How To Choose The Best Mold Test Kit
There are a few key things to consider when selecting a mold test kit. These include the types of supplies that are included and the customer support that’s available. Here are the main factors to think about to make sure you choose the best mold test kit for your situation.
Test supplies
It is important to find a mold test kit that includes all of the equipment necessary to collect complete samples. If a test kit can collect surface samples but does not include swabs or adhesive strips, youll have to look elsewhere to buy these items at an added cost. Usually, you can determine the types of tests the kit can perform by looking at the included supplies.
Help and support
Reputable mold test companies include their telephone numbers and email addresses on their websites. In addition to contact information, you might want to select a company that has strong support options, including FAQs and video tutorials. Aside from our top two products, the Pro-Lab Mold Test Kit and the Home Mold Laboratory Viable Mold Test Kit, you can find full customer support with Healthful Home’s 5-Minute Mold Test and the Mold Check Whole House Mold Test.
It also is handy if either the kit itself or the website offers a guidebook to tell you how to test for mold and identify what you find.
Moisture: Investigating And Solving Problems
Mould will grow indoors if moisture is present. Moisture problems in homes may result from:
- daily activities such as showering or bathing, washing clothes or cooking, if exhaust fans are not working properly or are not used
- infiltration of water from the outside when there are cracks or leaks in the foundation, floor, walls or roof
- plumbing leaks
- moisture condensation on cold surfaces
- flooding due to weather conditions
- inadequate ventilation.
Moisture indoors accumulates when it cannot be vented outside and becomes a problem when building materials become damp or wet.
Moisture problems are preventable.
Unless the cause of the moisture problem has been identified and solved, mould will reappear. Once the moisture problem and its causes have been identified, they must be fixed. To prevent future problems, measures should be put in place to control sources of moisture in your home, for example:
- Ensure rain, irrigation water and snowmelt drain away from the house by sloping the grade away from the building.
- Keep eavestroughs and downspouts clean of debris and ensure that the outflow runs away from the house and not into neighbouring foundations.
- Repair plumbing leaks promptly.
- Use exhaust fans, ventilation and air conditioning systems to vent moisture outdoors.
- Use moisture tolerant materials in areas likely to get wet .
Run a dehumidifier in damp areas such as basements or if you observe that moisture is condensing on cold surfaces such as window panes.
What Affects The Cost Of A Mold Inspection
There are two main factors that affect the cost of a mold inspection: the size of the house being inspected and whether or not the inspector has to remove or destroy parts of the property, such as drywall or paneling, to complete the inspection.
Quite simply, a large house with a lot of square footage is going to cost more to inspect because the inspection is going to take longer. An âinvasiveâ inspection involving digging through drywall or digging under a crawlspace is also going to cost extra because of the extra time and work involved.
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Do You Really Need A Mold Inspection Or Testing
We are going to tell you something right away about mold inspections and mold testing that is going to make almost every other mold company and mold inspector squirm. Most other mold companies will not reveal the following, but we have been doing so for years because it is our mission to get good factual information about mold out there to combat all the misinformation and fiction that dominates our industry. Ready?
How To Remove Mold
- Wear old clothes and shoes that you can launder or throw away after the cleanup work.
- Wear special N-95 or P-100 respirators, in addition to goggles and gloves.
- Set an old box fan or a cheap new one in a window to ventilate the room while working. Throw it out when you’re done cleaning, because the spores are almost impossible to clean off. Tape plywood or cardboard around the window openings so the spores can’t blow back in.
- Wrap and tape moldy carpeting in 6-mil plastic, and double-bag mold-infested debris in garbage bags for disposal.
- To control airborne spores, moisten moldy areas with a garden sprayer while you work.
- Turn off your furnace and air conditioner and cover ducts and doors to contain spores.
- Keep your wet/dry vacuum outside when you vacuum.
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Treatment For Mold Exposure:
The best treatment is to avoid places that trigger your allergic reactions. To put you at ease, your doctor may suggest the following:
Just Recommendations On How To Fix And Live In A Healthy Home Or Office
Our motivation is to improve your indoor air quality period. We are not motivated to sell duct cleaning, mold remediation, or asbestos clean-up. It is not professional or industry good practice for an inspector to diagnose, clean, and clearance test their own work.
Once Indoor Air Quality Ottawa identifies the source of your air quality problems, our inspectors will recommend professionally certified and insured experts for all your mould remediation needs as well as independent, 3rd party clearance testing following all indoor environmental work.
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For Detecting And Tackling Mold Spores
Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the bestproducts youcan learn more about ourreview process here.We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.
