Do you have questions about ERMI Mold Testing, or wonder what the right mold testing is to identify potential issues in YOUR home? In this episode of the Disaster Podcast, we discuss what ERMI testing is, and what you need to know before having your home tested for mold! With 30 years of experience in the mitigation and restoration industry, Disaster Blaster are experts in Mold Remediation Services and able to assist you should you discover a mold issue in your home. Disaster Podcast is brought to you by Disaster Blaster! https://disasterblaster.com/ Start your future in the Property Restoration Industry today as a Disaster Blaster Franchise Partner! Let us help you build a thriving business in the restoration industry with expert help every step of the way. Disaster Blaster is YOUR chance to take control of your future and be part of a thriving restoration brand. Contact our Franchise Team at 302-242-1042 or Franchising@disasterblaster.com to start your future TODAY! Franchise Opportunities: https://disasterblasterfranchise.com #DisasterBlaster #DisasterPodcast #podcast #home #house #homeowner #mold #blackmold #insurancecompany #insurance #insurancecoverage #insurancepolicy #insuranceclaim #tips #question #answer #lifehack #homehack #cleaning #Franchise #news #announcement #Business #Entrepreneur #FranchiseOpportunity #FranchiseOpportunities #BeYourOwnBoss #BusinessOwner #SelfEmployed

- There are a lot of questions about ERMI testing for mold - What it is, what it's for, and if it's the right testing to do when you're afraid there might be a mold problem in your home. Unfortunately, there's a lot of bad information out there and it's really important to choose the right test for your needs. Since this is a question we receive so frequently, we felt it would be a great topic to discuss here. So what is ERMI testing? ERMI testing was originally developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency with the goal of providing a better method for testing for mold contamination. Their goal was to develop something that tested the DNA of collected mold spore samples to identify them, then categorize those results in a way to make it easy to understand. Unfortunately, the EPA began to recognize flaws in the sample collection and analysis methodology developed as part of ERMI and ultimately abandoned development of the standard, leaving it in an incomplete and in many ways ineffective state. Is ERMI testing useful for identifying mold problems in homes? Unfortunately, because of the lack of defined sampling standards as well as flaws in the testing methodology, ERMI testing is NOT useful in the identification of mold issues inside homes or properties or as part of the mold remediation process. In fact, the EPA themselves recommend against using ERMI to identify mold issues inside of homes. When answering the question on their website, "Should I test or sample for mold in my home using the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index, or ERMI?" the EPA answered "No. The Environmental Relative Moldiness Index, or ERMI, developed by US Environmental Protection Agency researchers is a research tool and is not recommended for use except as a research tool." Essentially, there are two issues with ERMI that make it ineffective and unreliable in addressing indoor mold problems. 1) There is no defined sampling standard, meaning that the area of collection is left up to the tester or homeowner and can vary drastically. This can skew results to the point that they are essentially meaningless. 2) Surface sampling such as ERMI, tape strip samples, and swab tests, collect debris and mold spores that have collected on surfaces without any way of knowing when those spores settled on the surface or for how long those spores had been collecting. On that surface. You could be testing mold spores and dust that had accumulated over the last week, month, or year. This makes accurate analysis impossible because what may look like a serious issue when you're reviewing the results of testing may actually represent years of mold spores that had been settling on the surface and which would otherwise be considered within an acceptable range. This is why many people say that other mold testing doesn't show an issue, but ERMI does. It's not a failure of the other mold testing. It's because ERMI is flawed in such a way that it will almost always reflect a worst case. When you believe that you may have a mold issue in your home, you want testing performed that shows you what is actually going on right now, not an accumulation over an unknown period of time. Why is ERMI testing recommended by doctors? While development of the ERMI testing standard was never completed or finalized, several medical journals at the time discussed the work as it was progressing. Unfortunately, many in the medical community became familiar with ERMI through these publications and recommend this method of testing to this day, unaware that the EPA themselves recommends against it. When you're attempting to diagnose issues with your home, it's best to get assistance from experts in that industry who can guide you through the process. What is ERMI testing useful for? Unfortunately, due to the limitations of ERMI testing, there are extremely limited use cases where this testing would be helpful or appropriate. For example, if you are attempting to identify specific mold strains that are present on surfaces that may be aggravating allergies or respiratory issues, ERMI testing may be helpful in doing so. However, other surface sampling techniques, such as tape strip and swab testing, would effectively serve the same purpose and in the case of tape strip tests, the sampling area would at least be well-defined, making that a more accurate test for this purpose as well. What mold testing is recommended for identifying mold issues in homes? The best mold testing for identifying mold issues inside homes and designing a remediation protocol is air testing. The reason air testing is the best and most useful testing method for this purpose is because the rooms being tested and the volume of air being analyzed is extremely controlled and kept consistent throughout, making analysis of results easier and more accurate. In addition, mold air testing also analyzes the mold spores in the air right now, so it identifies current environmental conditions and what may be growing inside that room or even hidden inside of walls at that time, allowing mold remediation professionals to identify areas of particular concern and determine what steps are necessary as part of a mold remediation project. This is the same reason why air testing is used to perform clearance testing as well. We hope that answers some of your questions about ERMI mold testing and more importantly, what type of mold testing is right when you think you may have a mold issue in your home. As always, we appreciate you watching the podcast and if you haven't already, please like and subscribe and if you have a question we didn't answer, please leave it in the comments. We read all of our comments and are happy to help. Your question may even be covered in a future episode. While you're here, please check out our other great content as well. Would you like to take control of your future and build a business you can be proud of? We can help. As a Disaster Blaster Franchise Partner, our industry experts will help you unlock the potential of the $210 billion restoration industry. Disaster Blaster offers the most revenue streams in the restoration industry, training and support from industry experts, a unique model primed for your success, and more! Call our franchise team today to learn more at 242-1042 or visit us on the web at www.DisasterBlasterFranchise.com Thanks so much for watching. Don't forget to like and subscribe, and while you're here, check out our other great content.