If you believe you are experiencing poor air quality or have noticed water stains or recurring leaks in your home or office building, it is important that you have samples collected for mold. While most mold types are not harmful under typical outdoor conditions, increased levels of mold in your home and certain types of mold can exacerbate allergies and, lead to more serious respiratory or other conditions. If you have decided to test your mold, there are two approaches that you can choose.
One option available to you is to collect the samples on your own and then take them to a laboratory for analysis. The obvious locations to collect samples are near any leaks or where you have noticed water stains. In addition, you may want to collect samples anywhere that you detect an unusual odor. The difficulty in collecting mold samples on your own, however, is that you may not test all the necessary locations and the interpretation of results is difficult to a non-professional. The average person may overlook hidden mold sources, or may have difficulty testing certain inaccessible areas.
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The other option available for mold testing is to contact a professional mold inspector to collect samples and thoroughly evaluate the indoor environment. They are familiar with current guidelines and have the necessary knowledge and skill to gather samples from your carpet, wall and ceiling cavities, all types of surfaces, as well as the air for potential mold problems. Since mold growth can occur almost anywhere, only an experienced person will be capable of identifying if the levels in your home or place of business are irregular.
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After you get your results from your mold testing company, you can then contact a mold remediation company in your area if the results determine you have a mold problem.