The Pitfalls of Home Mold Testing

In Low Country, the Five Reasons Not To Test For Mold At Home

Many people buy home testing kits for mold, but is this really a good idea? Read on for information as to whether home testing kids for mold are accurate, sufficient or whether it is still a good idea to call in the pros when mold is spotted growing in the home.
1.  The Experts Advise Against Home Mold Testing KitsThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) all recommend against using home testing to determine if mold is found in the home or building structure of a workplace. If there is water found seeping or leaking into the home, these expert organizations do recommend to fix the water problem as soon as possible, but not to take testing for mold into your own hands.
2.  Health Standards for “Healthy” Levels of MoldThere are actually no standards on the books for what is a “healthy” level of mold that can live in the home with you. Which really means that there is no level of mold that is considered acceptable to allow to grow in the home at any time. Because there is no health standard for living with mold, if a mold test is performed in the home, what does it mean and what exactly is being measured? All because any amount of positive test for mold is “too much,” and is this the best and highest use of spending your money? You may need to think on that one again.
3.  Home Mold Tests Can Be MisleadingA home mold test is meant to measure mold in the home, but does that mean that the person performing the test knows how to read the results? And on the subject of results, how accurate are theses home mold tests, anyway? Mold kids for the home have been unreliable in the past, and had flaws that show they do not accurately identify mold for a homeowner.

4.  Professionals Have Experience With Removing MoldEven if a homeowner runs a test for mold, finds mold and tries to identify it, then what? Mold needs to be removed safely by professionals who are experienced with handling many different types of mold situations. If mold is removed improperly, it can actually spread to other areas of the home, which may make it grow and become more and more difficult to permanently eradicate later on.

5. Professionals Use Chemical Analysis to Determine Mold TypesA professional mold removal company is able to use AIHA analysis methods to determine the exact components making up any mold found in a home. That being said, organizations such as the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), and the use of accredited laboratories such as the Laboratory Accreditation Programs, LLC, Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Accreditation Program (EMLAP) (AIHA, 2017) or other similarly situated laboratories such as the Navy Industrial Hygienists are qualified to review mold samples, where the general public is not. There should be no guesswork when it comes to identifying and eradicating mold, and a professional mold removal company will have the best plan to safely remove mold from your building structure or home living spaces.

If you think that you have mold in your home, don’t wait and try to take care if yourself. Just call the mold removal specialists of the low Country Restoration. We are able to manage your mold and remove it to restore your home to its safety rating of clean bill of health. Why wait? Call today for a consultation.