It is important to avoid buying mold test kits. Home mold test kits, unfortunately, are a waste of money. Here are a few reasons why you should not use home mold testing kits instead of professional mold inspection.
Reasons Why Mold Test Kits Are a Waste of Money
The most crucial aspect is the mold inspection, not the mold samples.
Mold samples can be misleading because they can sometimes falsely suggest Negative and positive results are possible, and they can only be appropriately interpreted if a well-planned visual assessment is combined with infrared thermal imaging.
Water sources, construction, and other issues that may be difficult for some people to see, such as ice formation in a poorly ventilated attic, excessively drained yards, and foundation fissures, may all be anticipated as potential hazards.
Home mold test kits are rated “Not Recommended” by Consumer Reports.
Demonstrated Lab Inaccuracies
I’ve heard of “high mold” counts from DIY kits when the actual levels were extremely low, and vice versa for “low mold” counts when the actual levels were quite high.
Kits do not account for dead spores:
DIY mold removal kits and other water damage prevention efforts are aimed at removing mold, but dead spores can potentially create health issues. Stachybotys, Chaetomium, and Ulocladium, for example, might not be visible on the DIY kit.
Mold test kits do not provide useful information.
Even though these kits are primarily meant to identify the presence of mold in the home, their testing capabilities are rather limited. They are just “gravity” or “settling” plates, like the ones used in scientific testing processes.
This is because leaving a plate of fruit out for a few weeks is about as long as it takes mold to grow on it. Mold will form on food left on the kitchen counter for a couple of weeks, and discovering mold on the food does not necessarily indicate a mold problem in the house.
It is vital to recognize that mould grows on all surfaces, including those in homes, buildings, and the outdoors. Mold spores can be found in the air, on surfaces, and on furniture in all homes and settings.
If you choose a sample from a Petri dish, you will most likely find mould growing on it. That is not useful information!
Mold test kits instill fear in order for mold test kit producers to profit.
Mold inspections do not have to answer the question, “Are there mold spores in the air?” We already know the answer is nearly always “Yes,” unless it’s a setting like a hospital operating theater.
Using a petri dish would not provide any meaningful information. All it would do is confirm what we already know: that mold spores are present in the air.
Home mold testing kits are just made to make money for the corporations who offer them and to make the individuals who use them fearful.
Home mold test kits are not recommended by the mold industry.
The use of these types of samples is strongly discouraged by all respected organizations in the indoor air quality sector. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists’ (ACGIH) well-known mold industry publication “Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control” recommends against utilizing the types of samples provided in these home mold testing kits.
Home mold test kits are not recommended by the mold industry.
The use of these types of samples is strongly discouraged by all respected organizations in the indoor air quality sector. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists’ (ACGIH) well-known mold industry publication “Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control” recommends against utilizing the types of samples provided in these home mold testing kits.
Bottom Line
The primary goal of these mold test kits is to make money for the firms who sell them. They frequently generate panic in the individual taking the sample while providing little genuine value. The most important aspect of a mold inspection is not the mold sample itself, but rather the assessment of the building for sources of moisture and mold evidence.
Mold exists in every home, even if in trace amounts. Still, mold is an issue that no one likes to deal with. The difficulties of an inspection and removal are not something you want to deal with. But you don’t have a choice, do you? The difficulties will have to be endured, but the end result will be worthwhile.
Hiring an expert Toronto mold removal service provider is required to get to the bottom of the problem. Whoever has the necessary knowledge and expertise in this subject and can do the work successfully. Read our post on Choosing Mold Removal Services.