When folks call our office with a mold concern, they invariably ask for an air test. They say, “I need to know what we are breathing! Can you help us?”
Our response is invariably, “Yes, we can help you. But an air sample for mold is not the proper diagnostic tool.” We go on to describe the more powerful, albeit simple, tools we have available to figure out a mold problem. These tools include a thorough visual inspection, targeting areas where moisture can commonly occur, moisture and humidity testing, and source testing of suspected materials. The goal, after all, is to determine whether an active mold condition exists in the building, not just to identify (usually inaccurately) what is flying around in the air. [Read more…]