Finding A Qualified Professional Mold Tester
If you need a house mold test, just follow this link to get a list of experienced certified mold testers in your area.
Additional Reading:
Mold Inspection Costâ Find out what is involved in a typical mold inspection. The cost will depend on the scope of the inspection, and whether or not testing is conducted.
DIY Mold Test Reviewsâ We examine the most popular home mold testing kits.
Mold Testing Equipmentâ Review of equipment used by professionals to evaluate and test your home for mold.
How Do You Get Sick From Mold
Mold toxins can be ingested, inhaled or even absorbed through the skin. In North Carolina, the health problems from mold exposure are at an all-time high. Mold test Company exclusively offers tests that can check your environment for mold toxins that can make your family sick. With our extensive and accurate results, we can point your family in the right direction to a healthier environment. If you or any family members are experiencing health issues from suspect mold, contact us to speak with an environmental consultant.
Generally, symptoms include respiratory problems, skin inflammation, hemorrhage, irritation of mucus membranes, damage to internal organs, mental impairment fatigue, nausea and immune system suppression. In extreme cases the CDC reports, exposure to black mold can also lead to death.
What To Wear For Mold Removal
We recommend disposable Tyvek suits to wear over your regular clothing when working around mold. For smaller jobs some people prefer to wear their own clothing, including pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Remove your clothing as soon as you leave the work area and launder them right away in hot water.
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How To Tell If You Have Mold In Your House
It can be hard to tell if you have mold in your house. Obviously, if you see mold somewhere, youve got a mold problem in your house, but mold can hide in walls, ventilation ducts, crawl spaces, and in other hard-to-see areas.
A common way to check for mold is to smell for it. A musty smell in an area of your home is often an indicator that there is some kind of mold present. Symptoms like a persistent runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing and throat irritation could also be indicative of mold.
In addition, anywhere that has been exposed to a significant amount of moisture such as water damage from flooding is a potential area where mold may be growing. Look for water where it shouldnt be, and check areas which may have flooded in the past.
The Trouble With Mold In The Home
Mold is a fungus that comes in various colors and shapes. While some molds are visible and even odorous, mold can also grow between walls, under floors and ceilings, or in less accessible spots, such as basements and attics. Mold does best in water-soaked materials , but can survive in almost any damp location. Mold can grow in houses situated in the desert, and it can grow in homes in hot and humid climes.
Here are some common places in a home where mold is likely to take hold:
- around leaking pipes, windows, or roofs
- basements or other places that have flooded and havenât been thoroughly dried
- tightly sealed buildings , which trap excess moisture inside, and
- homes with poor ventilation, numerous over-watered houseplants, and housekeeping habits that ignore obvious dampness and donât include airing the place out.
Besides presenting an ugly appearance and, sometimes, an unpleasant odor, mold can cause health problems. In the worst cases, a few types of molds produce mycotoxins, which can cause rashes, seizures, unusual bleeding, respiratory problems, and severe fatigue in some people. Fortunately, most molds are of the non-toxic variety.
For more on the hazards of mold, see the article on this site: Toxic Mold Health Risks and the resources listed below.
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What Causes Mold In Homes
Excessive moisture creates mold. Floods are notorious for contributing to mold growth, but its not the only reason that those mold spores will crop up. Unchecked damp spots like a bathroom or laundry space can also be ripe for mold growth.
Its important to know that while homeowners can likely take care of mold growth in a shower stall with some scrubbing, a professional mold remediation plan should be in place if there is more extensive water damage.
How To Detect Mold In Walls
If there is an area of your home where you think mold may be present in the walls due to smell, a strange appearance of the wall, or any other factor there are a few ways you can test this.
The simplest way is to probe the area with a screwdriver. If the area is soft or the screwdriver easily pierces the drywall, mold likely has rotted the surface away, and youll be able to see it once a hole has been opened up in the surface. Be careful when doing this and do not do it near any wiring or electrical outlets.
You could also use a fiber optic camera to look around inside after opening a hole in the wall, but at this point, you may as well hire a professional inspector. A professional inspector has the tools required to examine the wall thoroughly, and ensure that its mold free or detect any potential issues.
