Mold Inspection and Testing

Inspection and testing of mold is a common procedure adopted while buying new homes. Any property with a mold growth in it is considered unsuitable by new buyers unless and until remedial measures are employed. It is wise to carry out mold detection from time to time. This can be done especially after water collection has taken place in the house due to reasons such as floods, the rainy season or leakage.

Mold inspection can be done by a layman if it is not very invasive in its growth. A simple method to check mold growth is to rely on visual sense. A thorough investigation of damp areas in the kitchens and bathrooms, crawlspaces and attics can be done. If there is any suspicious growth, then a tape sample can be taken and sent to a microbial lab for inspection. Molds do not have strong odors; however, they do emanate a certain musty odor that can be detected. Though mold detection is not that difficult, it should be borne in mind that molds can travel through the air and therefore one must be suitably protected when carrying out mold detection.

For larger estates, it is better to go for a professional mold testing. Mold-testing agencies advertise their services extensively. Mold inspectors are equipped with microscopes, tapes to take samples, cameras to photograph mold growths, and protective gear. Mold inspectors go to great lengths to determine the amount and quality of moisture, heat and air in various nooks and crannies of the house. Their reports are extensive and provide accurate detailed information of mold growths in the house.

However, professional mold-testing agencies do not undertake mold removal unless contracted for the purpose. Mold inspectors may only check for mold presence and give a quotation for the removal of the fungus. But the usual pattern is to check mold growth, and if present, to contact the same agency for its removal. When an agency is contracted for mold removal on a large scale, they may concede their charges for the investigation of mold growth. Anyway, the charges for mold investigation are not very high and can be easily afforded by people buying new homes.



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The Toyota FJ Cruiser: Breaking the Styling Mold

Toyota's FJ Cruiser has been plucked from the auto history books to provide consumers with a car that is retro in design but thoroughly modern in its off road capabilities.

Toyota's growing popularity hasn't been without controversy. No, the automaker doesn't have much of a quality issue to contend with and, no Toyota isn't likely to begin losing market share anytime soon. Yet, there is one area where the Japanese automaker has a bit of a perception problem and that has to do with styling. Of course Toyota vehicles aren't ugly but there are few models being built today that are truly exciting. All that is now beginning to change as Toyota releases several head turning models including the latest rendition of its popular Camry sedan and one of its newest models, the FJ Cruiser. Keep reading and we'll take a glance at just how Toyota is breaking one mold by breaking new ground.

Maybe it was the success of the Nissan Xterra or perhaps it was the desire to recapture past glory [or something in between] but Toyota's decision to build the FJ Cruiser may not have been an easy one. With a line up filled with various trucks and SUVs, the proposed FJ Cruiser would not only be competing against the Jeeps and Land Rovers of the world, but with some of its own models including the car based Highlander and the versatile, truck based 4Runner. Still, the model was thought to stand a chance for two reasons: the FJ Cruiser is a retro-styled vehicle taking its design cues from the FJ40 of the 1960s/1970s and for its 5 passenger seating capacity: just the right sized vehicle that consumers would want to take off roading.

Yes indeed the FJ Cruiser is one beast with an attitude and an effective competitor in a sea of SUVs. For the money, this is what you get with the standard model:

Land Cruiser style and versatility. As the original Land Cruisers were noted for their off road prowess, the FJ Cruiser matches its heralded relative by climbing over rocks, surging up hills, and navigating sandy terrain with relative ease.

Retro styling. Much like Chrysler, Ford and GM which have each successfully introduced and sold retro styled vehicles, the FJ Cruiser's two tone body, restrained roofline, and painted black bumpers effectively combine the old model with the new.

Safety features everywhere. Available as a 4x2 or 4x4, the FJ Cruiser comes with vehicle stability control and vehicle traction control along with ABS, brake assist, and electronic brake force distribution for added stopping capabilities. Add in optional driver and front passenger seat-mounted side airbags and side curtain airbags for front and rear passengers and the FJ Cruiser has riders thoroughly protected.

