If you suspect you have a mold problem in your house, it is always best to consult a professional company who can visit your property and collect samples of any spores present for analyzing, which will lead to the most conclusive and informative results.
It is possible to purchase mold testing kits to use yourself. These are cheaper than hiring a professional but any samples you collect will still need to be sent away to a laboratory for testing by professionals who will then get back to you with the results. If you do decide to use a home test, then be aware that for the best results you should test at several different times and locations within your home. This is because the amount of mold spores present in one place fluctuates over time.
There are three main types of mold testing procedures – air testing, surface testing and bulk testing. For a more complete set of results, you should try to incorporate at least two out of the three procedures.
Air Testing
This is a test which measures the amount of mold spores in the air. You collect a sample from the air and send it off to a lab where it will be examined under a microscope. Air tests are a good way of identifying if you have a mold problem, even when it isn’t yet visible. However, they are not conclusive, as mentioned above, the number of spores present in the home can fluctuate giving different results at certain times of the day.
Surface Testing
This is a test which uses samples taken from various surfaces around the home. You collect the samples with swabs or sticky tape and these are again, examined under a microscope. Results from this test can vary for the same reason as air testing, because the concentration of spores in certain areas of the home changes regularly.
Bulk Testing
This requires you to collect various bits of material from around your home to be sent off for further examination. Bulk testing can reveal whether you have a mold problem and the concentration of that mold in the various rooms of your home.
If mold is found to be present within your home then it is important you have it properly treated to prevent it spreading unnecessarily.
PMSi Mold Treatment Division offer a professional and timely service to all their clients and their environmental services cover Phoenix and the surrounding areas.