The Spruce / Chloe Jeong
Mold can grow anywhere it finds moisture and organic nutrients, like wood or paper, to feed on. You may find it in a corner of your bathroom, laundry room, or basement, or any space that doesn’t have quality ventilation. If you come across mold, it’s imperative to remove it quickly and safely, as mold can be detrimental to your familys health. However, it can be a little difficult to know if mold exists in your home , which is where at-home mold testing comes in.
Mold testing kits help you detect and even identify growing spores in your home, through samples collected via the air or from the surface in question. Some give you results right away, while others ask you to package the samples and send them back to a lab for professional examination. With the resulting information, you can get the peace-of-mind that you’re looking for while making all of the necessary arrangements to remove the harmful fungi, or know your cleaning efforts were effective.
Here, the best at-home mold tests, that are both easy to use and effective.
How Our Reliable Mold Testing Experts Can Help
- Our experts will conduct an inspection of the property once we have been called to do the job. Once we have gathered the necessary samples, they will be tested in our laboratories using the Environmental Standard criteria
- From there, we will provide detailed results in an easy-to-understand report. Our team conducts these inspections using our cutting-edge in-house laboratory.
- From there, they will offer the most suitable remediation recommendations, and it is up to you whether to proceed
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Finding Mold In The Home
Because mold loves dank hidden parts of the home, it can be tough to spot. The fungus can grow in places with little sunlight exposure and poor ventilation. These are also the areas of the home that people rarely visit or see.
Some of the favorite places where mold hides are:
- Beneath carpets and carpet underpad
- Underneath floor and ceiling tiles
- Within HVAC ducts and plumbing
- Inside window sills and closets
- Underneath layers of wallpaper and drywall
- Inside and around appliances refrigerator drip pans, front load washers, boilers, and heaters
- In the attic, basement, crawlspace, or inside the roofing structure
However, even when mold growth stays within these areas alone, it will still impact indoor air quality. That is because mold spores, toxins, and gases will spread throughout the home.
Finding The Right Mold Inspector
Look for a contractor with specific experience and expertise in mold inspections and remediation. Ask them how many mold remediations theyâve done in the last six months. Call around your area and get a few estimates. There might be a wide price range, so shopping around could save you a few hundred dollars.
Check your state health department or labor department to see if mold inspectors are required to have a special license or certification. If so, you obviously want to make sure you only work with a properly certified contractor.
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What Are The Most Common Symptoms Of Black Mold Exposure
Usually dark green or black in appearance, black mold is a type of fungus and refers to several species of mold. Whenever you spot mold, it should be removed as soon as possible. Thats because mold can multiply rapidly and cause a range of different health problems.
It can cause stronger symptoms in those that have weakened immune systems or those with mold allergies or asthma. That being said, mold affects each of us in different ways, but some of the most common symptoms reported include:
- Coughing
- Asthma attacks
- Difficulty breathing
- Lung infections
What Is Black Mold
When people say black mold, they refer to Stachybotrys, a greenish-black mold that grows on damp material with a high cellulose content. In our homes, that includes wood, fiber or gypsum board, paper, fabric, or green insulation. Just because mold is black doesnt mean its the dreaded Stachybotrys though, which by the way also manifests itself in blue and grey. But because Stachybotrys can off-gas dangerous mycotoxins, its the mold variety most feared.
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Our Air Conditioning Motor Failed This Summer In Fl And Our 34′ X 14′ Mobile Home With Attached 28’x10′ Air Conditioned Lanai Were Subjected To High Humidity And Heat For Several Weeks Before The A/c Unit Was Fixed The Mold Is Visible So No Testing Was Done After Remediation Is Complete And We Do A Post
Good question. While pre-testing is certainly ideal, you can still verify the completion of the project without it. Instead of comparing the post remediation data to pre-remediation numbers, youll need to compare the spore counts to average data in your region. In some ways, this is even more accurate. For example, if the average count for Cladosporium is 1,100 and your home contains 500 spores, your home is clean. Many inspectors do not provide this kind of data, so youll likely need to contact several companies.
I See Mold Do I Really Need A Mold Professional
Home> Inspections & Testing> I See Mold. Do I Really Need a Mold Professional?
If you have amold problem, youre probably asking yourself two questions:
Read on to find out.
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How Do You Test For Mold Spores In The Air
In order to test your air for mold, youll need a viable mold test kit. These are widely available at any home improvement store and online at sites like Amazon and Home Depot. Once mold is determined, call a professional to do additional tests to see what type of mold is present and how to remove it.
