Air quality testing is just as, if not more, important than a home inspection. It exposes problems with your home that, if not promptly repaired, compromise your health and safety and that of anyone who lives under the same roof.
Air quality testing can determine whether or not your indoor air quality (IAQ) is worse than the surrounding outdoor air quality. If it is in fact worse, mold, or another air pollutant, may be thriving within the walls of your home.
Air quality testing often doesn’t receive the same attention as a home inspection, so it can be easy to elect to pass on it when choosing between the two. Bear in mind though that with a home inspection, you’re getting only the inspector’s word, and with an air quality test, you’re getting measurable data—the truth is in the print.
Though home inspections are surely important, foregoing an air quality test can cost you a great deal financially and in terms of your health. Air tests expose cancer causing asbestos, vermiculite, hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and mold spores.
If you’re curious about the air quality testing process, wonder no more. At Mold Busters, a technician visits your home and uses an air sampling pump to collect 75 to 150 litres. The test itself may take only five minutes, depending on the size of the sample that’s taken. Next, we send the sample to an accredited laboratory, where it’s carefully and thoroughly analyzed.
Though they can be part of your home’s regular upkeep, air quality testing is especially imperative if you notice signs of mold—discoloration, musty odors, visible growth—or you’re experiencing symptoms associated with mold, including fatigue, headaches, or worsened asthma symptoms.
There are two types of testing: non-viable and viable. Mold Busters is proud to offer both types to suit our clients’ needs.
With non-viable testing, you receive the results quickly; the process takes only one to four business days, depending on the urgency of the situation. Samples, collected on a sticky media, are analyzed underneath a microscope. Non-viable testing determines how contaminated the environment is.
Viable testing, on the other hand, typically takes two to three weeks, as the laboratory incubates the sample and allows it to germinate. With viable testing, they’re able to identify the specific species that’s present.
Of course not everyone possesses skills allowing them to easily interpret laboratory results, so Mold Busters analyzes the results for our clients and issues a report that’s easier to comprehend. After all, there’s enough trouble just having a mold problem.
Once the report has been passed along to our customers, we offer a professional recommendation as to the best way to proceed based on the results. This way, you can sleep soundly knowing your home is well on its way to becoming a healthier and happier place to live.
Remember, it’s not mold until it’s tested!
-Mold Busters
Since 2005, Mold Busters has provided reliable air quality testing, mold inspections and removal and remediation services throughout Canada. The Mold Busters team, comprised of experienced and certified technicians, offers same-day appointments and a wide range of affordable services to suit each client’s needs. For fast, effective and safe service in residential or commercial buildings, Mold Busters can help.