Risks of Mold
No matter where you live, there’s a risk that mold could develop in your home. Typically it develops as a result of poor insulation, poor ventilation, and excess moisture. Cold and wet, humid climates are particularly vulnerable to mold growth. Mold can cause structural damage to the home and health problems for the residents if left unchecked.
Ways of Identifying Mold
Early signs that you may have mold could include smelling it. Air quality may be reduced, and you may notice that you’re experiencing asthmatic or allergic reactions such as sneezing or itchy eyes. This is caused by the mold spores in the air, which are produced when there is mold in the home. These may be indicators of a mold problem, but the best way to know about the mold in your home is to bring professionals in for mold testing.
Mold Testing
Mold testing is important because it can help you identify how much mold is in your home, where it is growing, and what kind of mold it is. That knowledge allows professional home restorers to be able to remove the mold safely and effectively restore your home to pre-mold condition. It’s also important to re-test for mold after you’ve had mold removed, to ensure that there are no more signs of mold in the home.
There are multiple types of mold tests, and all can be used together to determine the mold situation. The main three are surface testing, bulk testing, and air testing. With surface testing, samples are taken from various surfaces and tested for mold in a laboratory. However, it can only test whether there is mold or not and fails to determine just how much there is. Bulk testing is somewhat similar, in which pieces of material from your home are taken in to be tested for mold.
Air Testing
A mold air test involves bringing samples of air from inside your home to a lab to be tested. If there is mold in your home, it will produce mold spores, which will be found in the air samples. The number of mold spores will determine how much mold there is, though results will vary as mold can grow very quickly and change concentration. The benefits of air testing for mold are significant, in that if mold cannot be seen visibly, it can still be discovered through a simple air test, and inspectors will know to investigate further. If mold is inside the walls, it may not be easily found, but a mold air test will reveal its presence.
If you believe there may be mold in your Berkeley home, contact us at Mold Removal Patrol today for a mold air test.
