I field a lot of calls every week and commonly the first question I’m asked from potential clients is, “I would like to have the air in my home tested for mold,” or “I would like to check the air quality in my home.”
Maybe there’s a smell in the home, a water stain, previous leaks, a family member with allergies, persistent coughs, or unknown health symptoms, and they have heard that mold might be causing or contributing to it.
What I’d like to try to do in this blog post is to create a distinction between mold testing and mold inspection, why they’re so different, and why the companies that offer these services are also very different.
Mold is often on top of most minds when one might be having health issues or is symptomatic from unknown causes while in the home. Many times, they might be correct as mold can contribute to a myriad of ailments, and we commonly identify mold in our clients’ properties. It’s important to remember that mold affects everyone very differently as individual susceptibility varies widely.
There’s so much information out there and it can be difficult to navigate all the opinions, advice, aggressive sales pitches from some mold testing companies and many online forums with keyboard experts.
There is a common misconception within the consumer market that air samples are all that’s needed to determine if one has mold in the home or not. While there’s nothing wrong with inquiring about mold testing, many consumers are unsure about how it works. They often wonder, “How can I find mold in a home if I can’t see any? Don’t I just need to test?” Here’s the issue, testing the air in your home for mold only picks up airborne mold spores but doesn’t locate the source areas or growth sites of mold, this is where inspection comes in.
The Interview:
This is such an important step in the assessment of the home and the client. Understanding any potential health issues the occupants may be dealing with, what has gone on in the home, leaks, water damage, odors, etc. Anything that the homeowner can provide aids in the inspection. It’s like piecing a puzzle together.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ):
(IAQ) Indoor air quality is a broad term that covers many types of airborne particulates, including mold, chemical and atmospheric compounds, such as CO2, (carbon dioxide) TVOC, (total volatile organic compound) Formaldehyde and inhalable particles PM (particle matter).
Believe it or not, two of the biggest contributors to poor indoor air quality are dampness and poor ventilation. Different types of meters can be used to evaluate different elements of other types of indoor air quality.
Dampness can lead to mold, bacteria, rodents, insects, and other allergens, which can all cause respiratory issues and are asthmatic triggers, whereas poor ventilation (higher levels of CO2) can cause headaches, tiredness, and cognitive issues.
The idea that, “If I can’t see it, you’re not going to see it, right!” is not entirely true. Let’s break it all down!
A qualified and experienced mold inspector or IEP (indoor environmental professional) not only understands all aspects of building components, how they interact together, how even potentially seemingly small issues can negatively affect the occupants, but also how to identify mold that to an untrained eye may not be obvious. They know how, where to look and where hidden mold likely exists, such as behind walls, under carpets, inside ceiling cavities, in attics, crawlspaces and very importantly inside your HVAC system (heating ventilation & air conditioning), potentially inside the ductwork.
Drainage, landscaping, ventilation, and humidity issues aren’t always properly diagnosed. Not only understanding that you might have a mold issue, but what is causing it, what needs to be done to remediate it and most importantly, understanding what needs to be done to prevent it from reoccurring.
This is a true mold inspection!
Mold air testing is simply a brief representation of a very small volume of air in a single area over a short window of time. An air sample measures approx. 1 cubic meter of air. That’s about an hour’s worth for the average individual. That’s not very much!
A mold inspection uses many tools, such as a flashlight, moisture meter, infrared camera, particle meters and hygrometers (temp & humidity). Air testing for mold is just another tool that can be used as part of the assessment. Don’t get me wrong, testing the air for mold is of value and can indicate potential cross contamination of mold from one part of the home to another, be used to support a hypothesis or uncover hidden mold that sometimes is just not visible to the best of inspectors.
Mold testing alone without a proper mold inspection, diagnosis and remediation plan can often leave a homeowner with a bunch of data that they don’t really know what to do with, little answers and a smaller bank account.
A true mold inspection is always about finding the problems and identifying the sources of mold in the home, not simply taking air samples. Once mold is discovered testing is often not needed.
It’s important that when you’re thinking about hiring a mold inspection firm, that you understand the company’s process such as approx. how long they intend to be at the house, and what exactly they will inspect. If they start talking about mold testing out of the gate, it may be a red flag and a sign to keep calling around.