Dependable engine/transmission. Not to take too much of a risk with this model, Toyota snagged the same 4.0L engine powering the 4Runner and other Toyota trucks of its size and stuck it under the FJ Cruiser's hood. A five speed automatic or six speed manual transmission helps the off roader triumph as it scales rocks or takes steep hills.

The interior of the FJ Cruiser is anything but austere, but it certainly doesn't rise to the level of the overdone Land Cruiser, not a bad thing though. Power windows and door locks, keyless remote entry, and a six speed CD radio are some of the features found in this model. On the outside, 17 inch steel wheels do their part in helping the vehicle tow as much as 5,000 pounds. Whatever you choose not to tow can be stuck inside or carried on top; with the second seat folded down the FJ Cruiser's ample storage area is tops in its class.

Best of all, the base FJ Cruiser retails for just over $21,000 with 4x4 versions selling for about $2,000 more. One drawback reported by consumers is dealer price gouging: some buyers are claiming that dealers are adding four to five thousand dollars to the sticker price of every FJ Cruiser sold.

Finally, if it is fuel efficiency you are seeking the FJ Cruiser just isn't there. Average fuel economy of 20 mpg is not terrible, but it is not great either. Chances are if you are interested in a vehicle like the FJ Cruiser, then fuel economy will be one of your least concerns at least Toyota hopes so.

Truly it appears that Toyota has gotten the styling side of their house in order with this capable retro 4x4 vehicle as evidenced by strong sales in a vehicle segment that has been hit hard by high gasoline prices. Tornado Fuel Saver to quality, wholesale priced Toyota

Testing For Stachybotrys Mold - You Will Most Likely Smell It First

Testing for Stachybortrys mold is what professional technicians test for in homes and buildings. This is because the Stachybortrys mold is also called black mold and cane be very toxic. This mold is a greenish black slimy mold that is most often found on cellulose products, such as wood and paper. It does have a strong smell, so one clue you should do some testing for Stachybortrys is the strange musty smell that you get.

You can do you own Stachbortrys black mold testing by using a special mold testing kit. This will save you a lot of money that professional testing for Stachybortrys mold costs and you do the same thing. In the testing kit for black mold, there is a petrie dish containing a disc. You won't have to touch any black mold when you use this kit, so there is no danger involved. You just expose the disc to the air for about two hours and them close the lid to let it incubate for 48 hours. When you open it after that time, if there is a fungus growing on the disc, then this means that you have mold. It may or may not be black mold.

The main thing you have to look at when testing for Stachybortrys mold is that if you can smell mold you do have a problem. It is not enough to do the Stachybortrys black mold testing and to clean up the mold. If you have a problem with black mold, it means you also have a problem with water or moisture and this needs to be addressed. If you don't look for and solve this problem, the mold will only come back. Testing for mold is only part of the solution. You also have to do testing to find how the water is getting in.

Sometimes the testing for Stachybortrys mold is only easy to solve. The problem causing the black mold could be condensation building up on the pipes in your basement or it could be the result of not having enough heat in the basement. However, there are times when the Stachbortrys black mold testing calls for extreme measures for you to get rid of the mold. If, for example, the source of the black mold is the underlay under the carpet, this means you will have to take up all the carpet and throw it away. Just testing for Stachbortrys mold will not help you get rid of the toxic mold in your home.

To find out more about Mold Removal visit Peter's Website The Mold Removal Guide and find out about Mold Testing and more, including Mold allergies and toxic Mold

Exposure to Mold Infestation Is a Proven and Serious Health Threat to Residents and Workers

 Many property owners, landlords, employers, and mold victim relatives in Canada, the USA, and worldwide often question or minimize the proven and serious health threat arising from exposure to elevated levels of indoor mold infestation, according to Phillip Fry, Certified Mold Inspector, Certified Mold Remediator, and author of the book Mold Health Guide.

