Daryl's Blog

Odors produced by mold and your health

Daryl Watters (A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. ) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:16:58 -0500

Most inspectors as well as people suffering with mold problems assume that spores are what make people sick, but is it possible that mold odor alone without spores can cause health complaints such as but not limited to allergy, asthma, and more frequent colds?

I have done mold inspections since 2003 and have long suspected a direct and strong correlation between mold odor and building occupant health complaints. It seems that mold odor has more to do with health complaints than spore levels in many cases.

It is a well known fact that many manmade volatile organic compounds such as benzene, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, and formaldehyde to name a few not only have scary names, but can have scary health effects and can contribute to indoor air quality problems such as sick building syndrome and other IAQ problems.

Mold odors are also made of volatile organic compounds. Volatile organic compounds produced by mold include chemicals similar to alcohols, aldehydes, amines, ketones and many more. When volatile organic compounds are produced by mold or bacteria we stop calling them volatile organic compounds and refer to them as microbial volatile organic compounds. (mVOCs).

Mold odors or mVOC's are typically over looked as a source of health complaints by many mold inspectors who look for spores as the only source of potential health problems. Other inspectors are concerned about the health effects of toxins produced by toxic black mold. During many inspections because visible mold was not obvious and the lab report you receive states that spore levels indoors are low, inspectors will tell you that you do not have a mold problem, and that your health problems are not related to mold in your home. This inspector has investigated numerous cases where mold odors were produced inside AC units, behind wall paper, in crawl spaces, or inside walls in many such cases spores were trapped or simply not released by the mold and yet people became ill.

After years of noticing this correlation between the occurrence of mold odor and allergy and asthma like health complaints I started to find information on the internet to support these observations. Please note that the legal and health implications are powerful, even in the lack of elevated spore levels building occupants can still become ill from mold.

Samples of indoor odor can be taken for quantitative and qualitative analysis by accredited labs using proven and advanced methods of analysis, Prism Analytical labs AKA PATI is one of the few labs that specialize in not just voc analysis but also mVOC or microbial volatile compound analysis.

Do not rely on my observations, also see what academic and government mold experts say about this often overlooked issue. Do a search for mold odor and health for yourself and you will see that even if spore levels are low in your home there is no guarantee that you are free of mold problems.

But do not despair, there is hope, simply never rely on spore levels and lab tests alone, always hire an experienced inspector who does much more than take samples, he or she should know something about building construction or home inspections, AC systems, science, indoor air quality, and industrial hygiene. The mold inspector must do a very detailed investigation using his or her knowledge and experience and should not just take a few samples.

http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com/

A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc.

Carbon monoxide in your home

Daryl Watters (A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. ) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:02:56 -0500

Article by A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc.

Daryl Watters

Many people are concerned about hidden mold causing health problems.

Unfortunately because of fears of mold people overlook other possible dangerious indoor air quality problems.

Certified home inspectors and certified mold inspectors with a two day certifications in mold testing are all to often called out to sample the air for mold spores in such buildings.

Neither the home owner nor the poorly trained inspector considers the fact that bacteria from a humidifier in the babies room, allergens from rats in the attic, asbestos containing building materials, volatile organic compounds, or even carbon monoxide may be causing the problems. If mis diagnosed by a guy with a mold testing air pump, a swab, and a two day certification, such conditions can be overlooked and have seriously negative consequences.

One of the most dangerous indoor air quality problems is caused by carbon monoxide. It kills 1500 and injures 10,000 people a year in the US alone.

Read on to learn more about this silent killer.

Are gas appliances ever in use at the property ?

Do any health complaints appear to have a direct correlation to time spent cooking, or heating, or being in the property while any combustion devices may be in operation?

Are automobiles warmed up in an attached garage ?

Are AC units or duct work in a garage or basement or other area where combustion devices or automobiles may be in use.

