Do you keep smelling a musty odor inside your Burke, VA home that never seems to go away? Mold has cotton–like features that may be gray, black, green, or white. Black mold can be dangerous to your family’s health, so mold testing should be done by a professional company such as the team at Envirotoex Environmental Services.
Although there are do–it–yourself mold test kits on the market which claim to detect the presence of harmful mold inside homes in Burke, VA, they are not a sure way to assess a mold problem. In addition, these home kits give off false positives, which means your Burke, VA home may test positive for mold, but you may not have elevated levels of mold.
Professional mold companies have the proper tools to conduct different types of mold testing, such as lift sampling and air sampling.
Types of Mold Testing
Air Sampling—This mold testing method collects indoor and outdoor samples and compares the two. Air sampling mold testing determines if you have elevated levels of mold spores inside your home, which are not naturally present outside your Burke, VA home.
Lift Tape Sample—A piece of tape is placed onto the areas to be tested. The tape is then lifted and placed onto a micro–glass slide. The slide is sealed and sent to a laboratory to be examined for the presence of mold spores.
Tape Swab Test—This mold testing uses a cotton material swab to wipe the surface to be tested and then sent to a lab for analysis. It is used to determine the type of mold that is present. This test is infrequently used because it doesn’t typically identify the spore count, which is essential in determining the elevated mold levels in your home in Burke, VA. All mold requires remediation, so the mold spore counts are more important than determining the actual type of mold.
Mold testing is recommended for these circumstances—
- Musty odors
- Known water issues
- Visible signs of mold growth
- Chronic respiratory illnesses
- The documentation you might need to support the need for mold remediation and to confirm the remediation was done properly
If you suspect mold at your home in Burke, VA, give the specialists at Envirotex a call. Let them come to your home for mold testing so they can evaluate your mold problem and set up a plan to remove the mold from your home safely, making it a safer environment for your family.