate your case, the information may be even more worthless. Do not let your inspector convince you that moisture and mold are the same issue. Yes, the two are closely related. However, preparing documentation is very different for both issues.

My Home Inspector Took a Mold Sample, Is This Sufficient?

Absolutely not. It is most likely worthless and your money was wasted. This type of sample does not answer anything about whether or not your home is contaminated. This type of sampling is the result of the profiteering business practices of some less than ethical inspectors. Thad Godish, Ph.D., C.I.H, a well respected member of the indoor air quality community had this to say about taking a single sample:

A single sample is virtually useless in determining whether a building has a mold problem.  Unfortunately many homeowners believe that sample results that show any mold present indicates that they “have mold”.  That is not necessarily true as mold spores can be found almost anywhere.  They are organisms of decay and in doing the job nature intended for them, you can expect to find mold spores airborne almost anywhere.

The issue is not whether mold spores are present.  The issue is  the kind of mold, the presence of an active infestation, and elevated exposure levels.           

March 5, 2004

Indoor Environmental Quality (2000), Thad Godish Ph.D., C.I.H

The problem with home inspectors that perform mold testing is that many lack the experience and training to properly conduct an indoor air quality investigation. Many inspectors today offer a variety of add-on services to the home inspection such as mold testing, energy inspections, etc. Performing such services during a 2 hour home inspection is a disservice to their clients. To properly perform and indoor air quality investigation or an energy audit of a home would each, most likely take at least a few hours to perform with any level of accuracy. If you suspect a mold problem in a home you are considering purchasing, spend the money to hire a qualified indoor air quality professional to evaluate the building. If your inspector offers several add-on inspections such as mold, energy, etc. You may want to further investigate if they are even qualified to perform the initial inspection.

Sampling performed for bioaerosols has it's place for investigative purposes and may be required for a project. However, there are many differing types of samples, different sampling equipment and methodologies, etc. It is critical that your indoor environmental consultant understands the limitations of sampling. There are many factors which can affect air sampling for biological aerosols including seasonal variations, time variations, media used to collect samples, equipment calibration, type of sample analysis, etc. To increase accuracy and reduce biases, the consultant should understand the limitations of their sampling and then determine if they can attain the information they need within those limitations. This is exactly why inspectors offering to take one or two samples because they see mold is of limited, if any usefulness.

Garbage In...Garbage Out...

If you believe you have an indoor air quality problem or health concern related to airborne biological contamination you will require accurate sampling to determine the levels of contamination. Your physician will also require accurate information if exposure hazard questions are to be properly answered. Accurate information starts with hiring qualified investigators that have accurate equipment. C.L.I. Group, LLC uses state of the art sampling equipment and N.I.S.T. traceable calibration equipment to assure that all sampling is performed to industry standards. If samples are taken without a sampling strategy and without using properly calibrated equipment, the results may be biased and of little value.

If you are currently involved in a situation which could end up in litigation, your investigator will need to show that the information provided from taking samples is accurate. This can only be done by developing a proper sampling strategy and calibrating equipment to a N.I.S.T. traceable standard. The investigator needs to know what information the sampling will provide. If there is a hypotheses concerning the project, a properly defined strategy will either prove or disprove the hypotheses and allow the investigation to proceed in an organized fashion.

Is Mold Dangerous to My Health?

Some molds can produce toxins which have been linked to health problems, especially in immune compromised individuals. The problem in determining the health effects is that different individuals may react in different ways to exposure. There are no set guidelines for exposure limits as of this writing. We are indoor air quality and construction defect investigators and building science professionals, not healthcare professionals. If you are suffering symptoms that you feel may be related to exposure to toxin producing mold, it is suggested that you contact your physician. Below are some links which will go into the health effects in more detail.

C.L.I. Group, LLC has developed a web site that deals specifically with environmental issues, including mold. The web site can be accessed by clicking here. We will not go into the same information here.

Recent studies have found that there is sufficient evidence to support a link between indoor mold and dampness and some health concerns such as upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough and wheezing. It should be noted that the idea that all mold health issues are caused only by black mold is false. Many types of molds are capable of producing the above noted symptoms. It is also important to remember that just because mold is black does not make it deadly.

