TEST YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Before anyone samples
Good testing starts with looking.
A sample taken without an inspection is a number without a story. Before anything goes to a laboratory, someone should walk the building, map moisture, look at the heating and cooling system, and decide what question the sampling is meant to answer.
You can do the first part yourself. Our free Healthy Building Checklist walks you room by room, in English and Spanish, and tells you what to look for before you spend anything.
What can be measured
More than visible mold.
Removing what you can see is rarely the whole picture. Depending on the question being asked, a building can be characterized for any of the following.
Moisture and building conditions
Relative humidity, dew point, surface moisture and thermal imaging. Measured on site, no laboratory needed, and usually the most useful data in the report.
Mold spores and fragments in air
Air samples identify which molds are airborne and how indoor levels compare with an outdoor sample taken at the same time.
Settled dust
DNA-based dust panels, such as ERMI and HERTSMI-2, show what has accumulated over time rather than what was in the air on one afternoon.
Mold byproducts (mycotoxins)
Some laboratories test dust or air for mycotoxins. These results are most useful when your healthcare provider has asked for them.
Bacterial markers
Endotoxins and actinobacteria, which often travel with long-term water damage and are missed by mold-only testing.
Chemicals and allergens
Volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde from materials and furnishings, plus common allergens such as dust mite and pet dander.
Testing describes a building, not a person.
What the results mean for your health is a question for your healthcare provider.
Honest limits
What testing can tell you, and what it cannot.
It can tell you
- What is present in the building, and where
- How indoor results compare with an outdoor baseline
- Where moisture is feeding a problem
- Whether conditions changed after work was done
It cannot tell you
- Whether a building is “safe” for you or anyone in your household
- Whether the building caused a symptom — that is a medical judgment
- A pass or fail: there are no generally accepted regulatory exposure limits for indoor mold
- Everything from one visit: a sample is a snapshot of one day
How it works
Four steps, done in order.
1
Inspect first
A credentialed professional looks at the building, maps moisture and decides what the sampling needs to answer.
2
Sample with a purpose
Samples are chosen to answer that question, with an outdoor or comparison sample collected at the same time.
3
Independent laboratory
Samples go to an independent laboratory accredited for that analysis, with chain-of-custody paperwork.
4
Results reported in full
You receive the laboratory report itself, not just a summary. With your written permission, it can go to your healthcare provider.
Laboratories
Laboratories HBIA works with.
These are independent laboratories HBIA works with. They are not the only good ones. Anyone testing your building can use any laboratory accredited for the analysis, and HBIA takes no referral fees from any laboratory.
Lis Biotech
Independent laboratory
Respirare Labs
Independent laboratory
Enthalpy Analytical
Independent laboratory
EnviroBiomics
Independent laboratory
Before you hire anyone
Six questions to ask whoever tests your building.
Whoever you hire, these answers tell you whether the results will be worth having.
1
Do you perform or sell remediation?
The person testing should not profit from the cleanup.
2
Do you pay or receive referral fees?
The answer you want is no, in both directions.
3
Which laboratory will analyze the samples, and is it accredited for this test?
For mold, look for AIHA-LAP accreditation under its EMLAP program.
4
Will you collect an outdoor or comparison sample?
Indoor numbers mean little without one.
5
Will I receive the full laboratory report?
Not just a summary or a score.
6
Will you tell me my home is “safe” or “mold-free”?
The honest answer is no. Be cautious of anyone who says yes.
These come from the conduct rules HBIA holds its own members to, published in full at Standards & Governance.
Who this page is for
Families
You suspect the building and want to know whether testing is worth it, and how to tell good testing from a sales pitch.
Healthcare providers
Physicians, nurse practitioners, biological dentists and veterinarians who want building findings documented so they can work from them.
Building managers
Schools, care facilities and workplaces where several occupants are raising concerns about the same space.
Not sure whether you need testing yet?
Tell us what is happening. We will tell you honestly whether testing would help, including when the answer is not yet.
Prefer to talk? 1-800-781-7986
About this page. This page is educational and names no testing equipment or brand. Naming a laboratory is not an endorsement of any test result, and use of any named laboratory is never required. HBIA does not perform remediation, does not sell products or laboratory analysis, and takes no referral fees.
Ownership disclosure. HBIA shares common ownership with AMOLDBUSTER and Apollo Environmental Solutions, which provide indoor environmental assessment and consultation services and perform no remediation. HBIA does not require, prefer or route anyone to those companies.
Not medical advice. HBIA is not a medical provider and does not diagnose, treat or interpret health status. Testing describes a building, not a person. All health decisions remain with licensed healthcare professionals.
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