How to Detect Household Mould

Home Mold Sample 1Detecting mould can be accomplished through a visual inspection and testing. During a visual inspection, you want to visually check for mould growth in any areas of the home that have suffered from flood damage, water damage, or a plumbing leak. It only takes 24 – 48 hours for mould to grow after a water intrusion.

Other areas of concern are inside cabinets, behind drywall, behind baseboards, around plumbing fixtures, behind wallpaper, peeling or bubbling paint, window sills, basements, crawl spaces, and attics. If you find a suspicious substance which may be mould growing in any of these areas, you will want to test the area.

Home Mold Laboratory offers two distinct methods of testing for surface mould depending on your specific needs:

Testing for surface mould with the VIABLE MOULD TEST KIT

Home Mold Sample 2If you suspect that a substance is mould but do not know for certain, Home Mold Laboratory recommends the Viable Mould Test Kit. This kit will tell you whether the substance in question is mould without the need for laboratory testing and costs as little as $13.95/kit.

To perform this test, swab the suspected area, then swab the test kit. If nothing grows in the test kit in three to seven days, the substance in question is not living, growing mould. If the substance is living, growing mould, in approximately three to seven days, you will see mould growing in the kit.

At that time, you have the option of sending the kit back to Home Mold Laboratory for analysis. Using our state-of-the-art laboratory, we can analyze your sample to identify the types of mould present and tell you whether the mould is allergenic, pathogenic, or toxigenic. This cost-effective option provides an accurate and reliable laboratory analysis, and is available for only $35.00 (per viable test kit submitted). Complete details on how to order a laboratory analysis will be included with your Viable Mould Test Kit. We will then identify what type and how much mould is prevalent on the surface that was tested. When you receive your results, call us for a phone consultation to determine a course of action.

Testing for surface mould with the LIFT TAPE MOULD KIT

Home Mold Sample 3If you already know that the substance is mould and want to find out what type(s) of mould are present, Home Mold Laboratory recommends the Lift Tape Mould Test Kit. Home Mold Laboratory offers this kit for free (we do charge $4.95 for shipping and handling). To perform this test, peel back the tape and press lightly on the mould. Replace the tape and send it to Home Mold Laboratory for analysis. Using our state-of-the-art accredited laboratory, we can analyze your sample to identify the types of mould present and tell you whether the mould is allergenic, pathogenic, or toxigenic. This cost-effective option provides an accurate and reliable laboratory analysis, and is available for only $30.00 (per lift tape submitted). Complete details on how to order a laboratory analysis will be included with your Lift Tape Mould Test Kit. We will then identify what type(s) and how much mould is prevalent on the surface that was tested. When you receive your results, call us for a phone consultation to determine a course of action.

Remember: To test for surface mould, you must use one kit per affected area.

No matter what you call it: mould, mildew, household mould, or home mould, there are always mould spores, invisible to the naked eye, but present in the air. There’s nothing you can do about that. But you CAN determine if you have “normal levels” of moulds in your home by performing air quality tests. Air quality testing is crucial in determining “the health of your home.” This testing method is important if you have a mould allergy, mould exposure, or symptoms of mould allergies.

Home Mold Laboratory offers two distinct methods of testing air quality depending on your specific needs:

Testing for air quality with the Viable Mould Test Kit

Home Mold Sample 4If you suspect that you have high levels of mould in your indoor environment but do not know for certain, Home Mold Laboratory recommends the Viable Mould Test Kit. This kit will tell you whether you have mould inside without the need for laboratory testing and costs as little as $10.95/kit.

To perform air quality tests, place one Viable Mould Test Kit outside and one Viable Mould Test Kit in each room of your home you wish to test with the lids open; after one hour, close the lids on the kits. In about three to seven days, you will probably see mould growing in the kits. Compare the indoor kits with the outdoor kit looking for differences in types of mould or quantity of mould. If you have different types of mould growing in the indoor kits than in the outdoor kit or if you have more mould growing in the indoor kits than in the outdoor kit, Home Mold Laboratory recommends that you send the kits back to our laboratory for analysis. Using our state-of-the-art accredited laboratory, we can analyze your sample to identify the type(s) of mould present. This cost-effective option provides an accurate and reliable laboratory analysis, and is available for only $30.00 (per kit submitted). Complete details on how to order a laboratory analysis will be included with your Test Kit order. We will identify what type(s) and how much mould is prevalent in the circulating air of your home. When you receive your results, call us for a phone consultation to determine a course of action.

Testing for air quality with the Air Check Mould Testing Kit

Home Mold Sample 5If you are sure you have a mould problem and need to document exactly how much mould is in the indoor and outdoor air, Home Mold Laboratory recommends the Air Check Home Mould Testing Kit. This is the same testing method used by Professional Mould Inspectors and Certified Industrial Hygienists to test air quality. This kit will tell you exactly how much of each type of mould is in the air you are breathing, and can be purchased (including pump rental, two testing cassettes, and prepaid laboratory analysis) for only $249.00. Additional testing cassettes may be purchased for $75.00 each.

To perform this air quality test, insert a mould testing cassette onto the Air Check pump and place the pump in the room to be tested. Push the start button. The pump will operate for five (5) minutes and will then turn itself off. Remove the cassette. This test should be repeated (with new testing cassettes) outside and in each room of your home that you wish to test. Return the Air Check pump with the used cassettes to Home Mold Laboratory for analysis. Using our state-of-the-art laboratory, we will analyze your sample to identify the types of mould present and will present you with a detailed report including a count of the mould spores per cubic meter of air. When you receive your results, call us for a phone consultation to determine a course of action.