Molds Harmful Effects

All molds have the potential to cause health effects. Molds can produce allergens that can trigger allergic reactions or even asthma attacks in people allergic to mold. Others are known to produce potent toxins and/or irritants, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

A number of commonly found mold species are, in fact, toxic mold, a description applied to any mold that produces mycotoxins in its spores. Stachybotrys (black mold), Aspergillus, and Penicillium are three of the most dangerous and commonly found indoor toxic molds.

Mycotoxins are cytotoxic, meaning they have the capacity to pass through the human cellular wall and disrupt certain cellular processes potentially causing serious health damage to workers and customers.

Studies on animals and cell cultures in labs have found toxic effects from various microbial agents, raising concerns about whether these same agents growing in buildings can cause illness in people, according to the 2004 mold health report from the Institute of Medicine (U.S. Governments National Academy of Sciences).

Mold Health Symptoms

Fungi can cause health problems to both humans and animals by several different biological mechanisms: infections, allergic or hypersensitivity reactions, irritant reactions, or toxic reactions---reported a 2004 University of Connecticut Health Center report

If exposed to elevated levels of indoor mold, some or many residents and workers can experience one or more of most common, mold health symptoms: allergies, asthma, bleeding lungs, breathing difficulties, cancer, central nervous system problems, recurring colds, chronic coughing, coughing up with blood, dandruff problems (chronic) that do not go away despite use of anti-dandruff shampoos, dermatitis, skin rashes, diarrhea, and/or;

Eye and vision problems, fatigue (chronic, excessive, or continued) and/or general malaise, flu symptoms (chronic), sudden hair loss, headaches, hemorrhagic pneumonitis, hives, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, irritability, itching (of the nose, mouth, eyes, throat, skin or any other area), kidney failure, learning difficulties or mental dysfunction or personality changes, memory loss or memory difficulties; and/or

Open skin sores and lacerations, peripheral nervous system effects, redness of the sclera (white of your eyes), runny nose (rhinitis) or thick, green slime coming out of nose (from sinus cavities), seizures, sinus congestion, sinus problems, and chronic sinusitis, skin redness, sleep disorders, sneezing fits, sore throat, tremors (shaking), verbal dysfunction (trouble in speaking), vertigo (feelings of dizziness, lightheadedness, faintness and unsteadiness), and vomiting.

Mold Health Studies

Where is the proof? ask skeptical moldy home sellers, landlords, employers, and unaffected relatives of mold victims. There is actually abundant evidence about the serious impact of mycotoxins and mold exposure in human disease.

Medical studies in both the military and agricultural environments have discovered that that significant health problems can readily arise from the inhalation of elevated levels of fungal spores and toxins by soldiers and farmers.

Laboratory studies in animals and at the cellular level provide supporting evidence for direct toxicity of fungal spores and mycotoxins in mammalian lungs (University of Connecticut Health Center report in 2004).

As to asthma (one of the most common health consequences of mold exposure), a health study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health links adult-onset asthma to workplace mold exposure---

The present (health study) results estimated that the percentage of adult-onset asthma attributable to workplace mold exposure to indoor molds and development of asthma in adulthood. Our findings suggest that indoor mold problems constitute an important occupational health hazard.

The Finnish workplace mold study estimated that the percentage of adult-onset asthma attributable to workplace mold exposure to be 35% (Reported in Environmental Health Perspectives, May, 2002).

A European Community respiratory health survey in 2002 reported that asthma patients experience more significant asthma symptoms after they become sensitized to molds such as Alternaria and Cladosporium species, and to dust mites.

Scientific evidence links mold and other factors related to damp conditions in homes and buildings to asthma symptoms in some people with the chronic asthma, as well as to coughing, wheezing, and upper respiratory tract symptoms in otherwise healthy people, stated the Institute of Medicine report.

