Black Mold Testing: Do You Need It?
Perhaps the most effective solution to a black mold infestation in your home is black mold testing. However, hiring professionals to do the job could be a strain on your budget. Besides, black mold testing doesn’t cover the actual cleaning itself. Before spending too much on inspection fees, you can try doing the inspection yourself. You can’t possibly get instant results, but if you are patient enough to get samples over several months, you’ll get pretty accurate findings. In some cases, black mold testing by a Certified Mold Inspector may be necessary, such as when you’re filing for insurance or when you’re trying to sell your house.
Should I Get Black Mold Testing And Inspection?
Black mold growing in the home can be a serious health hazard, but testing and inspection for mold spores can be an expensive deal. So, how do you know that you should get black mold testing and inspection?
Black mold often grows in hidden places. You may experience an allergic reaction to mold before you see or smell it. If you have toxic mold growing in your house, you might experience irreversible damage to your health before you know what’s happening to you.
Before you call the inspector and bust out your cash, here are a few things to consider:
-If you can see or smell mold in your home, you know you have a mold problem without having to pay the inspector. No matter what kind of mold it is, it should be cleaned up as soon as possible and you should take measures to prevent further mold growth. In most cases, your eyes and nose will tell you if you have a problem.
-There is no standard for measuring mold levels. It is hard to analyze the results of black mold testing and inspection because there are no numbers to compare these results with.
-Spore levels vary according to the day and time, so a sample taken one day may not be reliable to measure overall mold levels. To get an accurate reading of mold levels, samples would have to be taken over a long period of time. The results of the tests will still tell you nothing about the affects on your health, because they cannot measure when and where you have been exposed in the past.
-Paying a black mold testing and inspection specialist will not go towards cleaning it up. If you are going to shell out the cash and take control of the mold, you may be better off paying to have it professionally cleaned up. In addition, insurance will usually not cover mold cleanup, so the costs can be quite high.
-There are mold remediation and removal scams! You may be surprised to hear this, but mold testing is big business. If you need to have tests done, make sure you find a reputable professional to do it. Make sure that the company is a Certified Mold Inspector. Make sure that they have the experience and knowledge that you need. Like all professionals who do work on your house, make sure that they can explain clearly what they are doing and why. Ask tough questions!
In specific instances you may need to have black mold testing and inspection. If you are filing an insurance claim, or if you are a landlord, you may need to take care of it. You also may need to have testing done if you are selling a house. Look for “mold testing and inspection” in your local yellow pages.
For most people, the best thing you can do is to educate yourself about mold. Then, take control of the situation. Clean up the mold when possible, or hire a professional. Finally, take measures to prevent mold from growing again.