Indoor air quality testing (IAQ) is becoming increasingly important as a health matter. Your home may actually be making you and your family sick. With more energy efficient building standards, homes are more insulated and sealed up more than ever before. Without fresh air exchange, the air in the home can cause a buildup of harmful pathogens. These include mold, radon gas and other airborne irritants. Other irritants come from cleaning chemicals, carpeting, furniture, and other sources which emit harmful fumes.

The polluted air that we breathe can cause a variety of health problems.  Mold infestation is often due to moisture or water in areas such as basements, crawlspaces or bathrooms. Because mold can cause [serious health risks], it may be a good idea to have testing done for stachybotrys mold or black mold. In some cases, it’s better just to have the mold removed than to spend time and money having tests performed.

If you are selling your home or you are making an insurance claim, air quality testing may be needed. This can be especially important in the case of mold in foreclosed homes. For mold tests, a mold inspector will come to your home to take samples from different areas in the house. Mold test kits can also be purchased from hardware stores. A mold inspection is good for finding exactly where the problem is, since spores can travel through the air. If specific effected areas can be located, this can help you can save your money by limiting the cleanup to only the effected area.

Air quality testing should be performed if there is suspicion that the home air is causing harm to the occupants. Samples are laboratory inspected and certified, providing official evidence that there is (or is not) mold in your home.
