Air Sampling tests the concentration of mold spores in your home’s air. Samples are taken from the air and then later examined.

Air Testing can tell you if you have a mold problem even if we cannot find the mold growth. However, the amount of mold spores in the air can change drastically in a small amount of time, giving varying results at different times.

Surface Testing

Surface Testing takes samples from household surfaces to find the amount of mold growth and spores deposited around the home. Samples are collected by swabbing, tape lifting or other methods.

Similar to air testing, the results can vary because mold growth and spores aren’t spread evenly across surfaces in the home and can change over time. Unlike air testing though, surface tests can’t identify the exact concentration of mold spores in the air.

Bulk Testing

Bulk Testing involves collecting pieces of material from the home. The material is then taken to a laboratory where mold particles on the material can then be examined under a microscope. Bulk tests can tell you if you have a mold problem and give you an idea of the concentration of mold particles in your home.

Culture Testing

Culture tests are where mold particles in a sample from the home are grown into larger mold colonies in a lab. This way culture tests identify the species of molds in houses.

Only mold particles that are still alive can be grown. However, dead mold particles in the home still cause allergies and health problems. Other tests can detect both living and non-living mold in a home but can’t always identify the species of molds.

Why Test for Mold

One sign you could have mold is a mold smell. If you notice a moldy smell in your home there’s a good chance you could have mold hidden somewhere.  Another sign that you could have mold is if you are suffering allergic symptoms. If there’s mold hidden in your home there will be mold spores in the air.

When you breathe these spores in not only will you notice a moldy smell but your body will react with allergic reactions like sneezing, a runny nose or sore eyes.

Mold Testing for Indoor Air Quality

You can have mold testing done to tell you the amount of mold spores in the air.  Sometimes you can be suffering the symptoms of mold allergies even if there is no mold growing in your home. This can be because of mold spores blowing into the home from outdoor mold or because there used to be mold growing in your home which left behind a build up of spores.

By testing for mold you can tell if there is an unhealthy level of spores in your house and find out if any allergies you might have are from mold or something else.