In Part 1, I shared our experiences with mysterious symptoms and the initial discovery of mycotoxins in my system. In this second part of our series, we’ll delve into the inspection process, and reveal the shocking mold spore counts we discovered, and share our journey of finding out exactly how much toxic mold was hidden behind our walls.
The Inspection Process
After my initial mycotoxin report from my friend, Jayme, I spoke to my husband and we opted to start getting inspections for our home. We found Certified Mold Assessments, who serves the greater Tampa Bay area. They took our call, answered all of our questions, and were able to schedule the inspection within 7 days of my call.
The inspection took two men six hours to complete. I’m sharing the details because many companies lack the expertise needed for thorough mold inspections. Some people pay a so-called “mold inspector” or “water damage expert” a couple hundred dollars and find nothing. By sharing these details, I hope to help you identify a truly qualified and professional mold inspection company.
Comprehensive Indoor Air Quality Assessment – $1299 (This is a pretty standard price for something extensive. Keep in mind this was the 2022 pricing.)
Includes:
- 5 Air and/or Surface Samples
- Moisture mapping and Infrared Scanning
- HVAC, Crawl Space, and Attic Assessment available
- Evaluation of Building Exterior
- Innovative Technologies: Hygrometers, Moisture Meters, Infrared Scanning & Photography, Endoscopy & Photography
- Laboratory Report with Sampling Results
- Comprehensive Mold Report with Remediation Strategy/Protocol
- Consultation services included: doctors, builders, lawyers, remediation companies
We opted for the $1299 inspection with a handful of other tests. Our total spent on the first inspection was just under $3,000. There is a final inspection that occurs post remediation. The cost is similar to the first inspection.
Shocking Mold Spore Counts
The Invisible Enemy: In our case, the mold was hidden. Our house looked beautiful; we had JUST remodeled it two years prior. We gutted the entire place—new roof, walls, HVAC system, ducts, floors, kitchen—everything was new. So when I say hidden mold, I mean we didn’t have visible mold growing on the walls or in caulk around the bathtub or sinks. Our floors and walls absorbed the water. Before remediation, we never saw a drop of water inside our home. You couldn’t “see” mold in our home; it was hidden behind the walls and floors.
The water intrusion was due to wind-driven rain from Hurricane Ian, which hovered over Sarasota County, Florida, for 12 hours. During that time, rainwater entered through the windows and seeped behind the walls. Now that I am better versed in mold inspections, I know what to look for. I can see where the baseboard separated from the wall on a couple of our exterior walls. I can spot the stains in the one carpeted room we had, which were under the windows. But to the untrained eye, it just looked like wear and tear from having four kids.
We learned that the spots on our carpet, which we thought were from bugs and spills, were actually water stains. It looked like rust, so I assumed the kids had killed a bug in a few places or spilled a drink and never told me. I never looked at it and felt concerned. We also learned that the baseboard separation wasn’t shoddy craftsmanship—it was due to swelling from water. And that was it. There were ZERO other indications of mold from the naked eye. Everything else was found by sampling the wall cavities, air samples, and ripping up flooring.
Our Spore Counts: Our mold inspection company got back to us within a week of the inspection. We were presented with not only the spore counts from a 3rd party lab, but we were given a 118 page document, outlining the areas of concern, and the associated suggested protocol. Toxic levels of mold were found in every room of our home. Every. Single. Room. To educate others and raise awareness, here is a list of the molds discovered along with their associated symptoms:
Aspergillus/Penicillium-Like Mold
- Symptoms: Headaches, trouble sleeping, itching, rashes, fatigue, sneezing, coughing, and asthmatic symptoms. More serious health implications can include pneumonia-like symptoms, heart disease, asthma, sinusitis, cancer, memory loss, vision loss, chronic fatigue, skin rashes, depression, ADHD, anxiety, liver damage, and more.
For more information, refer to resources from the CDC and the EPA.
- Aspergillus/Penicillium Mold Count throughout our newly remodeled house:
- 97,433 count in our living room
- 12,924 count in our laundry room
- 57,000 count in our kids’ bathroom
- 51,113 count in my home office
- 109,532 in our master bedroom
- 297,000 count in our boys’ bedroom
Chaetomium
Symptoms: Highly dangerous, can trigger infections, is toxic to the spleen and liver, and has carcinogenic effects.
Mold Count:
- 87,626 in our master bedroom
- 292,093 in my home office where I spent an average of 65 hours per week, with my busy season topping 90 hours per week
For more information on the health effects of Chaetomium, refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Cladosporium
Symptoms: Allergies, worsening asthma, rare infections.
Mold Count:
- 37,755 in our “cozy room”
- 40,819 in our air handler
For more information on Cladosporium and its health effects, refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Stachybotrys
Symptoms: Sore throat, cold and flu symptoms, chronic fatigue, neurological disorders, memory loss, attention deficit, personality changes, internal organ damage, and more.
Mold Count:
- 32,205 in our “cozy room”
- 80,322 in our laundry room
For more information on Stachybotrys and its health effects, refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Here is what the report looks like. This IS our actual report, we just removed our names and address.
This isn’t everything. Given the size of our home, we decided not to take surface and air samples from every room. However, based on these results, it was certain that any wall we didn’t check would reveal similar findings.
Below is an example of what the Protocol called for, for just the kids bedrooms. (I’ll share more about what the outcome was (much worse) in a future post.
How was this even possible? We had invested all our money into our home just under two years before my symptoms began. We completely gutted the house down to the concrete floors and studs. I personally helped design every space, from the master bedroom to the “cozy room,” the school room, and our open-concept kitchen. We hired skilled local tradesmen who took pride in their work. Despite all this, our house became a total loss. It felt like a house fire… without the fire. It was an invisible disaster.
