Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Any MD's reading this??

S Ebels
S Ebels Member Posts: 2,322
I was contacted today by a building manager who explained that an air sample had revealed mold contamination in the building. This is what was found, Aspergillus/Penicillum, Basidiospore, Cladosporium, Myxomcetes along with fibers and particulates. I'm looking for some reference material on these molds to give to him. He has no idea whether the air testing people are giving him straight info or not and I'd like to help him out. What is a good web site for info on these irritants?

Comments

  • Mike Kraft_2
    Mike Kraft_2 Member Posts: 398
    :)

    I thought you meant any Mad Dogs!Pass the fungi!

    cheese
  • Robert O'Connor_7
    Robert O'Connor_7 Member Posts: 688
    Why not ...

    Try the CDC. Three cheers for the minimum air systems, get everyone sick then blame the mechanical contractor for it..Robert O'Connor/NJ
  • Weezbo
    Weezbo Member Posts: 6,232
    The News has a bunch of articles...Construction E wire also

    a friend a P.E. went D.C. to testify in congress a few years ago. so there should be all kinds of articles on the subject. i dont know how to make blue letters to link to stuff on the computer:(
  • hr
    hr Member Posts: 6,106
  • jerry scharf_2
    jerry scharf_2 Member Posts: 414
    I've done some research on this

    What kind of information are you looking for? There's a lot out there, but less of substance. It's not just what gets found, it's how much and where. Make sure they did an outdoor background level assessment, so you're not finding things that aren't a building problem.

    There are three major areas that I have seen relative to this: medical and biological issues, building design and mitigation issues, and litigation issues. The EPA is where I would start you on this.

    This falls under the care of industrial hygenists. These are the people you end up needing to create a plan for where to go from here.

    For mitigation, in a few words there are two things to do, clean up and get rid of ALL moisture sources. Clean up may mean a complete stripping of sheetrock, insulation, etc., plus bleaching or similar to kill active mold. Finding the moisture sources can take some real detective work.

    Mold spores are almost indestructable, but they can be filtered out with a HEPA filter.

    Let me know what else you might need, and I'll get you more.

    jerry
  • Mike Kraft_2
    Mike Kraft_2 Member Posts: 398
    Also very interested.......................

    in what you find.I live in an area that the soil has poor drainage.(NE PA) Lots of "hardpan" = clay.Older homes were slapped up ontop of the ground with poor foundations.Primarily all crawl spaces.Footings were not always common.........so you can imagine where that leaves a footing drain:)Even new construction makes the 4' high crawl a summertime spore haven!Most joist bays are insulated with a minimum of R-19 batts.The crawl floor gets a high mill(10?)vapor barrier with 2B stone ontop.Foundation vents are required but IMO not very adequate.In the humid weather the batts prespires and can get quite wet.Most crawl space frames(not all) are framed with PT lumber.A virtual fungi and formaldehyde emporium!

    The sub floors are typically 3/4" advantech or fir T&G sheets.This is the new homes.The old homes are anybody's guess.Over years with no inspections you can get various interpertations,budgets,visions and construction methods for additions etc.

    I am currently looking at 2 homes(one I'm working in) that NEED some air cleaning.I have been looking into the Lifebreath Co. at the TFP system.Anybody use this?http://www.lifebreath.com/life.htm

    I know nothing really about systems other than what I read.HEPA's I searched for on the net.Lots of choices but need more info.Looking for suggestions on equipment to avoid the obvious qaugmier of MANs on the search engines.

    This mold market is up and coming.Air Quality is getting huge.Mnay families are buying old homes ready to fix-em-up.Not understanding whats growing in the walls and under thier feet.

    Thanks,

    cheese
  • Weezbo
    Weezbo Member Posts: 6,232
    IAQ.....

    indoor air quality is one thing to deal with Abatement another. I have done some abatement and it isnt much fun.one place i pretty much gave the option of rebuilding his home rather than remodeling it.
  • S Ebels
    S Ebels Member Posts: 2,322
    Cheese

    TFP's work!!! I installed one in a local church that had a couple members with severe allergy problems. (Old church, old ductwork, lots of dust!) The persons with the problems would walk into the sanctuary and have reactions within 5-10 minutes. Within two weeks after installation the folks had no problems whatsoever. Interestingly, in the half of the church in which we had installed radiators, they had no breathing difficulty at all.
  • S Ebels
    S Ebels Member Posts: 2,322
    FYI

    These are all common molds that are present nearly everywhere. The problem with this place is that the levels were higher in the building than outside in the woods!
This discussion has been closed.