The presence of mold in your home has potential for causing a variety of health problems, especially if your family is exposed over a long period of time. One way to determine if you have this problem is with a mold test kit. These kits sample air and surfaces to give an indication if a potential infestation exists.
An infestation of certain species may have ill effects for people with asthma, allergies, or other respiratory issues. This is especially apparent if certain symptoms continually occur with no apparent cause. Related symptoms are coughing, congestion, runny nose, and other flu-like conditions. Skin rash and eye irritation may also occur.
The first step is to use a basic mold test kit to see if you have a potential issue. The process is fairly inexpensive and uses a treated swab that checks surface areas in your home. It can be used on any surface, especially if there is an area where you see accumulated growth. The swab will indicate if any organisms exist, usually shown by a color change on the swab.
For more detailed analysis, an advanced mold test kit allows you to take several kinds of samples and send the results to a lab for further analysis. This analysis is typically done for a fee. Results will show what types of molds are growing to help determine what further action is needed to eradicate the problem.
Lab analysis usually involves taking air samples. Kits provide petri dishes or other containers along with medium for promoting growth. One sample is taken from your heating or air conditioning source. The sampling dish is placed over a blower while closing all other air sources. With the fan engaged, the dish is left in place for ten minutes. Another typical air sample can be taken by leaving the sampling dish in any closed room for about an hour.
An incubation period of 48 hours will usually show if mold is growing. The plate should continue to be checked for another 72-96 hours. If growth occurs, samples are mailed to the lab for details on type and amount of contamination present.
People with allergies, asthma, or immune deficiencies can use a mold test kit to make sure their home is unaffected. This is an excellent way to avoid any toxic effects. If you suspect any chance of an overgrowth or have unexplained symptoms, start with a simple test to see if any organisms exist and then move on to further analysis as needed.
An infestation of certain species may have ill effects for people with asthma, allergies, or other respiratory issues. This is especially apparent if certain symptoms continually occur with no apparent cause. Related symptoms are coughing, congestion, runny nose, and other flu-like conditions. Skin rash and eye irritation may also occur.
The first step is to use a basic mold test kit to see if you have a potential issue. The process is fairly inexpensive and uses a treated swab that checks surface areas in your home. It can be used on any surface, especially if there is an area where you see accumulated growth. The swab will indicate if any organisms exist, usually shown by a color change on the swab.
For more detailed analysis, an advanced mold test kit allows you to take several kinds of samples and send the results to a lab for further analysis. This analysis is typically done for a fee. Results will show what types of molds are growing to help determine what further action is needed to eradicate the problem.
Lab analysis usually involves taking air samples. Kits provide petri dishes or other containers along with medium for promoting growth. One sample is taken from your heating or air conditioning source. The sampling dish is placed over a blower while closing all other air sources. With the fan engaged, the dish is left in place for ten minutes. Another typical air sample can be taken by leaving the sampling dish in any closed room for about an hour.
An incubation period of 48 hours will usually show if mold is growing. The plate should continue to be checked for another 72-96 hours. If growth occurs, samples are mailed to the lab for details on type and amount of contamination present.
People with allergies, asthma, or immune deficiencies can use a mold test kit to make sure their home is unaffected. This is an excellent way to avoid any toxic effects. If you suspect any chance of an overgrowth or have unexplained symptoms, start with a simple test to see if any organisms exist and then move on to further analysis as needed.
About the Author:
Do you want to learn more about mold testing, then stop by Roy Forchet's webpage teaching how to overcome mold in a number of different situations and how to manage mold once your mold testing was positive.
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