Why It's A Good Idea To Let Professionals Search Your House For Mold
Mold is not something anyone wants in their home. It's a good idea to always be on the lookout for mold in areas you frequent, such as in the shower and around the kitchen sink. However, you should think twice before you go really digging in and trying to find hidden mold. This sort of in-depth mold inspection really is better left to the professionals, and here's why.
Some common mold hiding places are really hard to check visually.
Mold often likes to hide behind walls, above ceiling tiles, and in other hard-to-access areas. As an average homeowner without professional mold inspection equipment, you'd be hard-pressed to truly inspect these areas for mold thoroughly. You might be able to remove one ceiling tile and sort of peak underneath it, for instance, but you won't truly have confidence whether there's mold behind there or not. Professionals have special cameras and air detection equipment that can use to truly tell if there is mold in these hidden spaces. They won't leave mold undetected like your DIY mold inspection efforts might.
Professionals have the right protective equipment.
Before you go digging around in potentially moldy areas, you really need to make sure you're protected. The spores of some mold species can cause serious respiratory distress, and others might make you nauseous and sick. You'll need a respiratory apparatus, gloves, long sleeves, pants, and probably goggles, too. The cost of this equipment can add up, and properly sanitizing it all after use is not that easy. Pros come with their own protective equipment so you don't have to worry about anyone being unnecessarily exposed to any mold they come across.
Professionals can detect mold in areas you would not have thought to check.
Often, when you have a mold inspection, the inspector will start by taking mold spore counts in a few areas. If the mold spore counts suggest there is mold in a certain area, then the inspectors will look for mold very thoroughly in those areas. They might look under baseboards, beneath floorboards, inside window frames, etc. These are areas you probably would not think to look and would not necessarily know to look without the information provided by the spore counter.
If you think there may be mold in your home, hire a professional to come to do a mold inspection. While you can conduct a brief and basic mold inspection yourself, it will never be as thorough or safe as a professional inspection.