Mold Testing Methods

Mold Testing Procedures

For more information on mold testing techniques, please visit:

[List of Mold Inspector Links] [Do-it-yourself Mold Products and Services] [Lift Tape Instrucions] [Chain of Custody Form] [Mold Test Interpretation] [Mold Testing Laboratory] [Physical Mold Samples] [Test Instructions] [Mold-In-Water-Testing]

Lift Tape Sampling

Each lift tape lift tape sample location testing procedure only takes a few minutes, whether you take the sample immediately (sort of like a “camera snapshot picture”) of existing mold contamination
as of the moment of testing, or whether you utilize the more comprehensive and special 24 hour test duration per location mold testing protocol that was developed and perfected by mold expert Phillip Fry. Please read lift tape instructions. Most alternative mold testing (such as air sampling) only captures mold spores that are deposited/landed in the mold testing device/media in a very short time duration such as 5 to 15 minutes. Because workplace or home occupants breathe in airborne mold spores for long durations (such as during the workday at one’s place of employment or business) or while living and sleeping in one’s home, condo, or apartment, Fry’s special 24 hour test duration mold testing protocol provides a much more realistic insight into the true mold dangers that might be existent in your workplace or residence wherein you don’t just stay for 5 to 15 minutes.

Testing 10 or more rooms and areas (both horizontal and vertical surfaces), and heating/cooling ducts and registers produces the most thorough, accurate, and comprehensive mold testing to learn the true extent of possible mold infestation in your home or other building.

Most professional mold inspectors prefer to mold test at least 15 to 50 different locations (at $75 to $125 per test conducted, plus a home or building inspection fee of hundreds of dollars!) in a home or other building---provided that the client can afford to do so.

How? By following the detailed, in depth, easy-to-use lift tape instructions.

► use the “lift tape sampling” mold testing instructions with one inch wide by three inch long, clear “Scotch” brand or similar sticky tape to collect mold samples at ten different locations in your home, condo, apartment, office, or commercial building, including one or more heating/cooling duct registers, plus an outdoor mold control test location. Record the details of each mold sampling test location on the Lift Tape Sampling Chain of Custody Form, which you can print out now from this website, or use the copy emailed to you when you place your order.

►measure the width and length of each room or other indoor horizontal and vertical surface area that you mold test, and then record each tested room/area’s measurements on the emailed Chain of Custody that you use to record the location of each of your collected lift tape mold samples.

►mail the collected mold samples, along with your Chain of Custody, to the our lab, whose closest lab address to you is provided on your mold lab payment receipt when you pay for mold lab analysis at Mold Mart.

        ●Mold verification: whether or not each of the lift tape samples you have submitted contains mold spores/colonies.

        ●Mold quantification: for each sample containing mold spores/colonies, how many different types of mold spores/colonies, plus the number of mold spores/colonies for each different type of mold spore. If you would also like to know the precise mold species of each discovered mold spore/colony, please also order the Mold Species Identification service below (US$75 additional lab analysis fee to do mold species identification for a total of 10 lift tape samples).

        ●Total mold spores/colonies projected/estimated for each entire room or area of each collected mold sample. This is calculated by the mold lab from the mold spore/colony counts of each sample and the room/area measurements you have submitted on your Chain of Custody.

Hidden Moisture Meter
Use a hidden moisture detector to check for elevated moisture levels inside construction timbers, new home construction framing, walls, floors, ceilings, bathroom areas, kitchen area, laundry room, attic, basement, etc.
Wood is considered dry at 16 to 17% moisture content. In the photo on the left, the hidden moisture meter detects that the wood framing in the closet has a moisture content percentage of 22.8, evidencing a moisture problem that can cause mold to grow on and in the timbers.

The photo was taken by Certified Mold Inspector Hank Taylor.

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