Testing for mould in the home is easy if you are not dealing with a serious problem. For serious problems, testing for mould in the home should be left to professionals such as industrial hygienists. If you see visible mould, you could easily collect a sample and send it to a mould testing laboratory for identification. Mould tape lift sampling is one of the cheapest and easiest way to take a sample of mold. This method is recognized by mycologists (those who study mould and yeasts) as a valid method for taking a sample of mould without destroying the material on which the mould is growing on. The method can be used to sample for mould or mildew growing on wood, fabrics, shoes, clothes, drywall, books (with some care not to rip the book off), ceiling tiles, or any other surface.
The following are simple instructions on testing for mould in the home:
- Wear some gloves (which you can purchase from a pharmacy or dollar store).
- Get clear scotch tape and cut approximately 2-3 inches.
- Hold tape at one end and place sticky side down onto the surface with visible mold growth and press gently.
- Remove tape and stick it without folding onto a plastic bag (e.g., ziplock bag).
- Number each tape and identify the locations sampled. For example:
- Tape 1: Basement, east wall.
- Tape 2: Windowsill, master bedroom.
- Tape 3: Ceiling tile, kitchen.
Enclose the tape samples in an envelope or bag and send them to Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories (MBL) Inc., at the address below:
Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories (MBL) Inc.
1020 Brevik Place, Unit 1A
Mississauga, ON L4W 4N7
Canada
(Attn: Lab Manager)
Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories has been helping homeowners and tenants in testing for mould in the home.
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