Why Are Mold Test Kits Bad?

4/20/2022 (Permalink)

Mold removal can be an expensive bill that no homeowner wants to take on. If there’s a way to cut costs, many are tempted to do it, and that’s often where DIY mold testing comes in. But while test kits are long on promises, they’re usually short on delivery. If you’re considering buying one to test your home or business, read these reasons test kits are a waste of time and money.

What Are Mold Kits

While there are many brands and variations, DIY mold test kits are all essentially petri dishes you set out for a while to figure out if mold is present. They claim to work in as little as five minutes, and help you bypass the need for

• mold inspection
• air sampling
• repeat appointment

While DIY mold test kits purport to save money, however, there pitfalls are numerous.

No Visual Inspection

A big part test kits leave out is the mold inspection – critical to mold remediation. By themselves, mold samples can provide wrong answers. Only a visual inspection by an experienced mold testing and removal pro can detect subtle signs of a true mold problem and even find its source.

Inaccuracy

Mold test kits are known for being inaccurate not only due to user error, but because mold is all around us. A handful of spores, however, doesn’t mean a true problem – but a test kit by itself doesn’t know that. The result can be detecting a mold “problem” that doesn’t really exist or isn’t where you think it is.

Shipping and Handling

DIY kits must be mailed in for lab analysis, a daunting process that can damage the sample. Humidity, volatile temperatures and even shipping lag time can contribute to false results.

While they purport to save you money, in the end, DIY mold kits can actually cost you big if a mold problem is allowed to get out of hand. Call a professional mold testing company instead to put a hold on your mold.