Mold? Or No?

Recently we were called out to do a site visit for a homeowner who was concerned with toxic black mold in his basement. He called us after he had already received a quote for mold remediation from another company that was over $7000.00. Understandably, he wanted a second opinion. . . .

When we arrived, the homeowner reported that he had already done a mold test, and “already knew” there was mold in his basement. However, it was a “tape test” he got from his local hardware store.

Tape tests are unreliable because mold spores are everywhere, and on everything. So, the test will always reveal spores. What the tape test can’t reveal is whether the mold is actually a health problem: mold spores are ubiquitous in the outdoor environment so they will also be found inside the home – on every surface.

What makes for an accurate test to determine if there is an actual health threatening mold problem is an indoor air quality test that compares a sample of the air mold spore count inside with a mold spore count from a sample of the air outside. If the mold spore count inside is 10% or more than that outside, it is considered a possible health risk requiring mold remediation.

 
Upon further discussion with the homeowner, the basement in this home had never had a problem with water damage: no history of flooding, no broken washing machine hoses, no soil pipe sewage leaks. The walls were dry – both to touch and by moisture meter readings. And, there was no smell.

With our investigation, it seemed that the walls of this basement, while dusty did not appear to have mold. What we’re seeing in the pictures appears to be evidence of “efflouressence.” Efflouressence occurs when water moves through a wall or other structure, or is driven out as a result of the heat of hydration as cement stone is being formed.

Hydrostatic pressure from moisture in the soil outside can bring salts to the surface on the brick inside that are not commonly bound as part of the cement stone. As the water evaporates, it leaves the salt behind, which forms a white, fluffy deposit, that can just be brushed off. Since primary efflorescence brings out salts that are not ordinarily part of the cement stone, it is not a structural or health concern.

Because we’ve had record rainfall in the Greater Philadelphia region, the soil in our area is saturated. The hydrostatic pressure in the soil outside is creating the efflouressence inside. This homeowner has never had water damage to his basement because the bricks are doing their job keeping the moisture out!

In order to address this homeowner’s concerns (he has a baby and was frightened that mold contamination could make the child sick), and to confirm our hunch, we referred him to an indoor air quality specialist. It cost him a few hundred bucks to get the right testing done, but the indoor air sampling test revealed that the spore count was not significant enough to require remediation.

The homeowner simply needed to steel brush the efflouressence off the walls and reseal them with paint. For a few hundred dollars, the homeowner was able to save himself $7000!

So, if you, or someone you know suspects they have a problem with toxic mold, make sure you talk to the experts here at PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services 877-750-7876

We’re a company you know you can trust!