Although there are do-it-yourself mold testing kits available on the market, it is highly recommended that homeowners in Northern, VA use a mold testing company, like Envirotex, when testing your home for mold growth. A professional mold testing company will have all the necessary equipment needed to check for toxic mold and the safety gear needed to protect themselves such as latex or vinyl gloves, respiratory masks, protective clothing, hair cover, and shoe covers.
Mold samples taken by a mold testing company in Northern, VA will be sent to a lab for analysis. These mold samples may include surface sampling, which means testing various surfaces in your Northern, VA home for mold as well as air samplers, which test the mold in the air. Typical air sampling is done by a calibrated air pump which is used to force any mold spores in the air onto prepared slides or culture dishes. Most mold testing companies will test several areas of the Northern, VA home and then outside and compare the results.
A professional mold testing company has the experience to handle the equipment carefully and conduct the tests accurately, whereas by doing it yourself, samples may be contaminated with dirt which would nullify the test results.
The mold testing company may use other equipment such as a hygrometer which measures the relative humidity or how much moisture is in the air at your Northern, VA home. Mold grows best with humidity above 60 percent so by using a hygrometer, the mold testing company can determine where they should test for mold. Some homeowners purchase hygrometers for their Northern, VA homes to measure the humidity in their homes. This way you take steps to adjust the relative humidity in your home yourself to prevent mold growth. It works similar to a thermometer, which helps to adjust the temperature in your home to make it more comfortable.
A particle counter may be used for testing also. It is a device that counts particles that are floating around in the air, including mold particles but also other particles such as dust and dirt. The information from the results will tell you about the air quality in a room.
Moisture meters are often used as well. This device will tell you how much moisture is on or in household materials such as wood. When high amounts are found, it could indicate potential mold growth.
Using a mold testing company such as Envirotex is the best way to get the accurate results you want for testing your home in Northern, VA for mold.