How Indoor Air Quality is Tested for Mold

Most people tend to think of air pollution as an outdoor threat, but it can be worse inside our homes. Healthy air is vital for a healthy home or apartment, so if you’ve noticed a new, musty odor in your Los Angeles area home, it may be time to have your indoor air quality tested.

Whether a leaky pipe or another event caused water damage, the onset of a new, unpleasant aroma may indicate the presence of mold. Indoor air sampling can be a cost-effective way of discovering whether mold growth is creating unhealthy indoor conditions.

Testing for Visible Mold

Finding something suspicious under your kitchen sink doesn’t necessarily mean it’s mold. Homeowners and tenants are often misled into believing that any mold discovery immediately indicates the need for drastic action. However, finding signs of mold on a wall does not mean that mold spores are permeating the air you breathe.

Unscrupulous mold removal companies commonly use visible signs of mold to justify performing expensive, often unnecessary repairs. Not every type of mold calls for ripping out walls, floors or ceilings — some are as easy to remove as wiping down a wall with an approved cleaning solution. Knowing exactly what you’re dealing with can easily mean the difference between laying out huge amounts of money in mold removal and repair costs or not.

Your best bet is to contact a reputable, certified test-only mold inspection company to perform surface, cavity and air samples. Avoid companies that advertise testing and repair services. Many exaggerate problems and overcharge for solutions because they have a vested interest in both “finding” and “removing” mold — no matter how slight the contamination is or which type of mold is found.

Finding Hidden Mold

It’s easy to spot mold when there is surface evidence in certain areas, but mold also lurks in dark, undisturbed areas where it can grow rapidly and quietly. It’s not uncommon for mold to grow in voids behind walls or the ceiling, beneath floorboards or in dark attics and crawl spaces. While detecting hidden mold usually requires specialized equipment, a trained, certified mold inspector will have the equipment and experience to do the job.

Hiring a test-only company will yield a better result for homeowners and property managers. There is no vested interest in the test results beyond ensuring concerned parties receive fair, professional results from a reputable laboratory.