WARNING: Carbon monoxide levels at your property may become elevated, obtain a carbon monoxide detector or have your property tested for carbon monoxide. If levels are deemed high enough by your investigator then emergency measures such as immediate evacuation may be deemed necessary by your investigator.

Even if slightly elevated further investigation by a qualified, licensed, specialist is recommended and appropriate repairs or other measures may be needed.

The leading cause of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in homes is automobile exhaust escaping from garages, however improper combustion of fuel in gas appliances, improper ventilation of combustion gases to the exterior, and cracked heat exchangers are also important sources of carbon monoxide exposure.

At low concentrations the health effects are fatigue in healthy people and chest pain in persons with heart disease. At higher concentrations it causes impaired vision and coordination problems, headaches, dizziness, confusion, nausea. It can cause flu like symptoms that clear up after leaving home. Carbon monoxide is fatal at very high concentrations.

Average levels in homes without gas stoves 0.5 to 5 ppm.

Levels near properly adjusted gas stoves are 5 to 15 ppm.

Near poorly adjusted stoves 30 ppm or higher.

The above information is from our inspection report writing software created by our inspector, and from the EPA website:

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/co.html

Also visit carbonmonoxidekills.com

Daryl Watters, National Association of Home Inspectors
Certified Residential Inspector Florida Certified Windstorm Mitigation Inspector. IAQA Certified Indoor Environmentalist Environmental Assessors Association
Certified Environmental Inspector Professional Certification Institute
Certified Mold Inspector. Environmental Solutions Association
Certified Mold Inspector and Certified Allergen Inspector.
Providing inspection services for Floridians since 1993 Your referrals are appreciated. http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us/
http://www.freemoldinspectionreporting.com/
http://www.floridahomeinspectors.us/

1-888-381-6651

About Hotel Mold Problems

Daryl Watters (A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. ) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 20:51:40 -0600

In response to a question on mold problems in Florida hotels, Mold inspector Daryl Watters says:

My wife and I stay in hotels throughout Florida a few times a year. Usually we travel to the Florida Keys or Central Florida. Before we travel my wife goes online and picks out a new hotel, typically under 5 years old. She likes new hotels because she knows from experience that they are less likely to be moldy. When staying in such new hotels we never experience mold problems or mold odor. Some of our favorite new hotels are Country Inn and Suits, Holiday Inn Express, and just about any new hotel.

We have stayed in moldy Florida hotel rooms no less than ½ dozen times. Most Holiday Inn Hotels in Florida are nice, but one night in Key Largo we changed rooms 3 times in one night at a not so cheap Holiday Inn, that building was demolished a few years ago and has been replaced with a newer nicer building.

Mold can easily occur in any hotel new or old, and in any state, but it very easily grows in older Florida hotels that are not properly maintained insides and outside. The reason is at least four fold:

1) Hurricanes and tropical depressions drive rain water into building defects such as cracks on exterior walls and even more often rain is driven into defective caulking under windows. This causes mold in the walls.

2) Hotels often have thick wall paper on the walls. Thick wall paper traps moisture that enters the walls. Because the water is trapped and cannot dry out, Cladosporium mold and Pen Asp mold grows under the wall paper for months or years before it is noticed.

3) Most hotel rooms have wall mounted ductless AC units that do not appear to be designed in a way that makes access and proper cleaning easy, and they do not have good filters, thus mold and dust build up quite easily in these units. I recently inspected two of these AC units in a condo in Lake Worth Florida and they were both packed full of mold, horrible mold odor, and even numerous tiny mold eating bugs called springtails.

4) Hotel rooms in Florida often experience humidity problems (moist air) that contribute directly to mold growth in the AC units; in addition humidity deters drying of any leaks in the hotel room. Such rooms have humidity because they are in a humid state, and because the load of humidity from hotel showers is quite large in comparison to the size of the room itself. In other words even a fairly large hotel room is too small to properly dissipate and dilute all that steam from the shower, thus hotel rooms can easily become loaded with humidity in the air. I regularly run into this problem of a small humid room or condo when inspecting in Miami and Ft Lauderdale. Older small Miami and Ft Lauderdale condos often do not have bathroom ceiling vents, nor do they have the interior space needed to dissipate all that steam from the shower every morning.

