Mold Testing Your Environment is Important
If you have visible Mold, and the insurance company has agreed to repair what's wrong, you and your family are not sick, or you are having to pay for the mold remediation yourself, you may want to forgo pre-remediation Mold testing.
The reason is it does not matter what type mold you have, you need to get rid of it from your home, school or place of work. No matter what kind of Mold it is it will eventually grow to be a problem you don't want.
A Mold contractor that wants you to test to find out what kind of Mold it is, is just after your money.
However, if there is a possibility of trouble with a law suit, insurance or a management company, employer or future possible illness where a third party may be liable for your damages, get testing done. you can never has too much data when those times arise. Also, when a third party is involved, don't trust anyone document everything yourself.
TESTING TYPES
AIR-O-CELL (Mold Spore Trap) Uses: To measure the air quality in rooms. This type of testing does have Problems with this type of Testing: Uses: To indicate Mold contamination on surfaces such as, furniture, clothing, walls Etc...
The Name "Air-O-Cell" is a brand name the term is a Mold Spore Trap "MST"
How it works:
The MST has inside of it a greased or sticky Micro slide surface. Air from the environment is pull across the slides surface by using an air pump to regulate the air flow across the slide. Particles in the air then stick to the slides sticky surface. The slide is then put under a microscope and read for Mold spores.
Problems with this Type of Testing:
valuable uses and is a good indicator of what you may be breathing or is
on your skin, eyes or body.
Cost: Expect to pay $75.00 - $128.00 per sample and there may be a three MST minimum
Tape Lift or Tape Slide Sampling
How it Works
This is just what it sounds like. The technician places a clear sticky piece of tape or sticky prepared slide directly on to the area of suspect Mold and lifts the Mold from its place trapping it onto the tape or microscope slide. This is a dependable method of testing.
This type of testing does have valuable uses and is a good indicator of what may be
contaminated in a structure and how far spread is the contamination within the structure.
Cost: Expect to pay $60.00 - $95.00 per sample and there may be a minimum charge
Swab Testing
How it Works
This is just what it sounds like. The technician places a cotton swab or prepared sterile swab directly on to the area of suspect Mold and lifts the Mold from its place trapping it onto the Cotton swab. This is a dependable method of testing.
Problems with this type of Testing:
Cost: Expect to pay $60.00 - $95.00 per sample and there may be a minimum charge Problems with this type of Testing: Cost: Expect to pay $80.00 - $125.00 per sample and there may be a minimum charge
Bulk Sampling
How it Works
The technician places a Bulk piece of contaminated material into a test tube or sample container. This is a dependable method of testing.
Problems with this type of Testing: Cost: Expect to pay $100.00 - $150.00 per sample and there may be a minimum charge How it Works Cost: Expect to pay $9.00 - $15.00 at the store and $25-$50 for the Lab Work
Air Impactors and Viable Spore Testing
How it Works
The technician places a glass or plastic container "Petri Dish" into an instrument. Fluid is added to the container or "dish" to catch Mold spores as they pass over the liquid. The instrument forces air to flow over the dish and contaminated material is collected. The sample container is then sent to the for Culturing. This is a dependable method of testing and actually grows the mold spores collected. This is a test for living Mold Spores.
The Mold Home Test Kit
The kit contains a "Petri Dish" and fluid. The fluid is to be added to the dish and you are to sit the dish out in the area you think has mold in it. After a few minutes you are to cap the dish and send the sample container to their laboratory for culturing. Problems with this type of Testing: