Updated Apr. 29, 2024
If you've got mold in your house, choose one of these test kits to determine what kind of mold you've got so you can effectively get rid of it.
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A test kit is a great way to begin the battle against household mold, but mold in your home shouldn’t be handled the DIY way. If you see spores in your home, it’s best to call in a professional to get to the route of the issue and help you find a solution. Immediate steps should be taken for removal and remediation; there’s no need to test the affected area yourself. However, if you suspect you might have a mold issue but haven’t seen any visible signs yet, an at-home test kit is a good first step. But not all mold test kits are worth the money. The ones we mention here perform well. If you’re serious about dealing with mold, perform a test and let the results guide your remediation efforts.
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The Mold Inspection Network test kit is for surface testing of visible mold only, not airborne spores, and it includes everything you need for three tests. The purpose of this kit is to identify the type and concentration of mold organisms. Collect samples, send them off for testing and then wait for the lab results. Consultation with mold experts is included in the price for all U.S. states except Texas.
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This at-home air pump mold test kit by MyMoldDetective is perfect for testing your indoor air for mold. It comes with one outdoor sampling cassette and three indoor cassettes that you pop into the air pump to test your air and get results. It’s quick and easy to use and gives accurate results. To get results you’ll need to send your collected samples into a lab. Note that each sample is going to cost $39 and you’ll also have to pay for postage.
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This high-end Healthful Home test kit comes with an air sampling pump and the supplies needed to complete three tests. Similar to professional mold kits, the pump draws indoor air into the system for sample collection. The test will give you results in five minutes. If you want a more detailed report of your results, you can send a sample to a lab for an additional fee.
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Complete with a petri dish and mold-growth medium, this Mold Armor kit is suitable for testing indoor air, ventilation systems and surface areas that show visible mold growth. This kit shows the presence of mold after being exposed to the air, but a $40 test fee is required to find out what kind of mold you’ve got.
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The Immunolytics test kit allows you to pick how many petri dishes you want in your kit. It ranges from one dish to ten easily allowing you to buy exactly what you need depending on how many rooms you want to test for mold in your home. The instructions are easy to follow and there are also online tutorials showing you how to test and analyze your results. There’s also a free phone consultation to help you understand your results.
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This simple Pro-Lab kit is made for testing airborne, surface and bulk samples. It shows the presence of mold, but you have to pay a $40 lab fee and ship off your sample to find out what kind of mold you’ve got. Sample results are available online in seven days (three if you put a rush on it). The lab analysis service is only available in the U.S. and Canada.
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If you know that your home is mold-free, but want to prevent anything from growing in the future, the Airthings 4200 House Kit is the perfect solution. It monitors the air inside your home for radon, mold risk, humidity and VOCs. The first step to avoiding mold is preventing the conditions that allow it to grow. If this kit detects conditions that are conducive to mold (high humidity and warm temperatures) it will send you an alert. This allows you to get to the root of the problem before mold starts to grow.
As we mentioned earlier, the presence of mold in your home isn’t something that should be taken lightly. If you notice mold growth or spores anywhere in your home, call a professional to take a look and offer you a plan for remediation. If you want to perform a DIY test during your appointment with a professional or don’t see any visible spore but suspect there may be mold growth, an at-home kit is a great option. Consider these factors before picking out a mold test kit that suits your needs.
I’m a DIY expert who’s covered various topics for Family Handyman readers. My carpentry work and skills have allowed me to understand what homeowners need to look for in the products they buy. I understand the impact a major home repair for mold remediation can have on people, and I use that knowledge to guide my recommendations.
When selecting the mold test kits, we began by researching a wide range of available options, considering factors such as accuracy, ease of use and price point. We also looked for mold kits that catered to specific user needs, including air testing, surface testing, outdoor testing and monitoring, ensuring a diverse selection that could accommodate various homeowners. To narrow down our choices, we analyzed customer reviews to understand the real-world performance of each mold test kit.
At-home mold test kits are an inexpensive and fairly simple way to test for mold in your house, but there are a few things to consider before you test because mold shouldn’t be taken lightly. Yes, mold test kits can detect mold, but they don’t always show the full picture. They typically can only pick up on surface mold and won’t be able to tell you what’s happening behind walls or in areas that aren’t accessible. It can also sometimes be tricky to interpret the test results; false negatives or positives are always possible. The bottom line is to use a mold test kit to get you started. If you suspect larger mold issues throughout your living space, contacting a professional mold inspector is best. They have more tools and expertise to help you reach the issue’s root.
Professional mold inspectors start with a visual assessment of your home. They look for visible mold, water damage or areas of high humidity to determine what steps or tests to use next. Inspectors test the air for mold, moisture and humidity. They test surfaces where mold growth is detected and often use tools such as thermal imaging cameras and boroscopes to understand better what is happening behind walls or in HVAC systems. All this information helps them build a remediation plan to remove the mold if necessary.
Opening up drywall seems like the only way to uncover mold growth. This creates a big mess and disturbs the mold. A few things indicate mold behind drywall. The more obvious signs are visible mold growth, peeling paint or wallpaper and water stains or discoloration. Other signs of mold behind drywall are musty odors or persistent respiratory issues. If you’ve noticed any of these, order a mold test kit and take steps toward remediation.
Originally Published: May 08, 2020