By the way the reason we stay in various hotel rooms a few times a year is because my work occasionally brings me to various towns in South and Central Florida. What kind of work do I do, take a guess. I am a mold inspector with A Accredited Mold Inspection Service. Inc.

By the way moving to a new room in the same building can be a waste of time, been their done that more than once. The reason is because the defects that caused mold in that initial room often exist in other rooms in the same building.

For more info on Florida mold, humidity, and other such issues visit

www.floridamoldinspectors.us

http://www.florida-mold-inspectors.com/

Common outdoor mold and health

Daryl Watters (A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. ) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:52:09 -0600

Question: Can outdoor molds make me sick?

That is a easy question to answer, the answer is yes, I mean no, uh uh just read the article.

Outdoor molds can and do cause health problems. A condition sometimes called thunderstorm fever is caused by exposure to basidospores during thunderstorms. Basidiospores are spores produced by mushrooms, wood decay fungi, and other related outdoor molds.

These molds produce a rotten wood or mushroom type odor and is often found in moist soil, dead wood, or in moist mulch. This mold inspector has seen first hand with the aid of a microscope that these spore levels do in fact increase dramatically during, before, and after, heavy rains. In this mold inspectors experience ascospores, cladosporium spores, and pen asp spores also increased in numbers around the time of storms.

Other similar problems occur with exposure to elevated outdoor mold spore levels, this has been documented in Louisiana after hurricane Katrina flooded most of the city. Mold spores like pollen can cause health reactions when at high levels outdoors.

Large amounts of mold growing in large amounts of soil and in large amounts of decaying organic matter such as is found in large compost piles, or in landfills, can cause a serious reaction.

But do not panic if you have a little black mold growing on your bushes or exterior walls. This mold is typically common outdoor black sooty mold ( Aerobisidum, Cladosporium spherisperium, and other molds as well as some green algae,)

This type of mold is common on exterior shady walls in wet climates such as Florida and the South East and this inspector has not see a likely correlation between this mold and health complaints.

It is one thing to have miles upon miles of soil filled with decaying organic matter and mold to release thousands of spores per cubic meter of air when triggered to do so by atmospheric changes that occur during a massive storm.

It is another thing to have unsightly mold growing on your exterior walls. Often the mold growing on your walls is not in significant amounts to have an effect on surrounding air spore levels when it is diluted by the outdoor air. Like some rude persons urin in a swimming pool, by the time it gets to you it is diluted and will likely not harm you.

So if you have large enough amounts of mold on your exterior walls and some pathway such as an open window to let this molds spores get into your house then I suppose you could have a reaction.

But in actual practice it appears that mold on your exterior walls and lawn furniture is not likely to cause health problems in healthy persons. It is not impossible but the chances are likely slim in most cases.

If it is just mold on the surface of a non porous stucco wall or on the leaves of bushes and on lawn furniture, the growth surface may not have the surface area, and nutrient rich food sources, and stores of moisture likely needed to result in excessive mold growth and spore production.

An analogy would be mold growing on the hard nutrient poor tile in your shower may be unsightly, but larger amounts of healthy, wet, active, mold hidden in a wall void with plenty of mold food and plenty of moisture is more likely to grow profusely but unnoticed, and cause health problems. The mold that you don't see hidden in your rich moist soil and mulch is likely more substantial and active than the mold you see on you hard dry masonry walls.

Much of the time this sooty mold dose not appear to release spores as readily as many indoor molds we inspectors encounter. In fact an air sample from the yard very near much of this sooty mold will typically not show much of the specific spores produced by sooty molds.

In addition sooty mold does not typically produce large amounts of by unhealthy smelly by products known as Mvoc's.

