Mold Testing - Is It Worth It?
- Zachary Konell
- Feb 3
- 5 min read
Mold Testing through indoor air quality or direct fungal exams can yield valuable insights, if done properly..
Mold is EVERYWHERE. Mold spores are in the air that you breathe when you step outside to get to your car, drifting in the air when you open windows and doors and even flowing through your air ducts when you put on the AC or Heat on in your property. To understand why you should or should not do mold testing, you should first understand a few key things about what mold needs to form and how it spreads.
Indoor air quality samples are taken outdoors to serve as a control for indoor samples.
Mold Needs 3 Things to Thrive
Mold generally needs three things to thrive in indoor environments. If you take away one of these items, mold will not die or disappear, it will go dormant. Mold that is dormant will not get better, but it will not get worse either - unless…
Moisture - Mold needs water to live. This can be in the form of elevated humidity, condensation, water damage or flood.
Food Source - Mold needs organic materials to consume. This can be wood, leaves, dirt, dust, and more.
Favorable Temperatures - Typically mold likes warmer climates. With that said, there are mold spore types capable of living in hot dry climates as well. (We weren’t kidding when we said mold is EVERYWHERE)
As mentioned above, if you remove one of these three components, mold will go dormant. It can not spread or get worse unless disrupted or exposed to the missing element.
Mold Spreads Through Disruption
Mold spreads through disruption. This can be brushing into it physically, setting a fan up to blow it around, even spraying it with a disinfectant, the force of the stream from the spray bottle can be enough to cause spores to aerosolize and become air borne. Once in the air, spores can settle on organic surfaces and begin to grow and form additional colonies.
Characteristics of Mold
There are many thousands of mold spores in the world. Depending on the spore types, food sources and phsyical characteristics, they may or may not easily aerosolize. Some molds are considered “sticky molds” and only show up in air samples if found in great numbers. "Sticky molds" are hard to discover during testing because they may not show up in large numbers in an air sample.
Mold Testing - Direct Fungal Exams
Direct fungal exams typically consist of a swab test or tape lift sample. We recommend taking a direct fungal exam in the event you see discoloration in a particular area on a surface and are unsure whether it is mold or not. These sample results typically identify the mold spore type and give some background information regarding the particular mold in the sample. These are basic tests that are great if used to confirm the presence of mold however they do not provide a ton of data in comparison to air quality samples. The most important part of a direct fungal exam outside of the sample results, is recording the location of the sample taken. If the sample location is not recorded, remediation companies may not be able to locate the sample area, leading to a much larger default treatable service area. Direct fungal exams do not require a control sample as they are primarily used to confirm the presence of mold and do not need a baseline for comparison.
Mold Testing - Indoor Air Quality Samples
Indoor air quality samples typically refer to "air grabs". They are taken using a calibrated pump that draws air in through a cassette. These cassettes have a slide in the center that captures aerosolized spores. Once at the lab, a lab technician will crack open the slide, and many times, manually count and identify the spores captured. When taking an indoor air quality sample it is important to document the calibration process, the location of the sample and the psychrometric/weather conditions - as these can all affect the results.
An outdoor sample must also be taken so that it can be used as a Control to provide a baseline for the indoor samples. Again, weather can play an important role in if the control is a good representation of outdoor air. Colder temperatures, heavy rains or storms and other precipitation conditions can skew outdoor samples making indoor sample results seem excacerbated in comparison.
Mold Remediation - Lab Results from IAQ Testing
Most times after a mold test comes back as elevated, the next step is mold remediation. The big secret is that mold remediation does NOT change based on the type of mold discovered. In order to properly remediate mold, the remediation team should be following the ANSI.IICRC S520 Standard. This standard dictates how mold should be removed under various conditions. The type of mold does not matter or change the remediation process, or the PPE requirements. Although mold testing is useful, a company that can provide both the initial mold testing and a remediation protocol based on the findings.. that is what you should be looking for..
Most mold remediation companies need to inspect the property to take measurements and provide an estimate. The lab results (unless they include an inspection report with a remediation protocol) will not be enough to receive an estimate for the work. This is why it is important to ask the right questions when looking for a mold inspection company.
Conflict of Interest - Post Remediation Verification
When a mold remediation project reaches completion, a final mold test should be performed. This final mold inspection and testing process is referred to as Post Remediation Verification or "PRV Testing". Unlike the initial mold testing, their is a conflict of interest when using the company who remediated the mold to also test and "clear" their own project. For this reason, we always recommend hiring and independent third party to come in post remediation and inspect the work of the mold removal experts. Although its hard to find a mold remediation company willing to offer a mold warranty that extends past the completion date (another topic of conversation), it should be included that the remediation company be responsible for passing a final clearance test before the job is considered complete.
In Conclusion..
Mold testing can provide a lot of useful information and help justify a mold remediation project. As a standalone though, it can NOT help provide an estimate for the remediation work and if the sampling process is not recorded or a remediation protocol is not included, it leaves an opening for an additional expense in the event you need a professional remediation.
When pricing out mold testing and inspection services, its a good idea to ask questions and request a remediation protocol and inspection report outlining the sample locations and additional work required in the event you need a mold remediation.
For more information or a soup to nuts solution for mold testing, inspection, and remediation, give our team at Bulldog® a call! Our expert mold inspection and remediation team can help make sure you get all the information needed to expedite a solution for improving indoor air quality and reducing mold related illnesses.
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