When I moved into a new apartment in one of the best parts of town with the best restaurants, entertainment venues, art museums, and shopping centers, I was very excited. I remembered touring the apartment, a ground floor unit and noticed that it was not getting much daylight, but once the lights were on, it was brightly lit. However, I remember that it had a musty smell, but I did not think much of it; I dismissed it because of my excitement. I hurried and signed the lease and gave my first month and deposit.
I moved in about one week later and began living in my new apartment in this exclusive community. Weeks went by, and the musty smell intensified; I tried keeping the windows opened to get rid of the smell, but it did little to help. After a while, I started noticing that I was getting lethargic and could not get out of bed without much effort. I am a highly active man who is in the gym five days per week and very fit with lots of energy, so it was unusual that I felt so exhausted all the time. My breathing was also an issue, and my ears were always itching. Then, after a few months living there, I started to notice dark spots on the walls in the master bathroom and bedroom, so I knew something was up. I suspected that it was mold. I contacted the landlord to complain, and I was told to follow instructions they provided about mold in the lease packet that I got when I moved it. But after following their instructions, there was no improvement. The only time I felt better was when I left my home for at least 30 minutes, but my problems came back as soon as I came home.
Home mold testing
I requested the landlord get a mold test, and sure enough, there were high levels of mold that would have contributed to my symptoms. I then asked that my lease be canceled or that I get transferred to a new unit. Fortunately, I was moved to a new apartment on the top floor, and things changed for the better.
If you find yourself in the same situation, it is good to test the home for mold and talk to your physician. You can ask your landlord to do this, but they usually will not accept this, but you can perform the test yourself or hire a professional to perform the test for you. If you decide to do it yourself, you can buy a mold kit online or rent an electric mold pump to collect a mold air sample. These options will often come with instructions from a mold testing lab which will also conduct the testing for you and produce the results.
Mold testing cost
If you perform the mold sampling yourself and send it to a lab for testing, it can cost between $50-$60 per sample, and hiring a professional will add $300 to the cost. The benefit of hiring a professional is the credibility of the testing and the results, which can help in situations where you need to prove to a landlord that your home has mold and the wealth of information and thorough inspection by the expert.
Mold testing lab
If you need to test material for mold, you can drop them at 5 Microns Inc. 24/7 drop box or mail them in. We provide results within 2-3 business days, as well as 24 hour and same-day results. Please get in touch with us at 425-440-8787. Email clientservices@5microns.tech.
Chris S.
Where to send mold samples for testing
5 Microns Inc.
7100 Fort Dent Way #100
Tukwila, WA 98188
O 425-440-8787
M-F 9-5, Sat 9-3:30
Asbestos
Mold
Drinking-Water
Radon Gas
Air Quality
Testing Lab
MBE, DBE: D3M0026650
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.
5 Microns Inc. Sample Drop Box
Mold testing lab near me
5 Microns Inc.
7100 Fort Dent Way #100
Tukwila, WA 98188
O 425-440-8787
M-F 9-5, Sat 9-3:30