When studying this mold on reliable university and government websites this mold inspector has found no info in regard to this mold being a likely health threat, it is more of a cosmetic problem.

Personally I would not want to sit on any lawn furniture that this or any mold is growing on because that would be direct skin contact and I have seen 1/2 dozen clients over the years with doctor verified mold related skin reactions after coming into contact with moldy surfaces such as moldy clothes.

I am not a doctor and the above is based on this simple mold inspectors experience and not on extensive scientific or medical studies. And remember that their are exceptions to every rule but in general I personally do not worry as much about mold growing outdoors. It is doing it's thing in the environment that it belongs in, the great outdoors.

But if you really feel that mold outside your house is making you sick do not hesitate to contact a doctor and a local Certified Indoor Environmentalist, Certified State Mold Assessor, or Certified Industrial Hygienist who holds an required mold licenses.

please visit our mold testing and inspection website at http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us

Or http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com

Chrysotile and Amphiboles Asbestos

Daryl Watters (A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. ) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 09:04:22 -0600

The below information is from a mold and asbestos inspection that was conducted at a home in West Palm Beach Florida. The client thought she had a mold problem, but her health complaints and other observations made by the inspector during the inspection indicated possible asbestos contamination as a possible problem.

If you are experiencing difficulty breathing, weight loss, or other sysymptoms that may be caused by asbestos, and you live in an older home, talk to your doctor about possible asbestos exposure and have your home tested for asbestos. Please note that these are serious symptoms that may be caused by many other conditions besides asbestos exposure.

Because of health problems that you and your brother thought may be related to past water damage to your master bedroom ceiling a mold investigation was conducted at your home. During the investigation no mold problems were found in your home nor in the attic above the past damage.

Possible asbestos fiber containing materials were found in your house in the form of small, old fashioned, vinyl floor tile visible in the front living room, and in the rear bedroom. Expect more of these materials to be possibly present in other rooms hidden under floor coverings. This material was of a concern because:

1) Your primary symptoms of weight loss and difficulty breathing matched the symptoms of asbestos exposure.

2) The possible asbestos containing materials were in a damaged and broken state and likely in this condition for several years as you walked over it, thus increasing the likely hood of exposure to potentially dangerous asbestos fibers.

Lab analysis was conducted on a section of your vinyl floor tile from the front living room. The lab report form EMSL Analytical is attached, it confirmed the presence of 5% asbestos fibers in the tile and 3% in the mastic.

However sample analysis produced some good news, the type of asbestos found in the materials was Chrysotile, this form of asbestos is not as harmful as Amphibole types of asbestos. The chances of you becoming ill from the type of asbestos you have in your home is not likely. Still because you have this mineral in your home, and because you have the symptoms of exposure to asbestos you should consult with your doctor about having a chest X ray to confirm or rule out lung damage from asbestos fibers. We recommend additional testing for aspestos in you home and air. Also see report for additional recommendations.

Below is some information about how your asbestos "Chrysotile: is different than the more harmful Amphiboles types of asbestos.

Chrysotile and asbestos amphiboles : two different fiber types "Chrysotile comes from the serpentine group, whereas the other fiber types, tremolite, amosite, crocidolite, actinolite and anthophyllite, are part of the amphiboles group. All these fibers are non-flammable. The major difference between chrysotile and amphiboles is related to its chemical composition, its acid-resistant properties and its effects on health. In contrast with amphiboles, Chrysotile does not persist in the lungs after inhalation; it is quickly eliminated by the body. A prolonged exposure to high concentrations of chrysotile fibers is required for a clinical manifestation of pulmonary damage to appear.In the past, such high exposures were frequent; it is no longer the case today. On the other hand, because of their toxicity and their high biopersistence, amphiboles are mainly responsible for mesothelioma and pulmonary deceases even caused after a short or moderate exposure. Today, chrysotile is the only asbestos fiber commercialized."

