Checking Your House for Mold
There can be quite a bit of conflicting advice when it comes to mold testing in Denver for your home; specifically, whether it’s a DIY-type job or one that calls for the experts. Yet as with most things, it’s not a black and white answer, with different circumstances requiring different approaches. Before it can be elucidated further, however, you should know the signs that may lead you to check your home for mold in the first place:
Some Key Warning Signs
- Allergies. Have your or anyone in your house hold been sneezing, experiencing a runny nose or sore eyes? Then chances are there could be mold spores lingering in your home.
- Water problems. If your home has recently been flooded or you’ve suffered leaky pipes, chances are you’re going to have a mold problem.
- Serious health problems, Injury to internal organs or mental impairment, can be indicative of toxic mold.
- Smell. Often, that damp, musty aroma is concomitant with mold and is the only real tell-tale sign that you have a problem. Never had the misfortune of smelling mold? Then you are lucky.
- Visible growth. Seeing mold is proof that it exists, but often it’s the mold you can’t see that is most tricky.
When are home testing kits acceptable?
Mold test kits
These allow you to collect mold samples by yourself – and send them off to a lab. Some things to keep in mind when choosing to do it this way, nonetheless, is that any mold test will only give a snapshot of any mold spores present at any given time, as level they constantly fluctuate. Therefore, it is recommended to buy a number of these kits to test at different times and in different locations, to build up a complete and more accurate picture of the mold in your home. There are three main types of mold testing.
- Bulk testing. Tests various materials taken from the home to identify any mold spores.
- Air testing. Testing the concentration of mold spores in the air, samples are taken and later examined under a microscope
- Surface testing. Takes samples from surfaces, most commonly using swabbing or tape lifting.
These kits may also come in handy after you’ve had mold removed, to make sure it was a success. If you do decide to test for mold yourself, always wear a mask and gloves.
However, the mold industry advises against home mold test kits.
All credible organizations in the indoor air quality community advocate against using these types of samples. These mold test kits generate money for the companies selling them and generally just cause fear in the person taking the sample with no real added value. Further, the most important part of a mold inspection is not the mold sample, but rather the inspection of the building for sources of moisture and evidence of mold.
Why Over-The-Counter Home Mold Tests Kits Are A No Ideal:
- Mold samples results are often misleading or simply wrong (i.e. due to lab error
- Mold is everywhere. Yes, all homes have small amounts of mold. Therefore, when a petri dish from a home mold test tells you that you have mold, it is not telling you anything useful since every home has mold! You need a professional to interpret the results.
- If you suspect a mold problem but do not actually see it or smell it, these test kits do not help you locate the problem or tell you how serious it is.
Call in the Experts Instead
If you do suspect mold in your Denver home, you will need to identify which type of mold you are dealing with so that you can take the correct steps to remediate and remove it. Contacting a Denver mold test service company to guide you in the proper treatment is the right course of action.
Mold Removal Express is your best option for mold testing in Denver. The best part is Mold Removal Express offers a 100% MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE and a ONE YEAR GUARANTEE on all their mold treatments and services. Contact them today and get a FREE Mold Quote!
Mold Removal Express is your best option for a Denver Mold Test Service Company!