Mold Testing

Mold can be spread very rapidly through the air, since it is originally in the form of tiny spores that are almost invisible to the naked eye.   Once the spores get into a moist area, they begin to grow and spread, and this usually occurs at a rapid rate.  If you think you might have mold in your home, mold testing is definitely necessary to be sure of not only the presence of mold, but also what kind of mold is there.  In most cases mold is visible once it has established a growing area.  Most of the time it has a greenish color but it can also be black which usually indicates that it is dangerous or possibly toxic.  A smell or musty scent can also indicate the presence of mold, and combined with an ideal environment can almost guarantee the presence of mold.  Of course, not all mold testing can be done simply by smelling or seeing it; sometimes situations call for more sophisticated methods.

You can buy a simple mold testing kit at most home improvement stores.  This kit will allow you to test the type of mold and how severe it is.  These kits are fairly inexpensive and should only cost around $10 to $25 or so.  Of course, if the mold situation in your home is serious, then the mold testing should definitely be done by trained professionals.  These professionals can take samples of the mold to a lab for testing to better determine what kind it is, and also come up with the best way to kill and remove it.  They may test the air, the surface on which the mold has been found, or in severe cases, they may remove actual sections of a home (such as flooring or drywall) to perform mold testing in bulk.