Mold Testing

Mold can be a scary word to here during an inspection. Especially if you or a family member has an allergy. Fortunately, we offer two types of mold testing, air samples and swabs. These tests can put your mind at ease or identify the problems we are facing.

Air Sampling

Air samples are a great tool for identifying the types and concentrations of mold spores in the air. Air samples can alert us to a mold problem that would be otherwise undetectable.

Sampling is typically conducted if there is apparent mold growth, favorable conditions for mold growth are present, or if a client has significant allergies and would rather be safe than sorry.

A minimum of two samples must be taken. The first is taken outside as our control sample. The control sample tells the lab what types and concentrations of mold are found in the area. The subsequent samples are taken in the possibly affected areas.

For the majority of cases, air sampling is the preferred method of testing.

Swabs

As its name suggests, a swab is a direct sample taken with a cotton-tipped applicator. This is done when a mold like substance is found and needs to be identified. Swabs are much more limited when compared to air samples. The swab will only tell us the type of mold that was located. It cannot tell us the concentration of mold spores, nor other types of mold that might be in the area.

Typically, swabs are only used when the only information needed are the types of mold that are visible.