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What are signs of black mold?

By September 7, 2021October 4th, 2021Mold
What are signs of black mold?

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The term “black mold” is often associated with a toxic type of mold, but in reality, there is no such thing as “black mold” in the sense that it is a harmful or dangerous mold. The media made the term black mold famous. The fact is mold comes in different colors and can be hazardous. Say that the wall behind your toilet is all black and looks wet, probably black mold. The only way to tell is to get it tested. The type of mold that grows on drywall, paper, cellulose tends to appear to be black, but it’s dark green and tends to be toxigenic—it can produce mycotoxins.

Home mold testing

If you have what appears to be black mold, you should get it tested immediately and get to the root cause of it. You should avoid touching or disturbing it as it can be toxigenic. You can take a sample of the material to have it tested by a mold testing lab. However, it would be best if you took some precautions. It is advised that you at least wear a respirator and some latex gloves. Slowly rub on the affected area with a cotton swab and place the swab in a Ziploc® sandwich bag. You can also cut a small piece of the affected material, take at least a 3 square inch piece. Are you not feeling confident in your ability to do this yourself? Hire a mold inspector. The professional will also conduct a full inspection and provide you with some valuable advice.

Mold air testing

It can be helpful to perform mold air testing in conjunction with a direct test—a cotton swab, by using both methods. You will obtain more data, and the more data you have, the better you can get to the bottom of the problem. The air sample will also be to trap non-visible mold, as well as viable and non-viable spores. The air test also can collect the different types of mold colonies that are present.

Mold testing lab near me

Once you have all the samples, a mold testing lab will analyze them under Phase Contrast Microscope. They will provide results showing the presence of mold, type, and spore count. Finding a mold testing lab online is easy; make sure the lab is accredited to perform mold testing.

Same day mold testing

Need speedy mold testing? Contact the pros at 5 Microns Inc. They can come to you, or you can drop off a sample using their convenient 24/7 dropbox. They offer same-day mold testing.

 Call 425-440-8787 Now! for assistance.

Where to send mold samples for testing

5 Microns Inc.

7100 Fort Dent Way #100

Tukwila, WA 98188

Call 425-440-8787 Now!

M-F 9-5, Sat 9-3:30

IMPORTANT-MUST READ FIRST: All mail-in samples must have a tracking number and include our general chain of custody form to be processed. If the chain of custody form is missing, your piece (s) will not be accepted and processed. Drop-offs MUST have the COC form inside your package but not in the sample bag. DO NOT MAIL YOUR SAMPLES BY FIRST CLASS MAIL. Send your sample(s) via USPS Priority Mail, UPS, and FedEx. It is essential to closely follow these directions so our asbestos testing lab can promptly process your sample(s).

Do not take your samples to the front desk. The front desk will not accept drop-offs over the counter, NO EXCEPTIONS! *PLEASE NOTE FOR ALL DROP-OFFS: All pieces must be dropped off at the back of the office building located at 7100 Fort Dent Way Tukwila WA outside the Tabor 100 Office and placed inside the black drop-box pictured below.