Mold: What Do You Believe?

[Ben H]

Chip,

Bottom line is for me: I am the 14th smartest inspector in the universe and I will freely admit, even after considerable education, I know squat about mold. That being said, I also know I know a little more than the mold expert inspectors I have had occasion to work with.

This is the best thing I've read in 6 months. Kudos Les.

[Jim Morrison]

I don't know that Radon is appreciably higher in MA than anywhere else. As far as I know, if you want to know how much Radon there is in any particular home, you simply have to test. I do sell the test kits, but only because some clients expect it. I don't push it, either. Because the science on this issue is inconclusive (and likely always will be), I have mixed feelings about it

The unanswerable question (beaten to death in previous threads) is: How harmful is typical residential exposure to Radon?

[hausdok]

Any chance you might split this and open a discussion on radon?

More snake oil?

Why? If anyone wants to read discussions on radon all they have to do is do a search of the forum and they'll find more than they need to about it.

If this diverges into a full-blown radon discussion, maybe it would be worth doing. Until then...

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Les]

I have done my part for science!

[Erby]

I've been a "certified mold tester" since day one when I attended a one day class put on by one of the big labs trying to sell $1,000.00 - $1,500.00 worth of mold testing equipment.

After some study, I chose not to buy the equipment and become a certified DDMG instead.

I found a real mold guy to refer customers to and I educate them about the foibles of using a "one day mold wonder."

Some skip the mold testing, some get the real mold guy, and some hire a one day wonder to do it for them.

No skin off my nose. I educate, they choose. We have the freedom to be stupid if we so choose. I know. I've been stupid a time or two in my life.

-

[Tom Raymond]

It's amazing what people worry about. Every time some homeowner posts a pic of a mold problem all I can think is, "I've got more mold then that in my fridge."

Here's my take; if there were no mold there'd be no beer, no bread, no wine. Take away our earliest reliable, preservable and transportable food stuffs and there'd probably be no human beings around to worry about mold.

Great, now I want a beer and some chicken wings.

[Tim Maxwell]

Every time that I have seen a mold problem in a house that was a true concern it was very obvious what the problem was and what was needed to fix it. It would not be cheap or easy in any of the cases but there was no need for any mold testing from anyone.

[mgbinspect]

It's amazing what people worry about. Every time some homeowner posts a pic of a mold problem all I can think is, "I've got more mold then that in my fridge."

Here's my take; if there were no mold there'd be no beer, no bread, no wine. Take away our earliest reliable, preservable and transportable food stuffs and there'd probably be no human beings around to worry about mold.

Great, now I want a beer and some chicken wings.

"Mold's primary function is to breakdown dead organic material and recycle nutrients back to the earth. Without mold our world would be covered in accumulated organic matter.... It is estimated that molds and other fungi make up approximately 25% of the earth's biomass... In addition to breaking down organic material, mold is also an aid in the development of certain foods and medicine such as cheese and penicillin (and, as Tom has reminded us, Beer and Wine. Yes!)." ~From a mold inspection training manual.

I'm with Tom, I propose a beer, wine and cheese tasting party, with a side mission of accumulating a handsome stack of discarded chicken wing bones to satisfy our little buddies in the fungi class.

[Erby]

I'd go with that if you can promise tbe wings are cooked in the sauce instead of cooked and then dipped.

Lately all I can find around here are the cooked and then dipped. No where near as tasty as cooked in the sauce.

What the heck. SOMEBODY has to care for our fungi buddies.

-

[Tom Raymond]

Huh? I forget that wings are local dish and the further you get from Buffalo the less they resemble the original. The original recipe is crispy deep fried wings coated in a blend of hot sauce and butter, served with a side of blue cheese dressing. The dressing is what made them relavant to the thread, they pair well with a yeasty beer and some moldy cheese.

[mgbinspect]

Now what dod ya go and do that for Tom? I'm dieting and all I can think of now is a big ole' block of blue cheese. This all has me thinking I was about to test begin a campaign to detect and exterminate old friends of the family...