Mold Testing: What is It? - Mold Testing Monmouth

Mold Testing Monmouth - Mold Testing: What is It?

In a nutshell, mold testing involves taking a sample of either the air or the surface of a home or other structure in order to determine the presence of mold and its type. There are two types of tests that can be used for this purpose:

Mold Testing Monmouth - Air Samples

Using a spore trap to come up with a sample of the area, a known volume of air passes through a sticky surface onto which particles adhere – including any mold spores that may be present. Stains are applied at the lab to that sticky surface that can help identify and quantify the types of mold spores collected. Two other methods could be used, such as culturing or growing captured mold spores, but the spore trap method is by far the most common.

Mold Testing Monmouth - Surface Samples

Technicians can do this in one of three ways: via bulk samples, swab samples or tape samples. Here’s a look at each:

• Swab samples: The technician rubs a cotton swab over the affected area and sends it for testing at the lab.
• Tape samples: The technician presses clear tape against the area to pick up mold spores and sends it to the lab.
• Bulk samples: The technician removes an actual piece of the sampled area and sends it for testing at the lab.

Samples are then put onto glass microscope slides and applied with a special stain that becomes absorbed by the mold spores. The lab technician can then determine if mold growth is indeed present.

Mold sampling should only be conducted by professionals with proven experience and training in designing mold sampling protocols and methods as well as interpreting results, says the EPA, following methods as recommended by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), and other professional organizations.

Here’s what you need to know about mold testing:

• In addition to looking for mold on surfaces of walls and ceilings, mold inspectors should also look inside walls and other areas where mold growth can’t readily be detected. If these areas are overlooked, mold can grow unchecked and eventually lead to structural issues, such as wood decay.
• Mold inspections should encompass evidence of past or current mold growth. If past growth is detected, a recurring water problem such as a leak could be to blame. In turn, this can cause allergic reactions in occupants or even more serious health complications.
• Mold inspectors must find the source of moisture, as mold can’t thrive without it. If the moisture source is never addressed, any remediation efforts will be in vain because the mold will just come back.
• Some mold growth is normal, like the presence of Ceratosystis and Ophiostoma on lumber such as two by fours or other structural framing components. You may see a black stain on the wood, but this is generally no cause for concern in a structural sense.

Stock Environmental Consultingis your source of expert mold testing for residential and commercial applications. Contact us for a free consultation today at 732-383-5190.