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When To Get A Mold Inspection
When deciding if your home needs a mold inspection, there are several factors that will let you know if youre more likely to have mold growing in your home:
- When you first buy a home, especially if it wasnt occupied for a while before you moved into it
- If you are living in an older home
- If your home experienced water damage
- If you live in an area with a more humid climate
- If you are experiencing allergy-like symptoms inside your home
If your home doesnt have these risk factors, its still good to get a professional to inspect your home to be sure its completely safe. This should be done at least once a year if your home has a low risk of mold contamination, and more frequently if your home has any of the above risk factors.
Why Trust The Spruce
This article was written by Erica Puisis, who has been researching strategies to improve everyday life and health for The Spruce since 2017. To find the best options for at-home mold testing kits, she considered a wide range of products that include both self-monitored and lab-evaluated options. When comparing options, she considered the type of test, the number of samples for each kit, how long it takes to receive results, the cost of any necessary lab fees, and whether or not additional help is available from an expert. All of the at-home mold testing kits on this list that are lab-evaluated are handled by an AIHA-accredited facility.
In the research process, we also interviewed Dr. John Balmes, a professor of medicine at UCSF and professor of environmental health sciences in the School of Public Health at UC Berkley. He shared insights on the most common types of residential mold, as well as the conditions that are most favorable for its growth. In addition, we spoke to Elías Rodríguez, the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for Region 2 of the EPA, regarding testing guidance and the role that moisture plays in the development of mold growth.
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How Is Mold Tested
There are mold tests a homeowner can buy and use, but these do-it-yourself kits are very limited and may not provide accurate results, especially if the mold problem is a large one. Improper handling can give incorrect test results as well.
Mold is usually tested in a few different ways by a mold remediation professional. The first is a simple visual inspection to determine where the problem is located. If its in plain sight or not, your mold remediation specialist will take air samples from the affected areas to test for mold spores in the air, or swab a surface from the affected room. Any of these actions will reveal the extent of your mold problem and what should be done to tackle it.
How To Check For Mold In Your House Or Apartment
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Mold is the most common source of indoor air quality problems in houses and apartments.
With the average American spending 90% of their time indoors, according to the EPA, the presence of mold is something everyone should be concerned about.
Over time, exposure to mold spores can produce the following signs and symptoms:
- Musty, earthy odors
- Asthma or allergy symptoms while indoors
- Difficulty breathing
How to Check for Mold
To check for mold, look for discoloration on surfaces with a slimy, fuzzy, or powdery texture.
Mold can sometimes grow in hard-to-spot places, such as behind wallpaper, inside vents, or in an attic or basement.
Start by inspecting your house or apartment for leaky pipes or any other signs or sources of moisture. Mold always needs moisture to grow, so look in areas and surfaces that have been recently exposed to water, humidity, or condensation.
When you check for mold, youll want to answer these 3 questions:
- Do you have mold?
- What caused it?
- Where is it located?
With answers the questions above, youll have a much higher chance of successfully getting rid of the mold and keeping your house or apartment mold-free in the future.
If you discover mold growing in your home, its important to take steps promptly to find and remove it.
If You Suspect Mold in Your House or Apartment
Here is a list of common places to check for signs of mold:
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Types Of Mold In The Home
Mold forms in many different colors, and regardless of the color or type, you want it removed from your home. The most dangerous type is the toxic mold. Toxic mold is harmful and even mild exposure can lead to health issues. Continued exposure to toxic mold can lead to worse symptoms and serious respiratory problems.
In The Shower And Bathtub
Showers and bathtubs are one of the most common places you may find bathroom mold. With repeated use, these areas tend to be damp most of the time. If you arent properly ventilating during and after your shower or bath, mold spores will thrive. But mold isnt always visible and obvious be sure to check for mold on your shampoo bottles, washcloths and loofahs, shower curtain, in and around the faucet and shower head, and in the tile grout.
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How Much Does A Mold Inspection Cost
The cost of mold inspection can vary slightly from region to region, but the difference is generally pretty small. In fact, you are just as likely to find wider variations from one contractor to another in the same region.
As a rough guideline, a mold inspection costs about the same as a regular home inspection, the kind that is done when you purchase a new home. On average, mold inspection costs $300 to $400 for small to medium-sized houses . Above 4,000 square feet, the cost increases to the $700 to $900 range. Keep in mind that these costs are for inspection only and do not necessarily include testing. Skipping the unneeded mold testing can save you some money.
Some contractors that specialize in mold remediation will do a mold inspection for free, though they will obviously hope to be hired for the remediation itself.
