Mold Inspection Equipment

 Types of Mold Testing Methods 

During the home inspection for toxic mold. It is important to understand the significant differences in equipment that needs to be used to get a controlled sample. The first example will be what is called a Mold Spore Trap Collection Device. The one you see to the right is a Cyclex D Cassette Spore Trap.

This type of collection device has a sticky medium inside the collector. The mold particles get stuck on the medium. You send it to the lab where it is logged in with a Chain of Custody. After that a Microbiologist  opens the collector, counts and identifies the spores and other debris and issues a report. This report is acceptable by Insurance Companies for an Insurance Loss for Mold.

There are other types also used by professionals. A simple example is what is called a swab test. This is what you see on the left. This type of test can tell you what is there and it can also be cultured to see what types of viable mold spores are also at this  location. As you can see, this is a little more advanced than you see in the local hardware stores.

There are other types of sampling which also reinforces to me that mold sampling and assessment should be done by a qualified professional. This Professional will have years of training and experience. They can read and understand the reports. I would not like to see a homeowner try and interpet what is their mold problem. They need to contact a qualified Indoor Air Professional such as a member of Indoor Air Quality Association.

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