Mold Testing Do-It-Yourself Kits vs. Professional Testing

Home Inspection | Mold is one of worst infestations that you can experience in your home. Also known as mildew, this fungus spreads quickly by tiny spores and can pose a serious risk to your well-being. If you have a suspicion about mold building up in your house, you are probably wondering whether you should test for it with a Do-It-Yourself Kit or with the help of a professional.

In this short guide, Bill from Markham Services, mold testing and inspections experts, will help clear the air for you and make your decision-making process an easy task. It is essential that you make the right choice, bearing in mind the health concerns that mold poses and not the impact on your budget.

Health concerns of mold infestation

Mold usually appears in conditions of excessive moisture, and when the temperature maintains a high level of humidity for a long period. Mildew expands through tiny spores that have a seed-like texture while they spread in colonies covering walls, wallpaper, and plumbing installations.

When mildew reaches a significantly large amount, it can pose serious risks to your health. If you fail to test for mold and to clean it, you and your family could suffer from the following:

  • Skin Rashes
  • Coughing
  • Itchy eyes
  • Respiratory problems
  • Asthma
  • Allergies

Mold spores travel through air currents, and they can easily spread to all the areas in your home. Also, everyone living in a mold-infested house, including pets and children risk inhaling the mildew seeds and develop severe medical conditions.

Why you need to test for mold

Mold rarely develops in clear sight. It usually appears behind home appliances, on indoor plumbing, and between slabs of concrete. Most homeowners uncover mold colonies when they sense a change in air quality and experience respiratory difficulties.

If you are noticing the same problems in your home, but you cannot identify the mildew, you should consider mold testing. In this regard, you can choose between a DIY testing kit and the services of a professional company. Both options have their advantages, but one of them is riskier than the other one.

How effective are DIY mold testing kits?

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A do-it-yourself testing kit for mold will cost you significantly less than professional testing. There are several tutorials online that show you how to use common materials like tape, plastic bags and carpets to determine the source of mildew in your home.

While you can create a DIY test kit for moldwith things you find around your house, the results will not be as effective as a mildew inspection from a professional. First, it will take you precious amount of time looking for the mold source. Second, you could misinterpret the size of the colonies. Last, but not least, you risk doing a poor job cleaning the infestation if you use the wrong products or solutions.

Why choose professional testing for mold

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The services of a professional company give you a better chance of identifying mildew in your home than a do-it-yourself kit. A certified mold tester provides experience, accuracy, and effective cleaning solutions. Also, you get to determine the source of the mold with minimum effort and in a short period, which prevents the fungus from expanding any further.

If you have a solid suspicion that your home is the host of a mold infestation, your best choice is to contact a professional mold tester. A company that has experience in this field can provide you with essential services, such as:

  • Air quality testing
  • Mold testing
  • Water damage testing
  • Asbestos testing
  • Radon testing

Depending on the results of all these tests, a mold testing inspector can offer you reliable solutions to the problems he encounters. Most of the companies in this field also present you with cleaning options and the time that is required for the infestation to disappear.

Mold prevention and control

After eliminating the mold from your home, you need to take precautionary measures against future infestations. In this regard, you have to increase the control you have over the possible sources of mildew in your house. Consider prevention methods, such as:

  • Repairing roof gutters
  • Keeping air-conditioning drip pans clean
  • Monitoring indoor humidity
  • Removing sources of condensation

Also, you should apply an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved fungicidal coating on wood framings and other structures that are exposed to intense humidity and which could develop mildew.

The Bottom Line

Mold in your home is not an issue that you can treat lightly. As soon as you suspect the development of mildew in the house, you should contact a professional mold inspector. A specialist in fungal infestations can provide you with quick and effective solutions to your problem, and help you disperse the mildew before it becomes a health hazard.

Avoid using a do-it-yourself mold testing kit even if it will save you some money. Failure in identifying the source of the mildew and the subsequent cleaning can severely damage the well-being of your household members.