Is it possible to have a home tested for mold?

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC

Yes, but health agencies and experts do not recommend testing houses as a first line of detection and prevention.

Mold testing can be expensive and time consuming, and it usually requires special equipment and licensed, insured, and trained mold assessors to obtain reliable results. Once you determine the level of mold in a home, there are no standards for judging if the level could cause problems for the occupants or when a house is clean. But most importantly, you probably will not get the results from your mold test for a couple of days or even a week, during which mold problems could become significantly worse.

If you think you see or smell mold in your home, you should immediately contact a Florida State Licensed Mold Assessor to inspect the affected area and identify the cause and origin to prevent the further damage before you wait for test results.

If you have your home tested, a state licensed mold assessor will have to take an outdoor air sample at the same time as the indoor sample. This will allow the state licensed mold assessor to determine whether the number of spores inside your home is significantly higher than the number outside your home. A higher indoor level could mean that mold is growing indoors. Before hiring a mold assessor, check with the state of Florida to ensure that your mold assessor is licensed, insured, and trained.