Consumer Review Source Find Information and Reviews About Products and Topics

Most of us want to do everything we can to keep our homes safe and healthy. So when we find mold, it’s normal to want to make sure we have not done harm or put anyone’s health at risk. Marketing, of course, takes advantage of that fact in every way possible. It’s our jobs as consumers to make smart choices.

With all the information available today about the diseases that can be caused by certain types of mold, the first thing we worry about when we see mold in our home is whether or not it’s a dangerous kind. And we’ve been primed to have it tested right away. But professional mold testing is expensive and the alternative is one of the do it yourself home mold testing kits.

Here are the facts. All mold is dangerous if there is enough exposure. All mold has many types of bacteria growing in different concentrations and is different in different areas. Black mold testing kits will tell you if black mold is present in the sample you send to the lab, but it won’t tell you how much of the mold you’ve found is black mold. And it won’t tell you what other kinds of mold may also be present outside the sample area. You will be better off spending your money on mold removal.

Some mold testing kits test air quality. Testing air quality is a complicated procedure that must be done over various time periods. A home mold testing kit can test the air at a given time, but does not do extensive enough testing to provide any conclusive results.

If you are concerned enough to have professional mold testing performed in your home, beware of the offers of free mold testing. The offer will be with the condition that the company doing the free mold testing will also be doing the mold removal and repairs. This is unethical business practice and someone who is qualified to do mold removal is not automatically qualified to perform mold testing.

You may find yourself paying for expensive removal and repairs that are beyond what are really necessary. The best way is to have the mold testing done by one company and then if remediation is necessary, obtain several bids before having it done.

Popularity: 1% [?]