MWIAQA Mold Testing
THE FIRST STEP IS TO HAVE A DETAILED MOLD EVALUATION!
DO NOT TEST FIRST. IF YOUR HOME HAS HAD WATER INFILTRATION, A BROKEN PIPE, WATER IN YOUR BASEMENT OR BEEN IN A FLOOD, CALL US TODAY!
Mold Testing in Iowa
Midwest Indoor Air is based in the Des Moines Iowa area providing services to most of the state of Iowa. We are certified by Pro-Labs and any testing will be provided by Dave Reynolds who also owns Iowa State Home Inspections. Dave has been in business for over 8 years providing outstanding service to his customers. Midwest Indoor Air and Associates operates independently and has no ties to any mold remediation or removal company. We work for you, providing an understandable solution to any concerns about your indoor air environment. We only test after a home evaluation is performed and deemed beneficial to you. We support responsible testing!
There are many testing methods that can detect mold found in Iowa They can be used to find mold particles suspended in air, in settled dust, or growing on surfaces of building materials and furnishings. Only test after a detailed home evaluation has been performed!
We follow the testing procedures set by Pro-Labs. Pro-Lab is an EPA certified laboratory and has a proven track record for analyzing air quality and mold testing samples. There are several different methods of Mold testing offered by Midwest Indoor Air Quality, they are:
Some methods can identify a portion of the types of live (viable) molds in a sampled environment, but these may also miss or undercount those are not live or won’t grow well on the nutrients used to incubate the sample. Other methods are better able to characterize the total amount of molds in a sample (including the non-living portion), but not very good for identifying the specific types of molds. Even tests that are done well only give a partial estimate of the amount and types of molds actually collected in a sample or in the sampled environment. MWIAQA supports responsible mold testing in Iowa.
It is vital to appreciate that a test result only gives a "snap-shot" estimate for a single point in time and a single location – how well it represents other locations and times is uncertain since the amounts and types of mold in the environment is always changing. (Iowa has extreme weather conditions). This variability can be especially large for airborne molds, with significant changes occurring over the course of hours or less. Caution must also be used in interpreting surface testing results, since mold growth or deposition may not be uniform over an area and may increase or decrease as time passes, again due to the extreme weather conditions in Iowa. Unless many samples are taken over a period of time and the investigator has been mindful of building operations and activities during the testing, the results might not be very representative of typical conditions. On the other hand, tests reflecting typical conditions may also miss evidence of problems that only occur infrequently.
Despite these limitations, there are situations where mold testing by skilled investigators may be valuable – for example, to “justify” remediation expenses or to document that cleanup has met expectations. (VERY INMPORTANT IN IOWA FLOOD AREAS). In some cases, tests can also provide clues that may help find hidden mold, but the growth still has to be found by looking for it so that it can be removed. Experienced investigators from Iowa based MWIAQA should evaluate whether testing is warranted. Testing may be useful as part of an investigation, but it is never a substitute for a thorough visual inspection.
Doing mold testing well is often expensive. Consumers should recognize that if the testing is not needed or it is done poorly, their money is being wasted instead of being used to make repairs necessary to solve the problem. It is up to consumers to protect their own interests when they hire someone to perform mold testing. Midwest Indoor Air Associates of Iowa advises people to consider having a detailed MOLD inspection first. The basic goals of any mold inspection are always twofold: 1) find the locations of mold growth, and 2) determine the sources of the moisture causing the condition. MWIAQA is committed to responsible testing for all homes in Iowa. Inspect first then test responsibly!