There was a recent article in the New York Times about the affects of mold on health. This article advised homeowners to use home test kits to detect the presence of mold. These home test kits are not reliable thus causing other problems. The following list the problems that the home test kits may entail.
Mold is a naturally occurring organism that is present in almost every environment. Home mold test kits that use ‘settle plate applications’ (the test where a dish is left out for 24-48 hours). These test generally do not measure the airborne particles accurately. Spores vary in shape, size, and weight. The heavier mold spores will fall through the air faster then the smaller mold spores. thus being represented in larger quantities in the dish then the light mold spores. Since most environments contain mold spores in the air, it becomes difficult to determine weather the spores that are collected, are part of a dangerous indoor colony or just from the outdoor environment.
The do-it-yourself mold test kits often cause homeowners to make rash decisions ether because feel as if the mold that is present is not harmful or that the mold is harmful and then they end up making a costly decision to remodel there home. The accuracy of these test are terrible even if a lab test for the molds they might not be able to detect hidden molds. So the homeowner can no longer properly assess the situation. Most of the time people either do to much or do not do enough.
The bottom line is that if you are concerned about your home’s indoor air quality, contact a professional testing service, preferably one that is Certified. With the professional testing services you will get better interpretations an analysis of the mold. Allowing you to make informed choices. Your decision can make all of the difference between potential health problems for you our your family. The best choice is to have the job handled professionally, properly, and quickly.