The above is from:

http://chrysotile.com/

Heavenly Ocean View = Hellish Mold Problem

Daryl Watters (A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. ) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 21:53:06 -0600

In coastal Florida if your doors and windows are weathered and leak excessive amounts of humid air, a heavenly ocean view can allow for conditions that result in a hellish AC mold problem.

The information in this blog give a text book example of how warm tropical ocean breezes infiltrating into an AC system can result in humidity, condensation, and mold in and around your AC ducts and registers.

This information is from a Broward county Ft Lauderdale mold inspection that took place on 11-8-07.

Client moved in as a renter 7 days prior to this inspection. Client reported that his fiancee moved into the property with him and enjoyed the property, but because of severe allergic reactions that occurred while in the property she moved out after just one day.

Client requested this investigation to help determine if mold or other similar bio-allergen may be at the property that may account for her complaints.

The inspector observed that mold was a problem in the AC unit and in the AC ducts at the property, this mold requires food and moisture to live.

As is almost always the case in moldy AC units the mold in the AC and ducts received it's moisture from elevated humidity and from condensation in the AC and ducts. It recieves it's food from dust that bypasses the filter.

Humidity entered the AC and ducts by first entering from outside.

The view outside the unit is excellent, it is this high ocean front vantage point combined with leaky sliding glass doors that provided the moist breezes that allowed this mold problem to occur.

In addition the master bathroom is not vented to the exterior, whenever someone takes a shower that shower steam can enter the AC unit and form condensation as well. Either the non vented bathroom, or the leaky sliding glass doors overlooking the ocean alone would have been enough to cause a problem.

The sliding glass doors did not fit air tight, in fact the inspector could feel a strong ocean breeze blowing through the sliding glass doors from 2 foot away even though the doors were closed as tight as possible. Humidity blowing indoors from outdoors often results in mold and humidity problems, this is sometimes called the paston effect.

Gaps in these old doors allow much moist ocean air in.

Mold requires not just moisture but also food. The mold in the AC system and ducts at this property received it's food from dust as does most AC mold.

In the above photo you can see a hole where dusty air can bypass the AC filters and enter the AC unit.

Dust can also by pass the filters because they are very low quality and do not fit properly, dust goes around the filters.

During the mold inspection the inspector observed that condensation sometimes forms on the AC registers.

The inspector observed the water stains left behind by condensation dripping off the AC registers. Note that condensation forming on AC registers is not normal, this condition indicates that so much humidity was present in the property that it condensed out on cold metal & glass registers that typically reach around 60F or so when in operation. The natural progression of this condition is for mold and condensation and water damage to form on the drywall around the register if the humidity problem is not corrected.

Elevated humidity and condensation inside ducts and AC units causes mold to grow in ducts and AC units just as it developed on the visible sections of the outside of registers. It is common for homes with mold on registers to have much more mold inside the ducts and AC unit because the interior of the ducts and AC is much colder thus much wetter than the surfaces of the registers, also the interior is duster thus has more food for mold growth.

Because mold in the AC unit has better growth conditions than mold on the registers it exhibits dimorphism. In other words these mold look different in different environments. Most of the mold in the AC unit is the exact same type that formed on the registers but being in a more healthy environment with more food and water inside the AC unit it grows more thick and lush and sometimes takes on a fluffy grey velvety appearance. In each case the mold is cladosporium sphearisperium.

Mold inside AC units does not produce many spores but instead grows and reproduce more vegetatively. This is significant because mold in AC units do not produce many spores but will grow profusely feeding off condensation and dust. AC mold by products are not lots of spores but are Mvoc's, these Mvoc's are foul smelling moldy odors that are released by the molds and this is why the clients fiancee got sick.

It is a well accepted fact that Mvoc's or mold odors produced by AC type molds and other molds can and very often do result in strong allergy like reactions and irritations.

In this inspectors experience AC units that grow mold in the amounts seen at this property very often produce health complaints in building occupants.

