When You Find Mold In Your Home, How Can You Test It For The Type Of Mold
You can test your home for mold by using a mold test kit which can be purchased from a local home improvement store. The mold test kit includes everything you need to test the mold including petri dish, swab, and return envelope to the lab. Step by step instructions on how to use the mold kit will be provided. The mold test kit usually offers several methods to test the mold.
In air testing, you are to leave the petri dish on a flat surface for 1 hour before sealing it for incubation. In HVAC testing, you are to attach the petri dish to the furthest vent of your air conditioner/heater for 10 minutes. Your air conditioner/heater should be turned on when the petri dish is attached to the vent. After the 10 minutes is over, you can seal and incubate the test plate. The incubation will take at least 2 days.
In surface testing, you must use a sterile swab to swipe the actual mold and transfer it to the petri dish. After that, the petri dish must be sealed before sending it to the lab for analysis. Bulk testing involves taking pieces of materials that you suspect contain mold growth and sending it to the lab. A bulk test let you know the concentration of mold in what area of your home.
The laboratory where you send the test should be certified by respected associations such as American Industrial Hygiene Association. The mold professional will use a microscope to identify the mold species you sent in the sample. After your sample is tested at the lab, you will receive a detailed report. As a rule of thumb, you should test for mold when you notice a musty smell in the room. It is possible that your home has mold if you find yourself often having symptoms like rashes, sneezing, coughing, and flu for no reason.
A mold test allows you to find out the species of the mold and where the mold is growing. Stachybotrys, a type of black mold, is the most common type of mold that exists in the household. Another type of mold species that frequently appears in the household is Aspergillus. If the mold looks toxic, you should have it tested first before attempting to remove it. When in doubt, contact a professional mold remediation company or restoration contractor.
Through a mold test, you can find out how much is the quantity of spores in the air in your home. Some mold tests can detect mold particles that are alive and dead. You should contact a mold removal professional to inspect your home if the report shows the heavy presence of mold growth in your home. You should perform another mold test after the mold removal professional has removed all the mold from your home.
