dryhero

Adding some thoughts. I own a water damage restoration, mold remediation company in Nebraska. Mold and the human body are complicated. My opinion is the mold is something to be aware of in your environment, but is perhaps is not as big of an issue as it's made out to be. Mold spores will be present in virtually any indoor environment, but types and concentrations will vary. Moisture content (approx. 16%) of the material the mold spores settle on determines if this mold is actively growing or not. Your exposure to dry mold is like any other allergen, your immune system can react, or not. Mold that is actively growing on a wet material is an entirely different animal. It's now consuming organic matter and releasing organic vapors and perhaps mycotoxins, endotoxins, etc. An inexpensive moisture meter can be very useful if you know where to stick it. : ) Make sure your not growing mold in your home. Keep things clean and dry. Moisture sources go beyond liquid water. Chronic excess water vapor can provide enough moisture to allow the mold found in our normal household dust to grow (like in your crawlspace). Most crawlspaces should have a dehumidifier running if they aren't already heated/cooled by your HVAC system. Air sampling with spore traps are generally helpful in getting a snapshot idea of your aerosol mold count. But it changes from hour to hour, day to day, and cost approx. $100/sample, all things considered. Recommend NOT having a lot of samples taken. I also don't think surface samples/tape lifts are worthwhile since it often indicates how long it's been since a surface has been cleaned versus mold actual contamination levels. Think ceiling fan blade versus kitchen countertop. IF your not growing mold in your home, then you can lower your levels. Water damaged materials with visible mold growth should likely be removed...carefully, to avoid dispersing/spreading spores. I think EVERYONE should use HEPA filtered vacuums in their homes, but not brands like Dyson, Shark, etc., because although they may have a HEPA filter, they can't perform like a professional vacuum. Pullman-Holt, Nikro, Minuteman, etc. start at around $600 but are superior. After HEPA vacuuming, damp wipe. Anything that removes dust will also remove mold spores. Avoid dry feather "dusting". Microfiber towels will remove the most particulate from a surface. Just use warm soap and water and avoid scrubbing the surface. You're wiping, rinse often. Then HEPA vacuum again. Filter your air with the highest filtration filters your HVAC will accept and consider a stand-alone HEPA filtration unit. I like ugly, bulky professional air scrubbers because they filter the most CFM per dollar. Some residential units have too many options, are overpriced, don't perform well and are more fragile. Hope this is helpful!

Has anybody had experience using a Temtop PMD331/351 particle counter? Look amazing on paper, features, build quality, etc. However, they are 1/4 the cost of gold standard manufacturers like Fluke, TSI, Lighthouse, MetOne, etc. ($1,200 vs $4K-46K)Likely using lesser quality sensor(s)? Re-calibration might be difficult (Chines manufacturer). I can't find ANY discussion regarding reliability/accuracy. Salespersons for the large, above mentioned brands simply say "I've never heard of Temtop". Which may be code for "Temtop is just as good as ours, but at a killer price". I appreciate any feedback on anything particle counter, PM related.

Temtop makes a cost effective meter, but may not be super accurate at that price point. Closer to $1K would be more reliable.