Information Resources
Home Inspector Licenses: New Hampshire: 362 Vermont: 143.0113319
Radon Measurement Certification: AARST-NRPP: 112127-RMP
InterNachi: 20072411 - Certified Property Inspector
WATER QUALITY & WELLS
EPA ' Private wells protect your water '
RADON IN AIR & WATER
EPA ' Home Buyers & Sellers Guide to Radon '
ENERGY SAVINGS
Energy Star ' Benefits of Duct Sealing '
Energy Star ' Why Seal and Insulation '
POOLS
Poolsafely.gov ' Safety Tips '
MOLD
CDC on Mold
Mold can cause many health effects. For some people, mold can cause a stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing or wheezing, burning eyes, or skin rash. People with asthma or who are allergic to mold may have severe reactions. Immune-compromised people and people with chronic lung disease may get infections in their lungs from mold.
There is always some mold around. Molds have been on the Earth for millions of years. Mold can get in your home through open doors, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems. Mold in the air outside can be brought indoors on clothing, shoes, bags, and even pets.
Mold will grow where there is moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been a flood.
To Prevent Mold Growth in Your Home - Keep humidity levels in your home as low as you can—no higher than 50%–all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low. You can buy a meter to check your home’s humidity at a home improvement store. Humidity levels change over the course of a day so you will need to check the humidity levels more than once a day. Be sure the air in your home flows freely. Use exhaust fans that vent outside your home in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure your clothes dryer vents outside your home. Fix any leaks in your home’s roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow. Clean up and dry out your home fully and quickly (within 24–48 hours) after a flood. Add mold inhibitors to paints before painting. You can buy mold inhibitors at paint and home improvement stores. Clean bathrooms with mold-killing products.Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have been soaked and cannot be dried right away. Think about not using carpet in places like bathrooms or basements that may have a lot of moisture.
To learn more about preventing mold in your home, see the Environmental Protection Agency’s book A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-10/documents/moldguide12.pdf [PDF – 1.38 MB].
Should I get my Home Tested for Mold?
CDC does not recommend mold testing. The health effects of mold can be different for different people so you cannot rely on sampling and culturing to know if you or a member of your family might become sick. No matter what type of mold is present, you need to remove it. Also, good sampling for mold can be expensive, and there are no set standards for what is and what is not an acceptable quantity of different kinds of mold in a home. The best thing you can do is to safely remove the mold and work to prevent future mold growth.
Mold - EPA ' A brief guide to mold, moisture, and your home '
EPA on sampling -
Test or Sampling for MoldIs sampling for mold needed? In most cases, if visible mold growth is present, sampling is unnecessary. Since no EPA or other federal limits have been set for mold or mold spores, sampling cannot be used to check a building's compliance with federal mold standards.
EPA on Mold Basics -
Mold BasicsThe key to mold control is moisture control. If mold is a problem in your home, you should clean up the mold promptly and fix the water problem. It is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.
California Department of Public Health and The Toxic Mold Protection Act of 2001 on allowable levels -
PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE LIMITS (PELS) FOR INDOOR FUNGIThe Toxic Mold Protection Act of 2001 requires DHS to consider the feasibility of adopting PELs to molds in indoor nvironments and, if feasible, to adopt PELs to prevent adverse health effects of mold exposure. After considerable research into this question, DHS staff has determined that sound, science-based PELs for indoor molds cannot be established at this time.
CDPH - CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONSEvidence is accumulating that damp indoor environments can increase risks for a variety of health problems, especially cough, wheeze, worsening of asthma, and other respiratory symptoms. However, the specific elements in damp buildings that can cause such health effects are not yet sufficiently understood to warrant regulatory action. Possible agents in damp buildings include fungal and bacterial allergens or toxins, allergens from dust mites or insects, and volatile chemicals produced by microorganisms or deteriorating building materials. Additionally, there is wide variation in individual sensitivity or susceptibility to mold exposure andinsufficient data to allow determination of the amount of mold exposure necessary to cause illness and allergic reactions. Thus, it is not yet feasible to establish PELs for indoor molds.