CIRS is Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome
I know about
these two mold inspectors near you. I have looked at their websites and have communicated with them by email. They are up north. They have experience working with people who have Lyme and/or CIRS.
Jason -
https://www.1800gotmold.com/about-us/meet-the-founder.phpMay -
https://createyourhealthyhome.com/home/what-to-expect-from-your-environmental-home-inspection/May wrote this great (and accurate) article on what you need to know about
the mold industry -
https://createyourhealthyhome.com/checking-for-mold/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-mold-industry/Take a look at their websites and talk to them about
how they do their inspections and testing and find out about
price.
Before you invest money, I suggest thinking about
your situation and how you might handle the what ifs. If you found out there was mold or leaks and remediation was needed and possibly other expenses related to repairs or restoration work, would you be inclined to take care of it or move? If there has been known water damage or visible mold, then you already know something will need to be done. Would you remediate or move (depending on severity of course)?
I say that because mold remediation is very expensive. In my case, mold was suspected below all the major windows and was detected by a mold dog. Extensive demolition was done in almost every room in the house. We replaced the entire duct system (replaced flex duct with hard pipe) and replaced the HVAC unit rather than having it cleaned. We had popcorn ceilings and carpet removed, as they can be reservoirs of mold. We had ceiling fans and window treatments removed, cabinets (particle board) and appliances removed.
We have nothing in the house. We went above and beyond what was needed due to my severe sensitivities. Now that I can go in the house, I have been looking around and am finding more and more issues. There are cracks in the foundation. There are water stains or mildew at the tops of the window frames or the drywall at the top of the window area. What does this mean? Does the foundation have to be jacked up, or do we only need to fill the cracks? Do all the windows need to be replaced, or is it enough to put sealant around the windows inside and out? I am afraid to know. We already can’t afford to replace the flooring, cabinets, appliances, and everything else.
Unless you’re a knowledgeable contractor or handyman or have such a person close to you who will take care of you, dealing with a building can be a daunting task at best and a financial disaster at worst.
Just consider these things before spending money, because once you start going down that path, it’s a money trail. The more invested you become, the harder it is to think and act prudently from a financial standpoint.
Not everyone is severely sensitized to mold, and not every remediation project is extensive. How far you go depends a lot on how sick the occupants are and how widespread and long term the water damage (or humidity problem) is.
Post Edit: You asked about
testing and somehow I was thinking about
inspection. The CIRS knowledgeable doctors advise patients to test their environment with the ERMI test. It is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test that analyzes dust samples for fungal DNA. It tests for 36 species, I believe, and groups them in 2 groups. Group I are toxigenic species found in water damaged buildings. Group II are common species. Mycometrics Lab is the recommended lab for the ERMI. You can order the test and collect the sample yourself following the lab’s instructions. You can post the results here, and we can help you understand the significance. There’s a lot to it. You can also discuss the results directly with the lab. No mold test is perfect, but the ERMI provides a better and more reliable indication of the state of the environment. It’s the only test that has defined medical correlation. Google CIRS ERMI and you can learn more about
it.
Post Edited (WalkingbyFaith) : 2/8/2020 10:25:01 PM (GMT-7)