Testing for Mold

9/24/2019 (Permalink)

Mold testing in Anaheim, CA

What Types of Test Are Used for Mold?

Discovering a significant amount of mold in your Anaheim, CA home can justifiably cause some concern. You may wonder where to start. Is this all the mold or is this only the tip of the iceberg? Mold can spread quickly and has, most likely, already spread to places you’ve not yet seen. One of the first steps in mold remediation is mold testing so that you know who the enemy is and how to deal with it. So what types of tests are typically used?

1. Bulk Sampling

Bulk tests involve taking a small piece (two to four square inches) of some of the suspect material for laboratory analysis. For example, a piece of drywall may be cut out (and bagged carefully so as to not to disturb the mold).

2. Tape Sampling

A piece of clear tape is placed on a suspect area then placed on a microscope slide. This is the most common method of mold testing since it’s easy, doesn’t do any damage and gives a lot of information.

3. Swab Sampling

Typically with swabbing, a dry swab will be used for wet surfaces and a wet swab will be used for dry surfaces. A swab test is usually used only if one of the other surface methods isn’t feasible (e.g., if the area is difficult to access).

4. Air Sampling

When testing the air quality in your home, two samples are collected: one from indoors, and a sample from outdoors to be used as a control. These samples are compared against one another to determine if there is mold in the house that is not naturally occurring outside the home.
When you suspect the presence of a significant amount of mold in your home, it’s time to act. One mold testing option is to purchase your own home mold kit. While a DIY mold kit can be convenient and inexpensive, it will only go so far in determining the extent of your mold problem. It’s best to be safe and get mold remediation experts to do a thorough inspection and mold cleanup.