Thinking about getting one of those mold testing kits and testing for mold yourself? DON’t DO IT!! They aren’t worth it. Mold grows naturally everywhere. These kits only test for the presence of mold. So of course when you do an air test in your home you will most likely find mold. The problem is you are testing the wrong thing. Professional mold testing compares the mold count to the amount that exists in the surrounding air and the TYPE of mold, indicating if there is an issue that requires clean up.
Most mold testing kits are simply “gravity” or “settling” plates which consists of putting an open Petri dish in the home for some period of time. This is about as useful as setting out a plate of fruit and finding out whether mold will grow on them. Given enough time, of course it will! If you leave moist food on the kitchen counter for a few weeks, no one is surprised when mold forms on that food, and finding mold on that food does not mean that the home has a mold problem.
It’s important to understand that mold is everywhere. ALL homes have mold in them. Mold is present in homes, buildings, and the outside air. Mold spores are in the air, on surfaces, on the furniture… all over the place. If you open a Petri dish and take a sample, it is likely that you will get mold growing on the Petri dish. That’s not helpful information! All you accomplish by sending of the Petri dish to the home testing lab is to give them your cash to have them tell you the inevitable.
In fact, a well-recognized book in the mold industry “Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control” by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) advises against using the types of samples included in these home mold testing kits.
Mold samples can be misleading, are sometimes incorrect with both false positive and false negative results occurring and can only be accurately interpreted in conjunction with a well thought out sampling plan and visual inspection. That’s why you hire Dog Gone Mold! Spend your money wisely and get the professional examination of our licensed Mold Technicians and our specially trained wonder dog, Mason.
Don’t waste your money on a mail in kit that sends you a report you don’t understand. Spend wisely and get two inspections for the price of one with Mason and his handler. Dog Gone Mold’s inspectors do not sample unless there are indications that a sample is needed OR if the property owner insists on a sample. Our inspector examines your home first, followed by Mason. The dog is 90% effective in smelling the mold. If and only IF necessary, they will take a surface or air sample and send it to a certified Lab for testing.
Contact us to get your property tested correctly. We are only slightly higher in cost to the home test kits and well worth the investment.