Is Mold Testing Necessary?
You may have a hidden mold problem if your home or office smells moldy, but you cannot see the source, or if you know there has been water damage and residents are reporting health problems.
Molds can be found anywhere; they grow on virtually any substance, providing moisture is present. Molds can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and of course foods. Mold may be hidden in places such as behind dry wall, wallpaper, or paneling, the top of ceiling tiles, the underside of carpets and pads, etc. Other possible locations of hidden mold include areas inside walls around pipes with leaks or condensation, the surface of walls behind furniture (where condensation forms), inside ductwork, and in roof materials above ceiling tiles (due to roof leaks or poor insulation).
Investigating hidden mold problems can be difficult and will require caution when the investigation involves disturbing potential sites of mold growth. For example, removal of wallpaper can lead to a massive release of spores if there is mold growing on the underside of the paper. If you believe that you may have a hidden mold problem, consider hiring an experienced professional like Aspen Environmental Services.
Benefits of Mold Testing
Since mold can cause health problems, mold removal by a mold remediation specialist is extremely important. If you suspect that you may have a mold problem in your home or business, Aspen Environmental Services can perform tests to determine whether further action is needed.
Testing for Mold can expose an issue, and potentially save you money. Or you may only have mold in an isolated area, or no mold problem at all. Mold testing will define the scope of work, eliminating unnecessary action when an area may not have to be remediated, saving the customer money.
Also, our testing picks up animal and human skin cells and pollen making it important for a new buyer or someone moving in to a new space to know how much skin or contaminants from the previous owner they are actually inhaling.
Sampling for mold should be conducted by professionals like Aspen who have specific experience in designing mold sampling protocols, sampling methods, and interpreting results. Sample analysis should follow analytical methods recommended by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), or other professional organizations.
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U.S. asthma cases that may be caused by exposure to mold
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