In conclusion the AC unit's ducts, registers, blower fan, evaporator coil, condensation pan, wires, and most of all interior fiberglass insulation are infested with more than normal amounts of mold growth, and the grow is extremely consistent with conditions that this inspector has observed to result in both odors and health complaints.

Because the AC unit is extremely contaminated with mold and produces strong foul odors it is recommended that the unit be professionally cleaned in accordance with NADCA standards, or the unit should simply be replaced because cleaning the unit will likely result in damage to the very rusty pan and coils.

Because of the amount of contamination in the ducts it is recommended that the ducts be replaced. Cleaning fiberglass ducts is not recommended they are supposed to be replaced if contaminated. Note that the interior of all sections of the ducts will not be visibly moldy but expect mold contamination to have spread to many different duct sections.

The following photos are of mold on AC registers, in the AC ducts, and in the AC unit at this property. Note that the ducts should all be bright yellow and resemble a tennis ball in color and texture.

Typical cladosporium mold colonies on an AC register. Nearly all registers at the property were visibly moldy.

Close up of cladosporium mold colonies on the AC register.

Close up of mold in the duct, this duct used to be yellow.

Mold in the AC unit. The white mold is likely pen asp and the grey mold is cladosporium sphearisperium, it is the same type of mold observed as black spots on the register, but it looks different inside the AC because of different environmental conditions inside the AC.

Mold on the AC unit panel insulation.

Fluffy grey cladosporium sphearisperium mold on the blower fan inside the AC, this is very common.

About the Author:
Daryl Watters is a certified indoor environmentalist CIE # 1952 who provides mold testing and IAQ consultation services in South East Florida.
Website: http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us/ http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com/
http://www.freemoldinspectionreporting.com/

AC systems and humidity control.

Daryl Watters (A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. ) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:23:06 -0600

If the indoor humidity in a building is above 60%RH this may be a concern. If not corrected high humidity can contribute to mold, dust mites, and also condensation problems.

Maintain humidity between 30%RH and 60%RH.

In hot humid climates around the world the reason for humidity problems is not always, but is often related to improper AC use or improper AC design.

1) Holes in the AC closet walls, AC return walls, ceiling, or floors, are extremely common and are often ignored. AC closet holes are often made during construction or AC instillation to provide openings where AC plenums, AC refrigerant lines, condensation drain lines, and wires and wire conduits can pass through. In some climates holes may allow the AC to suck hot humid air in from the attic, crawlspace, or outdoors. When AC units pull in unwanted air we call this entrainment. Any holes in AC closet walls, ceilings, or floors, should be sealed.

2) Thermostats set to the on setting can cause a problem because the on setting causes the AC units blower fan to pull humidity in and distribute it constantly, even when the evaporator coils are not cooling and drying the air brought in by the constantly running AC fan. This is even more of a problem in commercial buildings because most commercial building AC systems are designed to intentionally pull air in from outdoors. In homes where the AC is in the garage, attic, or in an outdoor closet this is also a possible problem because the AC will pull air in through loose panels. The on setting is ok in some areas but in hot humid regions if the fan runs constantly because the thermostat is set to the on setting the amount of humidity drawn in by the AC can be more that the AC is designed to dry.

3) A buildings AC system should not provide more cooling capacity than the building was designed to have. In other words if you have to many AC units or your AC unit is to large for your home or building it can create a problem. Buildings in general should have roughly only one ton of cooling capacity provided by the AC system for each 600 square foot of conditioned area. To much cooling will cool the building and shut down the compressors long before the buildings air has had a chance to dry, thus contributing the the buildings humidity problem.

When humidity is a problem condensation often forms on the AC registers. One of the first places for mold to show up following humidity problems is in the AC ducts, and on the air handler's blower fan, and insulation. In addition humidity related mold very often grows as small dusty white or green spots of pen asp mold only visible on black clothes and shoes in the closet.

