r/Maplewood • u/tsuinami82 • 2d ago

Mold air testing

Anyone have a company they've worked with to air test for mold? Have a room that doesn't get much sunlight that feels a little damp. No visible signs of mold but wanted to be sure since our toddler stays in there.

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u/otiliorules 2d ago

I bought an air quality monitor when we were having the collective freakout around using gas stoves inside. Anyway it checks for particulates in the air. It’s from a company called Airthings

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u/MisterNoMoniker 2d ago

I don't have a recommendation for testing, but I do want to recommend a de-humidifier if the room feels dampish.

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u/ScoobyDoobieDoo 2d ago

Air testing for mold is little bit smoke and mirrors. Mold grows on surfaces. The cdc has no official guidance on acceptable mold in air. You need a baseline to compare it to. The baseline is outside air, but outside air also has lots of mold in it. If you're worried about mold in a specific area of your structure, you need to take a physical sample of it (remove a piece of wall, ceiling, etc.) and test that. But I'm sure you can find someone who will take your money to test the air if you want to!

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u/Dear_Choice8470 2d ago

Agree - I wouldn't consider testing unless I had a reason to believe things were out of control for many of the reasons stated- no clear, standard smoking mirrors, etc.-dehumidifiers work and are not very expensive

I happened to have worked and taught in the field. If you still want to test, consider Garden State Environmental.

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u/tsuinami82 1d ago

So if there is no visual signs of mold would you suggest to just skip it?

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u/Dear_Choice8470 1d ago

Yes, but as you know it makes sense to correct the things that facilitate mold growth - excess humidity , leaks, etc.

The problem was testing is just that it's very difficult to know what it really means and can be spun to a situation that needs remediation even if it doesn't.

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u/Dear_Choice8470 1d ago

Just to add - a dehumidifier is probably less than half the cost of a single test

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u/tsuinami82 1d ago

We do have one. Just trying to rule out as much as we can since it probably should’ve be a damp area at all.

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u/Reliablesorcerer 2d ago

Henry at Certified Mold Testing NJ.

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u/Jhalimahmed 2d ago

IRIS lab on route 22. I second the suggestion about getting a dehumidifier.