Turns out that mold grows incredibly fast. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), mold can begin to grow within 24 to 48 hours of water exposure. Hurricane Ian was the culprit in our case, bringing in moisture that we never saw, but which seeped behind our walls and under our floors. We had no idea this was happening because we never saw any water. Studies show that mold spores can start colonizing in as little as 12 hours under the right conditions, and once established, mold can spread rapidly, doubling in size in just a few days. This rapid growth can lead to significant damage and health problems before the mold is even visible.
Below is a collage of several moisture readings taken from the day of the mold inspection. Again, we had NO idea there was any water intrusion. But here we were with catastrophic damage.
I will link to my first blog post about symptoms: Toxic Mold Part 1: From Symptoms to Solutions: Battling Toxic Mold in Our Home. My symptoms began in October, just two weeks after Hurricane Ian. They progressively worsened, and the same was true for our kids. In the first part of this series, we discussed our symptoms, multiple doctor visits, and the immense difficulties we faced in the medical field. No one took us seriously. It was incredibly frustrating and disheartening to see our health decline while not being believed or properly diagnosed. We experienced headaches, respiratory issues, fatigue, and other symptoms that only intensified over time. Our children’s symptoms included vomiting, coughing, and frequent headaches, which were alarming and heartbreaking to witness. Despite our persistent efforts, the lack of awareness and understanding of toxic mold exposure among medical professionals left us without answers for far too long.
One of the hardest parts of this ordeal was dealing with people’s reactions. Comments like “It’s just mold” or “It’s just mold, are you going to paint over it?” made me feel like I was losing my mind. It was incredibly difficult to cope with the disbelief and lack of support. If we had experienced a fire, people would have responded with relief that we were safe and empathy for our loss. But because mold isn’t commonly discussed, people don’t understand, care, or recognize the seriousness of the issue. Attention and sympathy are not what we seek; we want to raise awareness and help mold lose its stigma as something only sensitive people overreact to. By sharing our story, we hope to educate others and bring greater understanding to this extremely serious and debilitating issue.
Mold Facts and Statistics
Mold is more common than many people realize. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor mold can be found in about 50% of U.S. homes. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 10-50% of indoor environments in North America, Europe, Australia, India, and Japan are damp, making them susceptible to mold growth. Exposure to mold can cause a variety of health issues, from minor allergic reactions to severe respiratory problems and chronic illnesses.
Here are some key facts:
- The CDC reports that mold can cause nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, coughing or wheezing, eye irritation, and skin irritation in some people.
- The Institute of Medicine (IOM) found sufficient evidence to link indoor mold exposure with upper respiratory tract symptoms, coughing, and wheezing in otherwise healthy people, as well as with asthma symptoms in people with asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition.
- Neurological symptoms linked to mold exposure can include headaches, memory loss, mood swings, tremors, and even more severe cognitive impairments.
- Research has suggested a potential link between exposure to mycotoxins from mold and the development of autism spectrum disorders. A study published in The Journal of Toxicology indicated that mold exposure might exacerbate neurobehavioral problems and contribute to the development of autism in genetically predisposed individuals.
- Mold problems are not confined to private homes; they are also prevalent in government buildings, public housing, and schools. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported mold issues in various federal buildings, highlighting the widespread nature of this problem.
Mold can grow anywhere moisture is present, often in hidden places like behind walls, under floors, and in HVAC systems.
Signs to Watch For
Here is a write up I did on “Unmasking Hidden Dangers: Identifying Mold in Your Home, Office, or Workplace” You’ll see in this blog post, a free downloadable Infographic you are welcome to share with your family, friends, co-workers or whoever you feel might benefit from learning more.
What Now?
I’m not sure if I mentioned this, but we received the inspection results the week before Christmas. It was like getting punched in the gut. Our tree was up, stockings hung…. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. On one hand, it was pure relief to finally have an explanation for all of our medical symptoms. In our case, a diagnosis meant a path to recovery. At this point in my life, the migraines, stuttering, forgetfulness, and severe depression were terrifying, and I was willing to do anything to get better. I was also desperately worried for my kids and their vomiting, respiratory issues, and headaches. But on the other hand, it was devastating to find out our newly remodeled home was riddled with mold.
We now had answers. With just a few days until Christmas, I was in freeze mode. I couldn’t see past that 118 page document outlining every room in our home that was riddled with mold. Everything I looked at brought me to tears. Our old Christmas decorations from my childhood, all of their Christmas presents. Our pillows, blankets, comforters, my new ruggable rugs! All of it… toast. I took a lot of deep breaths and gave lots of hugs that Christmas. The kids were absolute rockstars just going with the flow and enjoying all the small, fun things about the Holidays. My husband helped me cope and his support meant the world to me. He kept saying “It’s going to be okay. We have each other. We will figure it out.” And in the thick of it, those simple, reassuring words were all I needed.
What’s Next?
The next most critical part of this story was hiring the right remediation team. I had heard horror stories of families going through remediation only to find out they missed some mold, cut corners, and had to open the house back up again for a second or third round of remediation. I spent a lot of time researching and even got referrals from industry professionals to help us narrow down our search. At the end of the day, we needed this done right the first time.
In future posts, I’ll share the raw reality of how we dealt with throwing everything out, filling 25-yard dumpsters, deciding what to save, and figuring out how to clean and store items. I’ll also talk about hiring a remediator, finding the source of the mold, and other crucial steps we took on this journey. Plus, I’ll cover our temporary housing situation, including where we moved and how we ended up living in a Tiny Home for nearly a year!
Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert, mold inspector, or professional. Always consult a qualified doctor and certified professionals for advice and services related to mold. This blog is based on my personal experiences and is intended for informational purposes only.
Blue Skies and endless adventures,
Heather