Daryl Watters is president of A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. He provides home, mold, and indoor air quality investigations in South Florida. He is also the creator of MIR forms designed to aid inspectors in the production of computer generated indoor air quality and mold inspection reports.

For more inspection information visit http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us/ http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com/
http://www.freemoldinspectionreporting.com/

Two common causes of AC mold.

Daryl Watters (A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. ) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:11:21 -0600

Some people believe that AC ducts are destined to become moldy. While all AC ducts will likely grow some mold and will become discolored with visible mold or visible dust to some degree, it is not normal or healthy for ducts to become excessively moldy, or to produce a strong mold odor.

Mold spores from AC ducts result in health problems and even mold odors in the absence of spores have been shown to cause health problems. Keeping ducts free of excessive mold is important.

The information in this blog is intended to provide readers with information on:

1) Some reasons why AC ducts become moldy.

2) The importance of proper sizing of AC units.

3) In addition it draws attention to a very common indoor air quality problem called entrainment. Entrainment is when AC units pull contaminated air from inside attics or walls or other undesirable areas.

The following information is taken from a Broward County mold inspection we conducted on 11-17-07 it shows an actual example of how ducts became moldy and gives recommendations at the end.

The property inspected is a one story single family Broward county house built in 1974.

Client reported mold growing on AC vent registers. The mold started a few weeks ago. The client reported that a new larger AC unit was installed about 3 months prior to the mold starting. This inspection is for mold conditions at the AC registers only.

Location: Garage:

In the above referenced area the inspector observed a new air conditioner. The serial number on the unit indicates that it is a 4 ton unit, thus is it rated to cool a 2400 sf house. This AC unit is just a little large for this house.

The inspector also observed a new condenser / compressor unit. The serial number indicates that it is a 3.5 ton unit thus designed to cool a 2100 sf house. This is also slightly large for the house.

You have a newer larger AC unit.

The size of this newer AC unit is a major reason for why you have humidity related cladosporium on your AC registers that were previously not moldy.

The previous AC unit in use about 3 months ago was smaller than this AC system thus would have been more efficient at drying the houses air before cooling the houses air and shutting down. If an AC is to large it shuts off after the air is cooled but before the air is properly dried / dehumidified. Air that is not dehumidified and has a humidity above 60%RH to 65%RH can and often does cause humidity problems in Florida homes.

The above photo is of cladosporium mold growing in your registers.

Another reason why you have mold problems now is because of the two holes in your AC return. These holes in the wall studs allow the AC to pull humidity into the AC each time the AC turns on, this phenomenon is called entrainment and is a common cause of mold and humidity problems.

Yes all metal studs have these holes, but it is not typical for these open holes in the studs to be exposed and in such close proximity to an AC return.

Where does the humidity in your walls come from? it comes room the attic, the attic in turn gets the humidity from outside via the soffit vents like the one in the above photo.

Why did this problem not occur till recently? the older smaller AC was more efficient at drying air as stated above and thus was able to handle the humidity load created by these openings.

More photos of mold on and around your AC registers. Note that the tiny black spots on and around AC registers are very typical examples of cladosporium spheasperium, or cladosporium cladosporidies mold. This mold problem is caused by elevated humidity in your ducts.

This is not likely to cause a toxic reaction, but this mold may result in allergic reactions or act as an asthma trigger in sensitive persons. The real concern is if it is growing excessively deep in your ducts then you will have much more mold than you can see on the registers.

Mold growth in the ducts can and often causes health complaints.

Excessive mold was not observed in your AC unit but you are recommended to have your ducts cleaned in accordance with NADCA standards or replaced.

Based on this inspectors observations and conclusions your inspector recommends using good quality foil mastic tape or other methods to seal two openings in your AC return wall studs.

Have a AC company install a humidistat and set it to around 50% to 60%RH always maintain indoor humidity between 30% and 60%RH.

