How to Test for Black Mold in the Air?

Mold is a type of fungus that grows in a humid environment. Sometimes, you see dark spots on walls, ceilings, and floors. These are the signs of mold. Think if you can see the visible mold signs in the form of dark spots, how much mold is behind the walls or in walls cracks? The mold has spores which are airborne and damage the indoor air quality. The mold spores are suspended in the air and cause different health issues. The common question which is raised in everyone’s mind is how to detect mold in the air? Among the various types of mold, black mold is typically concerning due to its significant effect on health.

In Phoenix, AZ the annual percentage of humidity is 35%, which creates the perfect environment for mold to flourish in homes. Therefore, it’s crucial for the homeowners to get mold inspection from the certified home inspection company to ensure that indoor air quality is not compromised.

In this blog, we will discuss the importance of detecting mold in the air, focusing on black mold and the steps that the homeowners in Arizona can identify and mitigate mold issues in their homes.

What is Black Mold?

Black mold, which is scientifically called Stachybotrys chartarum, is a specific type of mold that grows in the damp or humid environment. It’s notorious for its dark greenish-black color that you may see on the ceiling, floors, and walls. While mold can be found in various forms and colors, the black mold is often a cause for different health issues due to its exposure to spores.

When discussing the black mold, it is crucial to discuss the difference between the toxic black mold vs black mold. Not all the black colored molds are toxic but they may trigger different health issues. The Stachybotrys chartarum produces mycotoxins which are harmful for severe health issues like dizziness, continuous headaches, shortness of breath, and skin allergies.

In Arizona, due to the high humidity, a regular mold testing is necessary for the homeowners to ensure that the indoor air quality is healthy so that you and your belongings can take breath in a safe zone.

How to Detect Mold in the Air?

Detecting the mold is necessary for homeowners in the humid environment of Arizona. For this reason, homeowners can use DIY kits to detect mold in the home. Different types of mold test kits are available in home improvement stores or valuable online stores. These test kits are cheap and the homeowners will easily use them to detect the mold.

Here, we discuss the DIY methods that the homeowners take to detect the molds in the home.

Choose the Right Test Kits

Different mold test kits, such as surface and air testing, are available at home improvement stores or online stores. You must choose the right test kit for the tests you need to perform. For good results, follow the given instructions and place the kit where it will be able to detect the mold properly.

Surface Testing

Surface testing is used for suspected moldy areas to detect mold spores on items such as baseboards and behind appliances. Samples are collected from the surface and saved in containers. After collecting the samples, they are sent for laboratory analysis as soon as possible to get good results.

Air Testing

To detect the mold that you cannot see by the naked eye, the air testing will help to identify the mold spores that are suspended in the air. The mold spores are light in weight and are airborne that can grow after landing on different surfaces. These suspended mold spores go into the lungs when the individual takes a breath in this contaminated environment. Therefore, it is necessary for the homeowners to get to know the molds that are suspended in the air.

With the help of an air testing kit, the homeowners collect the air sample, which is suspected to be moldy. For air sampling, follow the given instructions and place the testing kit properly. After collecting the air samples from the moldy area, send them to the laboratory to get scientific data.

After collecting the laboratory report, you will get a deep knowledge of how much mold is affecting your home’s air quality.

Further, if you want to know the 10 warning signs of mold toxicity, then you need to read this blog.

Professional Air Quality Testing for Mold

When it comes to accurate results of mold, then professional air quality testing is one of the reliable methods. The professional inspectors have updated equipment to perform air quality testing. With updated tools they collect air samples from the different spaces of homes and send them for laboratory analysis to get to know the mold spores that are suspended in the air, especially the black mold Stachybotrys chartarum spores.

Professional mold testing is beyond DIY kits because it involves advanced techniques like spore traps and air pumps that detect molds even when minor levels of mold spores are suspended in the air. This type of testing is necessary after the humid activity such as the monsoon season. At that time due to the high humidity, it will be the ideal environment for mold growth. Therefore, getting professional mold testing will be beneficial after the monsoon season.

Scheduling professional mold inspectors after humid activities, like the monsoon season, will be helpful for the homeowners. With this strategy, you will get to know the presence of black mold in the air at an early stage and can make a good decision to get mold remediations.

Toxic Black Mold vs Black Mold: Understanding the Difference

When discussing mold, it is necessary to get to know the difference between toxic black mold and black mold. Black mold is a broad type that covers around all types of black or dark brown color. Not every black mold is toxic, the mold that produces mycotoxins, which is known as Stachybotrys chartarum. Production of mycotoxins damages the indoor air quality and causes significant health issues.

Therefore, homeowners must get professional mold testing to ensure that their homes are safe from toxic black molds and their spores suspended in the air. Approaching the professional after humid activity like monsoon season can detect molds at an early stage and allow suitable remediation.

Final Words

Some visible mold signs that you may detect in your home are the discoloration of walls, peeling off the wall paint, musty smell, and water damage. These are the common signs that indicate that your home is affected by mold. To get to know the mold spores that are suspended in the air and cause severe health issues, homeowners think about how to detect mold in the air to make the home’s indoor air quality safe and healthy.

For getting a professional mold inspector, we strongly recommend hiring Advantage Inspection Service. It has certified mold inspectors who pay close attention and perform tests with updated equipment to ensure that you have safe indoor air quality.

If you want to protect your home and belongings from costly, surprising issues, don’t waste your time hiring the best inspection company.