It is also important to understand that water damaged buildings can produce bacterial contamination, dust mites, VOC's and other allergens which are often overlooked by investigators. In many cases, the synergistic effects of these combined contaminants are not well understood.

How do I Get Rid of Mold?

Again, that will depend on the amount of contamination, the source of the water and other damage that may be present. The NYC Dept. of Health Guidelines  are one source that we use when involved in a remediation consulting project. The contamination can be much more serious than meets the eye. There may be hidden reservoirs of microbial growth which must be addressed for a successful remediation project. A remediation project, performed improperly can lead to aggravated problems, further contamination and health risks for the building occupants. Also, it is important to note that it has been suggested that up to 50% of microbial contamination in some situations may be hidden from view. It takes a qualified investigator to track down the reservoirs of contamination in some cases. The new The IICRC S520 Standard and Reference Guide for Mold Remediation contains standards and guidelines which were two years in the making from some of the countries leading authorities in mold remediation. Closer Look Inspections evaluates each case on it's own merits and we develop a scope of work for the remediation after carefully considering all of the issues involved. We do not recommend the use of bleach and/or biocides in most cases. There are many companies that use chemicals to allegedly kill mold, however, if the problems that led to the microbial amplification are not addressed and corrected any attempt at remediation will have limited success. A successful remediation of a mold problem may require the talents of different specialty contractors in addition to the remediation contractor. The specialty contractors may include an HVAC technician, general contractor, roofing contractor or others.

Remember one VERY IMPORTANT FACT, if the cause of the mold is not properly diagnosed, the problem is likely to return. Many remediation company's offer long term warranties. Make sure you read and understand the warranty. It has been our experience that many of these warranties are not worth the paper they are written on.

It is important when there is a mold issue that you have an experienced, unbiased investigator on your side to prevent unneeded remediation that could cost you thousands of dollars, or worse, create a more significant hazard. It is our opinion that the first issues which must be addressed are the conditions which permitted and/or exacerbated the fungal amplification in the first place. It has become almost common for C.L.I. to be consulted for recurring mold problems after remediation has been performed. This problem is the result of unqualified technicians performing the remediation and not addressing the underlying cause(s) and conditions. Determining the exact nature of a moisture problem and hence a mold problem requires a highly qualified building investigator capable of evaluating the building system in it's entirety.

What Does the C.L.I. Group, LLC  Do?

We investigate, document and report on fungal/bacterial amplification and the building conditions which are responsible for these conditions. The two are closely related. In most cases, fungal amplification inside of a building can be traced to defects in the building or it's integral components. We are experienced indoor air quality and building professionals that have experience in assessing these issues and helping to find solutions. We begin by performing visual and verbal assessments of both the building and the occupants of the building. With the information gathered during the initial assessments, we will formulate hypotheses which will then guide the investigation. It is important that an investigation follow guidelines which have been developed through successful investigations in the past. After our initial assessments and the development of hypotheses, we can then develop a strategy to accomplish our goal of identifying, documenting and correcting the problem. We work closely with experienced laboratory professionals when we reach this stage of the investigation. Once we have developed a sampling strategy and determine what sampling will be required to test our hypotheses, we consult with our lab to arrange sampling media, techniques and equipment (if needed), timetables for sample shipments, etc.  to complete the project. It is also at this stage that we look at any time, manpower, cost or other considerations which could place limitations on our strategy. It is our belief that the development of hypotheses and sampling strategies helps to keep the costs of the investigation down and gives the building owner a sense of control over costs, etc. Once we have completed our assessments and any sampling required, we can work with the building owner in the development of a remediation strategy and the proper implementation of that strategy. It should be noted, that in many cases, sampling may not be necessary. Sampling of the air or surfaces should only be done in certain circumstances. In many cases, it may be a wiser decision to use the funds to correct the underlying causes of the problem. If the contamination requires remedial procedures, we will perform clearance (both visual and sampling) to assure that remediation is successful. 

