Finding mold is not always as easy as just stumbling upon the spores as you clean. If that were the case, most mold infestations would be cleaned up within days and repairs to leaky pipes and other moisture sources would be done immediately. The truth about this infestation is that mold is generally in dark, deep, wet corners of your home that are not often explored. Sometimes it grows in places that you can't see, like behind wallpaper and drywall.

The best way to determine whether or not your home has mold is to contact a local mold removal contractor about mold detection and mold testing. Mold detection is a physical examination of your home during which the contractor examines the favorite nesting spots of mold. Mold testing is an easy way to see if your home has a dangerous level of airborne spores.

Mold Spore Testing

Your mold removal contractor will begin the examination and mold testing of your home with a visual inspection. He or she will go through each room and every floor, including your basement and attic. They will look around the walls and floors near pipes, at your ceiling, at bubbling areas of wallpaper, near sinks and bathtubs and more. Some may have sophisticated moisture indicators that will pick up moisture levels behind a wall. If they find mold, they will scrape the area for physical mold testing. In order to determine what type of mold you have, and what the best method for removal is, a certified lab will analyze the mold sample.

Physical mold testing can save a lot of time and money. Black mold found on the surface of your walls could be a simple case of a small, benign mold accumulation; or, it could indicate that there are colonies of toxic mold spores living behind your walls. Additionally, a green mold colony may not contain the toxic elements that create a serious health hazard, or it may. Mold testing helps you find out for sure allowing you and the contractor to come up with a plan for removing your home's mold.

After the physical examination is complete, your contractor will conduct airborne mold testing. Almost every home will have some airborne mold spores detected by a contractor. Mold testing allows a contractor to determine if the level of spores found in your home is dangerous or indicative of a larger problem. Your mold removal contractor, through his or her mold testing process, will help you determine whether or not the airborne spores found in your home pose a danger.

Believe it or not, there actually is an acceptable level of mold that can be present in your home. Since mold often grows rampant outside, contractors conducting mold testing understand that some of the airborne spores found in your home may be from an outdoor source. This testing will give you peace of mind as to the amount and type of mold that is in your home. Ultimately, mold testing gives you the knowledge you need and helps to prevent a possible mold problem from becoming a definite health hazard.