Last July I Was Told That I Should Move Out Of My Home Right Away Because Of Dangerous Mold Since Then The Insurance Company Has Refused To Pay For Remediation And I Have Been Paying Rent And Wondering How I Will Be Able To Save Money To Get Back Into My Home I Have Been Wondering Lately If I Reacted Too Rashly And Wonder If They Were Just Hoping I Would Pay For Remediation I Live Inland In Sw Florida What Do You Think About All Of This
The mold testing report indicates the outside air had a higher mold spore count than the air inside your home. This is a good sign and certainly is no cause for vacating the property, unless there was substantial visible mold growth. We see this situation quite often. The industry is full of unscrupulous inspectors who stoke fears by misinterpreting results.
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Knowing Your Home Air Quality Is Healthy
Standard IAQ Inspection
An Air Quality consultant must have vast building construction and building science knowledge. The inspector must be certified with ventilation design Mechanical systems and building codes.
IAQ Ottawa has performed over 3000 inspections and over 20 years of building science experience since 2003 of experience testing, backed by the accreditation required to cover all types of indoor air quality issues not just mold!
Air quality falls into two distinct categories biological and chemical. An experienced consultant must recognized building conditions that generate bacteria, fungal or chemical off gassing.
An action plan must be directed at solving the building condition that precipitated the air quality concern first. Only then does the remediation plan address the contamination followed by 3rd party clearance testing to ensure a safe and healthy occupancy.
Emsl Mold Swab Test Kit: Best Lab Tests
Reasons to avoid
EMSL has a broad range of testing kits for all kinds of spores, microbes, and other environmental impacts on your home. The swab mold test kit it makes is among the most accurate you can buy, and we like this one because the emphasis is put squarely on the lab report.
When you commit to a lab report, you’re given the test kit for free, and return postage is already paid. The fee here is $75, which is more expensive than some other mold test kits, but we feel you’re getting good value here.
The lab results are very accurate, and each of EMSL’s labs are accredited by multiple bodies, including the AIHA. There are a good number of EMSL labs throughout the US, so dependant on your location, you can actually get results in 24-hours if you really need them. That is quicker than any other test kit on this list.
The kits themselves are very easy to set-up and they will grow spores within a few hours once placed correctly. They aren’t as good for HVAC testing as our top choice, but handle all other rooms with ease. Overall, highly recommended if you need to know exactly what mold you’re dealing with.
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Testing For Mold In Your Home
If you hire a professional mold inspector to come to your home, theyll take samples from three areasthe air, the surface, and surrounding dust. They send these samples to a third-party laboratory to find out the concentration and kinds of mold in those particular areas.
However, this procedure takes time and isnt cheap. Fortunately, testing for mold in your home is a relatively easy task that can give you faster results and save you money. If youve done everything you can to prevent mold but still have reason to think the air you breathe is compromised with mold spores, check strategic locations for visible signs of mold.
Common areas of mold growth include:
- Areas around plumbing lines, even behind the drywall
- Below sinks
- Coils of HVAC air handlers or ductwork
- Between the furniture and exterior walls, particularly in basements or concrete block houses
Mold Inspection Testing: The Pre
During this process, a mold expert will go over every inch of the home with the sole purpose of finding mold. That includes a visual inspection of every part of the home, testing surfaces & materials, and the use of equipment designed specifically for mold detection.
A pre-purchase mold inspection will:
- Inspect and test surfaces including behind wall paint
- Check indoor air quality
- Check unreachable areas of the home for leaks and dampness
- Check for condensation issues that may predispose the home to mold growth
A pre-purchase mold inspection is the most reliable way to check a home for mold. Mold inspectors know where to look and have the detecting equipment, even if it is behind drywall or beneath tiles, wallpaper, and a painted surface.
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When Should A Mold Inspection And Mold Testing Be Considered
- When visible mold is not present, but the smell of mold is. Here a mold inspection and mold test can reveal whether there is indeed elevated mold, and where it is located.
- There have been plumbing leaks or water issues and there is a suspicion that elevated mold may exist in the air and/or behind walls.
- Post Mold Removal Clearance Testing to ensure that the previous mold issue has been resolved and mold counts have returned to levels found in normal environments of the same type.
- Health Concerns: In some cases, a doctor or the patient has a health issue that they cannot pinpoint the cause but seems to be related to mold symptoms . Here, a mold inspection and test may help to confirm whether the doctors or patients suspicions that a mold problem exists.
- For real estate transactions for the protection of Buyers and Sellers.
- Landlord/Tenant disputes as to whether there is a mold problem.
- Someone thinks they see or smell mold but are not sure.
- Someone is interested in a general Indoor Air Quality test of their environment.
