The Comfort of Clean

Understanding The Basics Of Mold Testing

10 March 2022

Irma Stewart

Mold spores can trigger allergies that may cause symptoms like skin irritation, teary eyes, and coughing. Likewise, molds can cause damage to your house's walls and flooring, increasing your home maintenance costs. Given these detrimental effects of mold, you need to take care of your mold problem early. While a musty smell and wall discoloration are signs of mold growth, mold testing is vital to determine whether your home is mold-infested or not. However, your mold test needs to be accurate as the test results determine the action you should take. If you're considering undertaking a mold test, here are the mold testing basics you should know.

Types of Mold Tests

When performing mold testing, always hire professional mold inspection services as they have the equipment and expertise to perform an accurate test. The professionals usually use the following mold testing techniques during mold inspections:

• Air Sampling. This method entails the collection of air samples from different parts of the home. Then, the mold inspector also collects a control air sample from the outdoors. The inspector compares the number of mold spores in the air samples to establish if the indoor air has higher concentrations than the naturally occurring spores in the outdoor air. If yes, you may have a mold problem.

• Lift tape sampling. The process entails placing a tape into different surfaces your mold inspector chooses to test for mold growth. The inspector lifts the tape and puts it in a glass slide for microbiology lab examination for mold spore presence.

• Tape swab sampling. This test helps determine the specific mold type in your home. The mold inspector uses a cotton swab to wipe a surface and takes the swab to a laboratory for analysis.

When these tests come out positive, mold remediation may be necessary to eliminate the molds and protect your property and your family's health.

When To Perform Mold Testing 

Pre-testing your home is essential to identify existing mold growth. This helps you to plan your mold remediation project. Likewise, post-remediation mold testing is critical to determine whether mold growth is persistent after your mold removal company completes the remediation job. If yes, your mold removal service should repeat the procedure until your home is mold-free. Finally, if the final mold test is negative, your home becomes healthier and more comfortable. Besides, a positive post-remediation report can help you sell your property faster at a reasonable rate.

The basics of mold testing feature the different types of mold tests and when to perform mold tests. Understanding these fundamentals will help you handle your residential mold testing project confidently.

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