Art of Assessment: Professional Techniques for Mould Detection

Mould can easily evade detection as it tends to grow and thrive in difficult-to-see areas, like on the ceiling, underneath wallpaper, behind furniture, and beneath floorboards.

Exposure can cause serious health problems, ranging from an allergic reaction to respiratory infections, so it must be removed as soon as possible to protect people’s health.

ICE Cleaning is a professional cleaning company that offers thorough, long-lasting mould removal services. It is a corporate member of Dewpoint Professional, and its technicians are available nationwide, day and night, 365 days a year.

Keep reading to learn about the different techniques that professionals use for mould detection.

Air sampling

This consists of taking samples of airborne spores and dust with a spore trap, negative pressure pump, or air sample cassette.

The technique is used to find out the type of mould that is airborne in the property. It can also tell you how much mould is growing there but it cannot tell you where the mould is coming from.

Surface sampling

This technique involves sampling and testing mould growing on surfaces in different areas of a property. Professionals may use tape lifts (where the adhesive side of tape is pressed on the surface to pick up mould) or swabs to collect the mould for analysis.

They may also use bulk samples, which is when a section of material infected with mould is cut out and then analysed.

This quick sampling method is best for small patches of visible mould. However, it is not that useful for large areas or scattered patches of mould.

Visual mould detection

This is when mould experts locate areas of mould growth. They can use a range of different tools to do this including:

• Infrared cameras which pick up mould-friendly conditions, like damp patches
• Moisture meters which detect moisture pockets
• Borescope cameras which show you inside very small, concealed locations
• UV lights which, when shone on mould, turn bright white

These visual inspections can help you uncover the cause of the mould and find hidden growths in your property, but cannot tell you if there are spores in the air, nor what kind of mould is growing.

Once the mould experts know the kind of mould growing in your home, what is causing it, and how much is growing, they can devise the optimal treatment for your specific situation. They can even advise on how best to prevent it in the future so you can keep your home mould-free.

ICE Cleaning also offers a lifetime guarantee* with every mould remediation so if it grows back, its mould specialists will return to site and remove it for free.

To learn more about ICE Cleaning and its range of cleaning services, click here.