Most people live with a little mold in the ducts and have no problems. Mold spore levels in your air was very low. No mold odors were detected. Much of the mold appeared to be primarily in the ends of the ducts just behind the registers.

Have an AC company clean the mold from the registers and from the ends of the ducts just behind the registers.

Duct removal or good professional cleaning in accordance with NADCA standards is recommended if additional hidden mold is discovered inside the ducts during cleaning.

How long after a leak before mold growth starts?

Daryl Watters (A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. ) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:38:29 -0600

How long after a leak before mold growth starts?
A lot of people ask us how long it takes mold to grow after a recent water
incident; this is the most common question that arises in a persons mind
after a leak.

I am preparing this information for home owners, realtors, and future potential clients
who are looking for a mold specialist to answer such questions.

If you have the water extracted and the moisture properly dried out by
professional remediators or carpet drying specialists in the first 24 to
48 hours after a leak you may likely be ok. It takes mold a 24 to 48
hours to start to grow under ideal conditions. As you know carpets get
moldy very quick, many older carpets with dirt as a food source start
smelling moldy after being wet just a short time. The above refers to small amounts of mold growth, and the mold may only be at the microscopic levels after a few days. It may be a week or two
before it grows to the extent that it is visible to the naked eye as spots
on drywall or carpet pads. Of course, mold being a living organism with it's own agenda
is not going to follow what I say in this bolg and thus their will be exceptions.

Proper drying is important.
What is most important is how fast and how well the flooded areas are
dried. Many times a person will think that moisture was removed when in
fact enough moisture was left behind to allow mold to start growing.
If a minor amount of moisture is lingering inside the wall cavities, behind the baseboards, in
the carpet, or under the carpet padding it will likely be weeks before it
all dries up, by that time the mold starts forming as visible sports on your walls.
Many mold remediators and carpet cleaning companies will focus efforts on drying the room that flooded and neglect nearby rooms where water flowed hidden inside wall cavities and under carpet or even tile.
Before you realize that dry out was not done properly you may have white, green, or black mold spots showing
up; you may also detect mold odors and you will likely have mold
capable of causing allergy or asthma reactions in persons who are prone to
such reactions.

How to properly dry out a property.
Proper drying often involves discarding wet carpets and carpet pads
because
they trap moisture and hamper drying. If
the flood was extensive, it may be helpful to remove the baseboards
because these baseboards can trap water and prevent proper drying; in more
extreme case a few holes can be cut in the walls to allow wet air to
escape and dry air to enter the wall cavities.
The use of wet vacs to remove standing water, fans to move air, and
dehumidifiers to dry the air are helpful. Without dehumidifiers to dry the air you are
simply moving wet air with fans
and this is of little or no benefit. If you can dry your air with
dehumidifiers and maintain humidity levels between 30%RH and 50%RH it will
help everything else in the area dry faster. Please be advised that I am not a remediator, we at A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. provide inspections and written reports on mold and moisture problems for you, your attorney, your buyer, or your insurance adjuster. For more info on proper drying consult with a specialist in remediation or carpet drying etc.

About mold inspections.
It is best to have a mold inspection done by a mold specialist prior to
doing any work like removing moldy drywall. A mold
specialist can try and determine the extent of possible mold spread and
what needs to be done prior to remediation. If more that a very small problem exists it is recommended that a mold removal specialist be called.
We have no conflict of interest and inspect only. We do not do mold
removal nor do we provide drying services. The fee is $300.00 to $1000.00
for a mold inspection in the Miami Ft Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach areas. Prices are likely similar in other areas of the nation. An inspection will also include moisture testing, and a detailed
inspection and written report. In cases where mold may be hidden behind walls it is almost always very
important to have some samples taken from inside walls to determine if
hidden mold is in your walls. If an inspector tells you they will take
one or two indoor samples from the center of a few rooms your best course
of action may be to keep calling inspectors until you find one who knows
to take samples from inside walls when hidden mold from water intrusion is suspected.