What Is Mold Testing and Is It Helpful?

At Red Rock Home Inspections, we view mold testing as a secondary measure to help supplement a thorough visual inspection of the building. During our mold testing & inspection, we perform a detailed moisture investigation of the property and then, if warranted, recommend testing based on our findings. Mold testing helps provide a view of unseen particles present in the air & and on surfaces then identify what type of mold is present. The most common types of mold testing are air samples, surface (swab or tape lift) samples, and bulk samples.

Is Mold Testing Reliable?

Mold testing is reliable, however, at times mold professionals rely too much on testing and do not perform a proper inspection or provide a detailed inspection report. The client is then given a lab report with no reference or proper recommendations on what needs to be done next. We at Red Rock Home Inspections, as with all our services, operate differently. All our inspections are performed to the highest level of detail before the first samples are collected. Photos and videos are taken of any problem areas, a mold assessment report is provided outlining areas of visible mold, water damage, and any other indoor air quality issues that may be present. At that time we will make recommendations for mold sampling based on our findings. Each mold test is custom-tailored to our client’s needs to determine the extent of any mold contamination.

All samples collected are sent overnight to an independent AIHA-approved laboratory for analysis. This third-party lab will analyze the samples and provide a certified mold report outlining the findings of the samples. We then review the report and contact you to go over the details of the report. We will then provide you with a final report outlining the issues and the corrective actions needed.

Mold Testing Options:

Whole House Air Sampling

Also known as Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) sampling is an inclusive test that will let you know what you are potentially breathing inside your property. All air samples will be completed using spore trap cassettes to ensure the most reliable results. The spore traps are designed for the collection of a wide range of airborne aerosols, including mold spores, pollen, insect parts, skin cells, fibers, and inorganic particulates.

Limited Air Sampling

This is exactly the same as the whole home Indoor Air Quality sampling, but is limited to the area where suspected, or visible mold spores are present.

Red Rock Home Inspections can even perform “Behind-the-wall” air samples that will confirm if hidden mold growth exists in the cavity space behind the wall’s surface. In many cases this can be accomplished by removing a light switch cover or electrical outlet cover, but may involve having a small hole drilled for this type of test, so approval will be needed from the property owner.