Should I Pay To Have The Mold In An Attic Tested?

Like a lot of things, attic mold testing is not an exact science.  Just today I received a phone call from a lady in Naperville, IL who was distraught over the thought that she might have mold in her attic.  She heard from her potential homebuyers that their inspector noted “possible mold growth or a mold like substance.”   In disbelief she wanted to find out how much mold testing would cost.  The answer to that question very straight forward as we have flat rates for all sampling, but the real question is…..is it necessary?

Ask A Professional!

Have a professional take a look at the space before testing is purchased.  Discoloration in the attic is usually related to mold growth more times than not.  A professional can do a visual inspection and let you know what is going on.  Paying for mold testing can be flushing good money down the drain.  It is not my job to discourage you from finding out what type of mold you may have if you are curious….but I would much rather you spend the money on rectifying the issue and saving your self a few dollars along the way.  Attic mold is already an unexpected problem.  Theres not reason to compound expenses if you can avoid it.  I explained this to the lady from Naperville, and she was in full agreement.

What Kind Of Attic Mold Testing Should Be Done?

I always shake my head when I hear that a company has proposed to perform air samples in an attic space.  Picture this, I crawl through your insulation….you know, the stuff that has been in your attic for 35 years.  The insulation is full of dust and debris that has been settling out of the air that entire time.  I ploom all of that dirt and debris into the air, and then collect samples of the air for analysis.  How in the world does that make sense???  When dealing with an attic space you should be talking about surface samples.  A surface sample will tell you what types of mold are present on the surfaces at hand.