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If you have a mold problem, you're probably wondering whether you should try and get rid of it yourself, get a mold test kit from your nearest Walmart or the Home Depot, or get the professionals in - which can be expensive.
Look, it's like this when you notice mold at your home. You can't leave it, that's for sure because it simply spreads and becomes more of a danger. But if you do see a small amount of visible mold it doesn't always mean you need mold inspection solutions or testing from anyone - you can simply remove it yourself by following the standard mold guidelines. Right here we will say that if you are going to do it yourself, don't bother with a mold testing kit that you find at hardware stores or Amazon - they do not give you enough information. They can reveal the presence of mold but they can't give you detailed info about the mold problem. However, in saying that, many aspiring people love to try things on their own, particularly if they are quite the handymen; then there is money to be saved. And mold testing is something that lots of homeowners believe they can do and save a fortune from doing it as well.
OK, so the purpose of the home mold test kits is to test for the presence of mold in the air or on the surface.
If you buy a mold test kit, it won't be able to tell you just how much space is infested by the mold, nor will it be able to tell you what caused the mold infestation, and nor will it be able to tell you what the best curative and preventative measures would be. All you will do is confirm what you suspected anyway. You've got mold. Now what?
In contrast, a professional mold inspection or mold testing provides you with a head start on taking care of your mold problem. Mold is not always a suitable DIY project, and it can be helpful to have advice and recommendations from an expert in the field to help you decide how to move forward.
If you are going to get a professional mold inspection done, just make sure the inspection is done by a qualified mold inspector - the professional guys are trained guys. They will look for evidence of past mold growth and current mold growth. The mold inspector near you will look for mold inside the building and in the inside walls and other areas. They will inspect the mold to ensure that it isn't causing structural issues like wood decay, etc. This is when the inspector might take a sample and send it off to the mold testing lab to test the mold. If there is mold growth, the inspector will know that there is a source of water that is causing the problem - the most important part of professional mold remediation goes far beyond just cleaning to taking care of the moisture problem as well. This will make sure that the mold will not return.
There are a lot of factors at play here, like how big the mold problem is, where it is, and what kind of surface it is growing on. The smaller the mold problem, the less a mold expert is needed. Mold usually goes together with water problems and that's why in some homes, you see mold in the bathrooms. That won't kill you, but for lots of people it just looks gross and doesn't come across as clean. That type of mold doesn't require a professional; in fact, it's unnecessary. Any handy person just needs to clean the tiles and grout and keep the area sanitized, and it will be clean in no time. Or if a specific water problem has resulted in mold growth in a certain area, it doesn't necessarily mean you need a mold inspection either. For instance, you might have a roof leak and it has resulted in moldy ceiling tiles. It might simply only be necessary to fix the roof leak and replace the ceiling tiles. But trying to do it yourself when a professional would do a better job can be a costly mistake.
So the decision will be yours to make. Remember a professional comes with accuracy. A mold expert knows how to test to get results that are meaningful and can help you make decisions. Using a home mold test kit means you may not collect the best samples to give you the information you really need. Your kit could give you misleading results, forcing you to maybe need another one. The home mold tests also can break during shipment and even afterward compared to a professional mold inspection service which is not prone to breakages and failure. Remember too, that the mold kit might collect the samples which you send to the lab for analyzation, but someone will need to inspect the home. Did you know that the mold test kits don't have expiry dates on them either so you have no idea how old your kit is - without an expiry date, you could be wasting your money on a test that shows you inconclusive results? You might think a home mold test is quicker, cheaper, and easy to use, and you might be right, but think about the fact that it could cost you more money later on, simply because of its ineffectiveness.
A professional mold company will be the ones telling you the extent as well to which the infestation has gone, they will tell you about hidden mold growth and how it affects indoor air quality in the home, as well as what caused the mold to develop there in the first place. The best news is that they will be able to tell you how to keep the mold infestation at bay. Unfortunately, with a home mold kit, you stand the chance of the mold returning or never being completely removed, and you won't understand why it came back and how to deal with it this time around.
It is entirely your decision to decide which route you will take - just don't take chances with the health of those close to you. It's just not worth it. We think it's better to seek out a professional mold services company.
Generally, you will pay around $395 to have a professional mold inspection, although the price can vary from around $149-$895 (check the prices). The DIY testing kits can cost $40-$60 (or less), and it is much cheaper. Some do allow for laboratory testing for an additional fee. But they don't replace a comprehensive assessment from a professional mold company and do not fully solve the assigned tasks.
Identifying a mold problem is just the first step in taking care of it for good. We can be at your home in minutes t deal with what you dread dealing with. Our team, O2 Mold Testing, a professional mold inspection service, has top mold experts who know everything there is to know about mold from A to Z - from mold that is spreading to toxic black mold. If you need a company that is bold and won't go cold on you - call us, we're just moments away 888-202-1680.
O2 Mold Testing is a mold inspection company that is given to helping our customers. We want to help you ensure that your properties are free from hidden mold in the most professional way.
Our services include air sampling, surface sampling, moisture & leak detection, and visual mold inspection.
If you have a case that necessitates a mold inspection, you can count on us to do a professional job. Are you ready to know if what you smell is mold? Give us a call at 888-202-1680 to book your appointment!