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Do I have a hidden mold in my house?

November 13, 2002

I'm not familiar with all the mold test kits on the market. But the ones I've used or seen used do not require 96 hours exposure to work.

You mention that after 96 hours a mold spore appeared. I'm assuming that you mean you saw something that looked like mold on the petri dish.

Mold spores are only seen with a microscope. Likely if there is mold in the air of your house, the spores found their way to the petri dish within an hour or two at the most. At least that is how the tests I've seen work.

Be sure to read the instructions that come with your kit. I especially like the kit offered by our sponsor, National Allergy Supply, because it provides 3 petri dishes so 3 rooms can be tested at once.

The price of reading National Allergy Supply's test is included in the price of the kit. A convenient mailer is enclosed. I found it simple to use this kit and drop it in the mail.

I compared it with a kit sold locally. The local kit came with only one dish and was less expensive to purchase. But by the time the price of reading the test was added in, it became more expensive for their one test than for three tests from the National Allergy Supply kit.

You can see National Allergy Supply's mold test kit here.

In response to your question about lack of sheet rock behind the bath wall, your best bet if you are concerned about this is to consult an indoor air specialist. However, I would question why you are thinking there may be mold in your bathroom.

If you've not seen any mold except the area that appeared to be mold on the petri dish, this would be an unreliable result. Most mold test kits require that you keep the petri dish refrigerated until ready to use, expose the dish to the air for the designated time only, then immediately send it to the lab for completion of the test.

Only a professional reading of a properly handled mold test kit can be considered reliable.

Mold is present everywhere and very limited mold growth in a petri dish would not mean you had a mold problem according to the mold experts I've talked with.

Since I'm not an indoor air specialist myself, I can only tell you that I've learned some of the questions to ask from the mold professionals I've talked with and the research I've done. Based on this, I'd ask these questions:

1. Do I see visible mold?
2. Do I smell a musty odor?
3. Does anyone experience respiratory or other symptoms when they are in the suspected area of your home?
4. Is there water damage in the area, or leaky pipes or condensation of moisture?

If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," there is a good chance you may have a mold problem. A mold test kit may help determine how bad the problem is. Only an indoor air specialist can advise you appropriately as to how to manage your mold problem.

I did my own mold renovation myself. But I consulted a couple of mold professionals for evaluation of the problem first. Since most of the mold was on the ceiling, one of the specialists inspected the attic area and insulation above the bathroom to be sure there was no hidden mold or water seepage there.

Hidden mold is likely if there is a musty smell or moisture in the area, but no visible mold.

You'll find an excellent resource about hidden mold in our references section below. Mold cleanup is addressed in this resource as well. The recommended standard for cleanup is an N-95 respirator or mask.

Steve at National Allergy Supply writes:
Four of the 3M masks we carry meet or exceed the NIOSH N95 rating. Check them out here.

AllergyNursing.com recommends: Humidity Control Solutions & Mold Control Solutions I'm proud to recommend these quality products from National Allergy Supply. Read my comments about this advertiser here .