There has been flooding or other significant water damage in the home.
Checking for mold inside walls.
Look for patches of mold in colors ranging from white to orange and green to brown and black.
A quick test for mold can be done when you dip a swab in diluted bleach 1 part bleach 16 parts water and dab it on the wall.
Look for discolored patches on walls furniture and carpeting.
A top of the line home mold testing kit should include.
Most mold is unmistakable but sometimes small or largely hidden growths just make a surface look dirty.
Check for speckled or cottony growth on walls especially near water damaged surfaces.
It is recommended that you check in several places since you might miss small amounts of mold if you only look inside the wall in one spot.
While home mold testing kits are simple to use they only capture samples in the air and on exposed surfaces.
They aren t intended to detect mold inside walls but they can provide a starting point for diy mold removal.
The only way to know for sure if there is mold in walls is to look.
If the spot quickly lightens or keeps coming back after cleaning assume it s mold.
You should suspect mold in your walls if.
The following are some of the most common spots for mold to grow undetected and therefore smart locations to test for mold.
Behind your refrigerator beneath stacks of newspapers or cardboard behind the drywall in wall stud spaces that contain plumbing lines below sinks behind the wallboard around.
You smell a definite musty odor in the room but can t see any mold in this case check air ducts for mold as well.
You may also see furry growth and black stains.
Growth medium that serves as a base for tested samples.