Is Mold Testing Really Necessary?

I've visited several conversations on Active Rain and various other sites where people are saying mold and mold testing is a bunch of hoo-ha.

Well I have to admit, a long time ago I used to think and say the same thing!

That is, until someone I loved went through it. When you see someone suffering from the effects of mold contamination, you turn into a believer!

That's when I started believing the link between the environment and our health and understanding from a scientific perspective that mold contamination really is a really big deal for some people.

Testing is the ONLY way to see if the mold is toxic or not which will tell you who's hands need to clean it up..If it's non-toxic, some elbow grease and Murphy's Soap are a wonderful solution, much more effective than bleach. If it's toxic, then it is considered a HAZMAT MATERIAL and needs to be professionally remediated

This is where the hoo-ha comes in because of all the variables form person to person, home to home...everyone experiences mold differently. If someone is particularly sensitive, or immune compromised, very young or old, these people are more susceptible to mold contamination than others.

So often, doctors will prescribe pharmaceuticals for the symptoms of mold contamination. Doesn't it make more sense to just get rid of the contamination by cleaning up the mold?

I have seen first hand literally hundreds of peoples lives changed for the better once the mold in their homes was identified and cleaned properly. They were then able to take the test results to their physician to see if their blood was contaminated.

Mold testing will also insure the client has the proper information to effectively stop the water-moisture-humidity source and clean up infection. If the source of moisture is not identified and repaired, cleaning it up is an exercise in futility! It will keep returning again and again.

If a remediation company says they don't need to test first, it's because they don't want to be put on a leash. How will they know if it is toxic mold or not with out testing? How can they see what's in the air?

If they don't have the SCOPE OF WORK to follow, they will proceed as if it were a Condition 3 risk ( worst case scenario)and charge client much more than need be.

... Plus scaring them half to death! The numbers arm the client with information that protects them from getting ripped off. We had a client tell us that before having their home tested, a remediation company came to her home she had just purchased and quoted her $100,000 to clean up the mold.

After testing it, she realized she only needed her basement cleaned and did the entire project for $2,500.

Now you tell me what you think! Is mold testing necessary??

Turtle Clan follows the IAQA, IESO, AMIAQ Council and AIHA recommendations for the assessment of indoor environments for mold contamination. It is important to use a firm that is certified in and follow these protocols to insure project is completed successfully.


Contact us for additional information:

Phone: 914-361-9703
E-mail: info@turtleclan.com