Headed to the big box hardware store for a DIY test kit?
Unfortunately, home mold test kits are a waste of money.
Here are several reasons to consider…
Mold sample results can be complex and misleading. There are sometimes false positive and even false negative results.
Accurate interpretation can only be done in conjunction with a visual inspection and a well thought out sampling plan. Just having the raw data from the lab results is normally misleading and confusing.
2006, Consumer Reports evaluated different types of home mold testing kits and rated all of them “Not Recommended,” including typical comments like this one for the Pro-Lab mold test kit.
ALL HOMES HAVE MOLD, it’s a common occurrence.
Without mold, dinosaur carcass would still be laying around and we would be knee high in orange peels and garbage! News Flash, there is mold in your home, and a home test kit is just going to confirm that.
What we need to know is the type of mold, cumulative amount of each type of mold spores and we need to compare the cumulative amount to a source. We need to know if the spores are toxic or is the cumulative amount exceeding the norm.
Home test kits do not provide us with the count of dead or inactive spores and sometimes give false information. In addition the home test kits do not provide us with enough information to intelligently draw a conclusion.
Your respiratory system does not know the difference between a dead or inactive spore, or a live or active spore. If you are allergic to penicillin and there are dead Penicillium spores in the air you are breathing, you are going to still have a reaction to the Penicillium spores (active or inactive).