We have the experience needed to identify building related issues such as condensation problems, building pressure issues, HVAC related issues, ventilation, building envelope inadequacies and other issues that should be addressed as part of any remediation. It has been our experience that some remediation company's treat all remediation the same. This could be a problem. If the remediation is performed and the contamination was caused by a one time flood, sewer backup, etc. their techniques may be suitable. However, if the contamination is being caused by chronic problems or several different problems a different approach will be needed to prevent a re-occurrence of the problems. 

Sampling Considerations

The term "toxic or black mold" has created a general hysteria in the news. This fact, along with the fact that so little is known about microbial contamination has created a lucrative market for anyone wanting to test for mold? Homeowner sampling kits, home inspectors using mold test kits, etc. are supplying consumers with incorrect or insufficient information to make educated decisions concerning IAQ or microbial contamination problems. Indoor Air Quality and microbial contamination are serious subjects with the potential for serious consequences. The problems with the use of mold test kits is that the inspector or homeowner that uses them has no idea that they could be overlooking potentially serious problems. Many test kits consist of petri dishes filled with a general agar which are used as settlement plates. The information gathered using this technique for sampling will be extremely limited and probably biased for the following reasons: Air flow and gravity can affect spore movement, spores are different sizes and weights, the agar plates only detect viable spores (some non-viable spores also create toxins), some slower growing fungi can be overgrown by faster growing fungi and some species (Stachybotrys) are usually wet/slimy and may not be airborne until disturbed and/or dried. It is also important to note that the air quality problems in your building may only be partially attributed or not attributed at all to microbial contamination. There are other contaminants in both residential and commercial buildings which can cause problems such as formaldehyde, asbestos, carbon monoxide and improper ventilation. We are indoor air quality professionals, having knowledge to track down not only microbial contamination, but other indoor air quality problems as well. Studies have shown that ventilation problems are the number one source of IAQ complaints.

Sampling for mold is not suggested until a full evaluation of the building is performed. Calling in a company to take a surface sample may be wasting resources which could be better spent on correcting the conditions which led to the mold problem in the first place. Those companies which offer mold testing (e.g. home inspectors, remediation companies, etc.) may not have the level of expertise required to perform any meaningful sampling within the building. Just as with every other thing that can be tested, profit motivation brings out the unqualified technicians that have been trained by unqualified trainers. Few of these so-called "toxic mold experts" know little, if anything about selective media (specific types of media used in viable air sampling), equipment calibration, proper protocols, sample contamination, etc. and the information that is provided by such persons may be of little or no value in assessing the conditions in the building.

Be Wary of Remediation Companies that perform their own sampling, clearance sampling or investigations. They are selling a service (remediation) and performing sampling or investigation is a conflict of interest.

We often discover that insurers are capable of making the same mistake. They often expend valuable resources performing testing but never address the sources of the problem. Many company's that are hired to perform such sampling may be qualified to perform the sampling, but lack the required knowledge of buildings, HVAC systems, ventilation and other building issues which are critical to correcting the problem. Discovering and correcting such problems requires very specialized equipment and training in many cases and many environmental companies simply cannot provide these needed services.

Fungal amplification in attic. This is an OFTEN misdiagnosed problem.	Other IAQ contaminants. In this case pathogens from sewage.	Performing viable airborne sampling with selective media to evaluate potential pathogens.	This home had severe fungal amplification behind vinyl wallpaper. Borescope revealed even worse inside of wall.
Monitoring negative pressure during mold remediation project. When using negative pressure containment 0.02"w.c. must be maintained.	Containment setup inspected by C.L.I. before beginning remedial procedures.	Negative pressure equipment on site.	Commercial facility which had hidden contamination resulting from condensation
Classroom remediation project where C.L.I. performed oversight	IAQ equipment cart used during investigations includes Andersen viable sampler, Air-O-Cell mini pumps, BIOS DryCal and 0.3 to 10 micron particle count	Condensation in unit ventilator causing IAQ problems. This unit was found in a healthcare facilities main office	Frozen refrigeratnt line in drop ceiling at a healthcare facility. This facility had numerous IAQ issues due to a lack of maintenance.

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