Mold inspection and testing in Nashville

A mold inspection is detective work: where is the moisture coming from, and how far has growth spread? Mold testing is narrower. It sends air or surface samples to a lab, which reports which kinds of mold are present and roughly how much. Homeowners often ask for the test when the inspection is what they need. Here's how to decide which one, if either, is worth your money.

If you can see it, the lab is usually optional

EPA's position is that when mold growth is visible, sampling is generally unnecessary. You already know mold is there, and every type gets handled the same way: remove it and fix the water. The multi-agency disaster cleanup guide from EPA, CDC, FEMA, HUD and NIH says the same thing, adding that lab results can be hard to interpret. A spore count on a stain you can photograph rarely changes the plan.

Situations where an inspection pays off

• A smell you can't trace. A persistent musty odor in a closet, a finished basement or one bedroom usually means growth behind drywall, under flooring or inside ducts. Moisture meters and thermal imaging help an inspector decide where to open up instead of guessing.
• Buying a house. If the general home inspector notes water stains, a damp crawl space or an old repair, a mold inspection can take a harder look before closing. That matters around Nashville, where a house may sit near a creek that flooded in 2010.
• After a cleanup. EPA notes that surface sampling can help show whether an area was adequately cleaned. Clearance testing is most convincing when the inspector is not working for the remediation company.
• A health question. If someone in the home has asthma or a weakened immune system, their doctor may want more detail. A lab report gives the physician something concrete.

What test results can't do

There are no EPA or federal limits for mold or mold spores in indoor air. So no lab number can tell you that your house passes or fails. Results are read by comparison, usually indoor samples against an outdoor one taken the same day, and that comparison depends on the person who designed the sampling. EPA says sampling should be done by professionals with specific experience designing sampling protocols. Ask the inspector to explain in plain terms what the numbers suggest and what they'd do next.

What a typical visit covers

1. A walk-through of the rooms you're worried about, then the attic, crawl space or basement.
2. Moisture readings on walls, floors and framing, plus a look outside at gutters, grading and downspouts.
3. A check of the air handler, coil, drain pan and accessible ducts.
4. Samples, if they are justified and you agree to the extra cost.
5. A written report with photos and a recommended scope that any remediation company can price.

Picking an inspector in Tennessee

Tennessee's contractor board lists mold remediation as a licensing classification, but its classification outline has no category for mold inspection or testing, so there's no state card to ask for. Look for training instead. The federal disaster guide suggests professionals affiliated with or certified by groups such as NEHA, AIHA, IICRC or ACAC. Ask which lab analyzes the samples, what the report will include, and whether the inspector also sells remediation. Plenty of honest firms do both, but an inspector with no stake in the cleanup is easier to trust on a clearance test.

Home test kits

A do-it-yourself kit can show that mold is present, but with no federal limit to measure it against, it can't tell you whether you have a problem or where it is. An inexpensive hygrometer that tracks indoor humidity is usually a more useful purchase; EPA suggests keeping relative humidity under 60 percent and ideally between 30 and 50. If the inspection confirms growth, the next step is remediation. Inspection prices are covered in the cost guide.

Sources: EPA, Mold Testing or Sampling; EPA and partner agencies, Homeowner's and Renter's Guide to Mold Cleanup After Disasters; Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, classification outline; Fixr, Mold Inspection Cost.

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