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 Mobile ViewMOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE to TEST CLEAN PREVENT AIR CLEANER PURIFIER TYPES AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS ANIMAL ALLERGENS / PET DANDER ANIMAL ODORS IN BUILDINGSS ATTORNEYS and EXPERT WITNESSES BASEMENT MOLD BATHROOM MOLD BIBLIOGAPHY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, MOLD, IAQ BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS CAR MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPET DUST IDENTIFICATION CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION CAT DANDER in BUILDINGS COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS CPSC Indoor Air Pollution Book Online Copy DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS EMERGENCY RESPONSE, IAQ, GAS, MOLD FIBERGLASS HAZARDS FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-mold FORMALDEHYDE HAZARDS GAS EXPOSURE EFFECTS, TOXIC HUMIDITY CONTROL & TARGETS INDOORS HOUSE DUST ANALYSIS INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE INSULATION MOLD MILDEW REMOVAL & PREVENTION MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, TABLE OF MYCOPHOBIA, STAINS MISTAKEN for MOLD NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURES OZONE HAZARDS OZONE for MOLD OR ODORS RADON HAZARD TESTS & MITIGATION SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE SICK HOUSE IAQ QUESTIONNAIRE SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS VENTILATION in BUILDINGS More Information |
Vacuum tests on building insulation to screen for mold or other particles: this article explains the advantages and shortcomings of using vacuum cassettes or spore traps to collect mold test samples (or other dust or particle samples) from building insulation where mold, insect, or other contamination is suspected. Our photo (page top) shows what looked like clean fiberglass insulation located over a basement that had been subject to chronic flooding and ultimately, mold contamination that was visible on other basement surfaces. Vacuum tests confirmed that the insulation contained high levels of Penicillium/Aspergillus mold spores and was acting as a mold reservoir in the building. Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman. Usefulness of Vacuuming exposed Building Insulation for Mold Contamination
At many investigations we have found a large hidden mold reservoir in building insulation, particularly fiberglass insulation in attics under roof leaks over drywall, and in crawl spaces which have been damp or wet. We have also found very moldy fiberglass in basement ceilings after moldy surfaces and debris have been removed (such insulation should have been removed during the remediation). Our photo (left) shows insulation that did not display visible mold but that our vacuum test found to be very mold-contaminated (see our lab photo below). (The dark stains on this fiberglass insulation were not mold but house dust deposited from air movement - see THERMAL TRACKING & THERMAL BRIDGING for details.) Our method is to agitate the target insulation (simply poke it with your flashlight or a ruler), followed by holding our vacuum cassette an inch or two away from the insulation surface. This reliably picks up particles from the insulation without overloading the sample with fiberglass. (A baseline comparison sample collected in nearby building air before any such agitating sampling is also needed.) This method has been remarkably successful in finding and allowing the removal of several "mystery" problems in buildings where severe mold-related complaints were heard.
The contents of the mold test vacuum cassette may be examined by light microscope or may be used for preparation of cultures. One special (and costly) cassette method collects dual samples permitting both direct examination and culturing. Our lab photo (left) shows insulation that did not display visible mold to the naked eye when examined in place in the building (photo above) but that our vacuum test found to be very mold-contaminated. This method may be used for both qualitative and quantitative analysis, depending on collection method details. It is best suited for sampling dust from surfaces and from soft goods such as carpeting or upholstered furniture. It's strength is its use in examining multiple hard surfaces with relatively low levels of debris (avoiding sample overload) or individual soft surfaces where tape may not collect particles imbedded in the surface, and in collecting dust from multiple locations in a single cassette as a building dust scan for mold. Shortcomings of vacuuming insulation for moldWe love this method, but one must take care not to overload the sample. If insulation is not exposed for testing one needs to make a sufficiently large opening to agitate and then vacuum the insulation - we use a 4" square opening and take care to avoid vacuuming up simply a collection of drywall dust. See Mold in Fiberglass Insulation for a detailed discussion of hidden mold contamination in building insulation. Also see Fiberglass Detection in Building Air. In this article series discuss the validity of nearly all of the popular mold testing methods currently in use, pointing out the strengths and weakness of each approach to mold sampling in the indoor environment, beginning with air sampling for airborne mold levels indoors. Because mold test validity and mold test accuracy are often confused, readers should also see ACCURACY OF VARIOUS MOLD TEST METHODS. People who need to conduct mold inspection and testing indoors should see MOLD TEST PROCEDURES and TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES. Our MOLD INFORMATION CENTER includes more broad discussions of the overall approach to building investigation, as do many expert references cited at that web. For a more comprehensive collection information about mold test methods see INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED. For more on "mold classes" (Cosmetic mold vs. allergenic mold vs. toxic or pathogenic mold) see MOLD CLASSES, HAZARD LEVELS and more references such as a Mold Action Guide are at the end of this document. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about using vacuuming methods to test building insulation for contamination by mold, insects, allergens or other particles... Ask a Question or Search InspectApediaUse the search box below to ask a question or to search the InspectApedia.com website. Ask a Question or Enter Search Terms in the InspectApedia search box just below. Technical Reviewers & ReferencesRelated Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
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