How to tell whether you need home mold inspection
At Moldman, we believe in giving the public all the mold information at our disposal. One important piece of information that so many mold companies would rather keep secret is this: If you already see visible mold, mold testing is usually unnecessary, and you simply need to remove it following industry standard guidelines. We detail this in our blog “Do You Really Need a Mold Inspection?”
However, there are still instances where people may still be suspicious of mold without having visual confirmation. To help those who have their suspicions, we’ve compiled a list of the eight situations we see most often that warrant mold testing below.
8 situations that warrant a mold inspection:
You are experiencing allergic symptoms, such as stuffy head, headaches, scratchy throat, runny nose and not sure why.
You think you see mold but are not sure it is mold (read about identifying black mold in your home)
You smell a musty odor but don’t see any obvious mold.
There have been plumbing leaks or water issues in your home or office.
You want or need air testing after mold removal has been done by you or a professional to check whether mold levels have normalized.
You are a buyer or seller in a real estate transaction and need evidence whether airborne mold levels are not normalized.
You are a landlord or tenant and need evidence whether there is a mold problem.
You are looking for a general assessment of your indoor air quality to make sure your family is breathing high quality clean air in your home.
At-home mold testing FAQs
Do at-home mold test kits work?
We don't recommend at-home mold test kits because they give you incomplete information. They can tell you what types of mold you've got in your home, but do not do a good job of telling you if the amount of mold in your home is abnormally high or not. That's why we recommend air testing and surface testing - which remain mold industry standards.
How long does mold testing take?
We ship your samples via FedEx to a testing facility. Within 2-3 business days of your inspection, you will receive a copy of the lab results and a written inspection report 2-3.
What to do if your home test positive for mold?
You have two options — hire a professional or try to remove the mold yourself. We offer support to DIYers in the form of a step-by-step mold removal ebook. For small mold jobs, you can generally get rid of the mold yourself with the right cleaning materials.
If you hire a professional, look for one who offers a warranty or guarantee (like we do). If you live in Illinois, or Missouri or Tennessee, we’d love to help you get rid of your mold.