The dangers of having mold present in your home are not limited to only one type of mold. There are over 100,000 different species of mold, some which are very hard to detect with the naked eye. That’s why a home mold test is an important tool to keep handy. However, there are several home mold tests on the market that may actually make your mold problem worse! Clean Vent Air Solutions’ air vent test kit is one mold detection device that provides a safe method for home mold sampling.
Safe Home Mold Test Sampling
Air sampling for mold is the best way to accurately and safely test for mold in your home. This method of collecting a mold sample from your home will provide, not only the presence of mold in your home, but it will also specify the concentration of mold spores. This is very helpful information for home owners and mold remediation specialists in determining the best solution for clean-up. This form of testing is also usually the best way to prevent mold spores from spreading to other areas of your home. Because air sampling typically does not require disrupting any contaminated areas, it limits the risk of spreading pollutants, thus making your mold problem worse and causing you to develop adverse health conditions.
Surface sampling for home mold tests is another safe method. With this method, samples are taken from common household surfaces. There are several different collection methods with this type of sampling. Swabbing and tape lifting are generally the safest because they are least likely to disrupt any mold spores.
Mold Sampling Methods to Avoid
When deciding which mold detection kit to purchase, we recommend that you look at the recommended mold sample collection method. Some kits encourage methods that could be harmful to your health and actually make your mold problem worse by spreading the mold spores throughout your home. Avoid purchasing any test kit that uses the following methods:
Collecting samples with a vacuum – this method stirs up the mold spores on your home’s surface, causing them to spread into the air where it can become a danger to your health and spread to other areas of your home, making your mold problem bigger and costlier to clean up.
Sampling visible mold – this method is not only dangerous because it opens you to the risk of touching the mold contamination, but completely unnecessary. If you have visible mold, then there is little reason to test for it. After all, you can already see it!
Do I have to send my home mold test to a laboratory?
Several mold test kits on the market claim that you can get your mold testing results right at home. This is NOT the case. In order to get an accurate assessment of the type of contaminants found on your home mold test sample, the particles must grow into colonies for proper testing. (This process usually takes about 7 days.) While your home test may indicate that there is some contaminant or pollutant, there is no way to determine if they are toxic mold spores without a regulated laboratory test. So, the answer is “yes” – you must send your mold test kit to a lab.