We were able to find sufficient evidence that certain respiratory problems, including symptoms in asthmatics who are sensitive to mold, are associated with exposure to mold and damp conditions. Excessive dampness influences whether mold, as well as bacteria, dust mites and other such agents, are present and thrive indoors, reported the Institute of Medicine in its mold health report on May 25, 2004.

In addition, the wetness may cause chemicals and particles to be released from building materials. A rare ailment known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis also was associated with indoor mold exposure in susceptible people, reported the Institute of Medicine.

A 1994 Harvard University School of Public Health study of 10, 000 homes in the United States and Canada found that half had conditions of water damage and mold, which was associated in the study with a 50 to 100% increase in respiratory problems for the residents of water and mold damaged homes.

Dr. David Sherris of the Mayo Clinic conducted (1999) a study of 210 patients with chronic sinus infections and found that most had allergic fungal sinusitis. The prevailing medical opinion had been [prior to the Mayo Clinic study] that mold accounted for only 6 to 7% of all chronic sinusitis. The Mayo Clinic Proceedings reported on Sept. 13, 1999 that---

Researchers have found that chronic sinusitis, a condition that affects about 37 million people in the United States, is apparently caused by an immune response to fungus (mold).

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found an apparent link, announced in 1997, between mold contamination in the homes and cases of infant pulmonary hemorrhage.

The American Academy for Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Environmental Health released a statement (April 6, 1998) concerning the toxic effects of indoor molds and acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage in infants.

The AAP recommended that until more information is available on the cause of this condition, infants under one year of age should not be exposed to chronically moldy, water-damaged environments.

The AAP also recommended that pediatricians inquire about mold and water damage in the home when treating infants with pulmonary hemorrhage, and that when mold is present in a patients home, that pediatricians should encourage parents to try to find and eliminate sources of moisture.

At the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, approximately 15-20% of patients with leukemia die of fungal leukemia caused most frequently by the species Aspergillus.

In patients with leukemia who have undergone allogenic bone marrow transplantation or allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, 15-30% of deaths are caused by refractory fungal infections such as Aspergillus, one of the most dangerous indoor molds.

In recent years, comparative risk studies performed by EPA and its Science Advisory Board (SAB) have consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health.

Ninety four percent (94%) of all respiratory ailments are caused by polluted air according to the American Medical Association, which also reported that one-third of the U.S.A. national health bill is for causes directly attributable to indoor air pollution.

Suggestions

Any person at risk from mold should not be in an area that is likely to be contaminated with mold. If you or your family members have health problems after exposure to mold, contact your doctor or other health care provider, advises the Centers for Disease Control.

Residents and workers often differ significantly (from co-residents and co-workers) in their sensitivity and reaction to mold exposure. Even the smell of mold can make some residents and workers sick.

Consequently, there are no federal standards or recommendations, (e.g. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, EPA and the Centers for Disease Control) for airborne concentrations of mold or mold spores in either the home or the workplace.

Thus, if one or a few residents, employees, or customers experience one or more possible mold health symptoms, the property owner, landlord or employer should still inspect and mold test the residential or work premises for the health protection of both the mold-sensitive residents and employees, as well as others who may ultimately be harmed from time-cumulative mold exposure.

Homes and workplaces should be carefully and thoroughly mold inspected and mold tested all around by a Certified Mold Inspector, Environmental Hygienist, or an Industrial Hygienist if there are: (1) significant amounts of visible mold; (2) serious water leaks, flooding problems, or high indoor humidity; and (3) residents, employees, or business customers [such as hotel guests] report experiencing one or more possible mold health symptoms.

For more information about mold health and coping with mold problems, please visit---

http://www.moldinspector.com
http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com
http://www.mold.ph
http://www.moldmart.net
http://www.envirosurf.com
Certified Mold Inspector, Certified Mold Remediator, and author of the book Mold Health Guide