Mold Inspection and Testing

mold in crawlspace

Mold testing can be done for many reasons, but the most common reasons we provide testing are for peace of mind, or because someone sees or smells something that seems moldy or mildewy. Air testing is done to determine if mold spores exist in the air. Testing includes a minimum of three samples, takes about an hour, provides results in 3-5 days, and is $305. If additional samples are needed, each one is $50. If you see something that looks like mold, we can sample it. If there’s nothing visible, air sampling is usually the way to go. Just because it’s black doesn’t mean that it is the “toxic black mold” that was all over the news a few years ago. And even if IS “that” mold, it can be eliminated. No matter what type it is, there are people who will and people who won’t react to exposure to it. Mold needs several things to grow – and in the absence of even one of them, it will stop growing. A source of water is the easiest thing to remove from the mold’s environment – without it mold can’t grow. So, once it is removed,the affected area can be cleaned up.

Mold needs a few specific things to grow: correct temperature, oxygen, food, mold spores, and water. Take away any one of these things, and it can’t grow.

Let’s look a little closer at each item that mold needs to grow and what we can control. Let’s start with the temperature. Since inside your home is probably always somewhere within mold’s happy place of between 40 and 100 degrees inside, there’s a way to change that and still live there comfortably.  

mold in ceiling
mold behind wall paper

Mold needs a few specific things to grow: correct temperature, oxygen, food, mold spores, and water. Take away any one of these things, and it can’t grow.

Let’s look a little closer at each item that mold needs to grow and what we can control. Let’s start with the temperature. Since inside your home is probably always somewhere within mold’s happy place of between 40 and 100 degrees inside, there’s a way to change that and still live there comfortably.  

Next is oxygen. As long as we stay on this planet, we’re going to have to deal with having oxygen everywhere – nothing we can do about this one.

Food is another requirement. Since mold loves organic material (think: wood and the paper on the drywall), we’re not going to be eliminating it’s food source any time in the near future. 

Mold spores must be present for mold to grow, and there are mold spores everywhere. They are naturally occurring outside your home – floating in the air and on organic materials. They get into your house through open windows, and on your clothes, hair, shoes, and pets. You can’t stop the mold spores from coming in. 

mold in kitchen
mold on wall

Water is the final requirement. When water comes in contact with the mold spores, the mold will grow. The spores are just waiting for moisture to bring them to life. It’s a lot like a grassy front yard.  Have you ever noticed an expanse of beautiful, lush, green grass? And then it rains and after the rain, the yard has mushrooms growing in it? Those mushroom spores were just waiting in the grass for the water to come – and when it did, they grew. The mold spores are the same way. So what is there to do? We can’t get rid of the perfect air temperature, the oxygen, the food, or the spores. But, we CAN get rid of the water! Or even prevent it from coming into the house!

Anytime there is mold growing, just look for the source of moisture. Once you’ve found the source of moisture and eliminated it, you are ready to begin cleaning up.
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