When A House Mold Test Probably Isnt Necessary
The Environmental Protection Agency says that if you have visible mold in your home, you probably dont need to test your home for mold. After all, if you can see it, you already know there is mold in your home. There are no established safe levels of mold exposure, so mold testing cannot tell you if you have dangerously high levels of mold or not. You can assume any amount of mold in your home is not good for you. Furthermore, if you have visible mold, there is probably even more mold that you dont see, so you can assume your home has at least a moderate amount of mold growing in it.
You still might want to test after the mold has been removed, however. It is not safe to assume that just because you no longer see any mold, it is all gone.
A home mold test can tell you what kind of mold is growing in your home, but most of the time, you dont really need to identify the mold. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all types of mold in the home are considered harmful, or at least potentially harmful, so it doesnt really matter what type of mold you have. Youll want to get rid of it, whatever kind it is. If you do want to know what kind of mold is present in your home, though, you can have it tested.
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Warning Signs Of Mold In Homes
Floods, leaks or other water damage are all strong indicators that mold could be growing in your home. But any moist or damp area is a prime location for mold growth.
These are some of the more common signs that mold is growing in your home
- Water stains on a ceiling or wall where a pipe is leaking
- Black spots on the tile in your shower
- Furry white spotssometimes green, purple, or other colorson a wall in a closet or laundry room
- A pervasive, musty odor coming from a closet or other dark, damp area
How To Test For Black Mold
Do you keep getting a whiff of something musty in your bathroom or basement? Afraid it might be mold? Learn about three of the most popular kits to test for mold at home.
Its no secret that damp areas of the home provide the perfect conditions for mold and mildew to grow. Whether your nose knows, or your eyes spy dark spots in strategic locations, you want to make sure.
Mold doesnt just eat away at your wood, wallpaper, or grout. Its spores get airborne and cause all kinds of health problems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says enough evidence exists to link mold to upper respiratory tract symptoms like itchy eyes and runny nose to cough and wheeze in otherwise healthy people.
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How To Prevent The Growth Of Mold
Keeping the interior of your home dry can help prevent mold. The home inspector can discover leaks, issues with plumbing, or problems with the HVAC system and ventilation, which can lead to the growth of mold. This is why a professional home inspection is so important.
High humidity levels can also cause mold to form on wood, drywall, and other materials the mold considers food. Using a dehumidifier to regulate humidity levels can help to prevent mold.
Common places you might find mold include:
- Areas where pipes have been leaking
- Areas beneath roof leaks
- Basements where there has been water damage or flooding
- Areas where you see a buildup of moisture
- Homes with poor air circulation and ventilation
What Kills Mold Permanently
Nothing. Mold doesnt really die so much as it goes into hibernation. Hibernation of mold however, is as good as dead to humans. As long as mold isnt growing and spreading, it is pretty much harmless.
The only way to keep mold away permanently is to make sure the environment is uninhabitable for the mold. No excess moisture, no leaks, no rotting organic material will keep mold from being able to grow back.
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How To Test For Mold In Air
Mold is a fungus that can grow indoors as well as outdoors. There are countless species of mold, some of which are more harmful than others. Mold grows in dark, damp, and warm areas, such as bathrooms or basements.
However, not all mold is visible.
Sadly, if you have mold in one area of your home, spores could fly around. Thats right, mold spreads and reproduces through spores, which can survive severe environmental conditions . So, if your allergies are agitated, it might be due to mold spores flying around in the air.
Well show you how to test for mold in the air so that you can take the next steps for tackling the issue.
What To Do About Mold In Your Home
For areas that have already fallen victim to mold, there is hope. We cannot stress this enough – your first action should either be a mold test kit , or a call to a professional service. Do not simply attack mold with bleach and expect it to disappear, because you’re likely fixing the symptom and not the root cause. When you know what you’re dealing with, you can then take appropriate action.
In some instances, common household ingredients can rescue you home. Mix a cup of bleach with a gallon of water and scrub the mold off your walls, carpet or ceiling. This will kill the mold, and allow you to repair or repaint the impacted area . This is usually fine for areas where you haven’t been allowing enough ventilation – simply remove the mold, repaint with a moisture or mold repellant paint, and remember to open doors and windows to prevent the area from getting stale.
If you have a windowless bathroom, mold will likely grow here. Having an air extraction fan fitted is relatively inexpensive, and can prevent moisture from staying within the room. Failing that, keep the door open as much as possible.
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