Moldlab

It's pretty basic, they mailed me a kit - I used it, sent it back and they emailed me the results.

It went well and I found out what I needed to know.

Have not used them to date - just writing review to get rid of constant pop-up on Angie's List. The company was fairly quick to send kits - not overly fast, but adequate. You can probably pick them up at Home Depot at a better price. Ended up not needing to use them.

We ordered a mold test kit (original consisting of 3 testers and 3 extra testers) to check our house for mold. Mold Labs answered all of my questions happily and also shipped it on time and got the results back to us through e-mail in less than two days. I was Happy with that. In today's service industry, it's refreshing to have someone to not only do their job, but do it quickly and efficiently. Nice job Mold Labs!

Worked fine, delivered as promised

These folks always do a great job-I've used them again and again and will do do in the future.

Very disappointed. When we placed the order, I called Moldlab and spoke to someone about including a wall adapter. She assured me one would come with the kit. We realized once we began the test no wall adapter was included, so I called right away. The woman I spoke with asked for my contact number and said she would look into the matter and call me back. She never did. Eventually we completed the test without testing the inside of the walls, which was the entire reason we purchased the kit. Later that day, after the test was mailed back, I saw someone emailed me through Angie's List instead of returning my phone call as promised. Very frustrating experience.

Once I got the results back I felt so much better about the house we were renting.

The product was paid and ordered but never arrived.

When we got the kit and the test equipment, we read the easy directions. We did 2 tests in the opposite ends of the house and one control test outside. We immediately mailed the equipment and the tests back to them. They evaluated the tests and sent us a report right away. It gave us a snapshot of what was going on at that point of time. They gave us the numbers of the different types of molds. We then went on the computer to get more information about the toxic types of molds and how to abate them. Based on their report, we took out part of a wall and discovered mold and termites. We are in the process of hiring a crew to fix these issues thanks to the mold tests! I would recommend Moldlab if you think you may have an issue with molds.

Great! Instructions were easy to follow, results ready on time and the explanations were great.

Sent instructions for collecting mold samples and analyzed our samples within a timely period of time. Very satisfied with his services.

The kit came with in a couple of days of our order. The instructions in the kit were easy to follow and the air testing only took about 45 minutes for three samples. When we called with questions, they responded quickly and professionally. We had forgotten that we had a limited time in which to do the air sampling and return the kit. Mold Lab did send us an email warning letting us know that if we delayed any longer, we would be charged extra. We appreciated the warning as it saved us extra cost. The due date was marked on the shipping box, but we had not noticed it. The kit was returned by US mail in the same box, and Mold Lab had supplied a return mailing label that we pasted over the original label. The results were returned to us in about 48 hours. The report was detailed and easy to understand. We know from the results that it is in our best interest to have the mold remediation professionally done rather than attempt to do it ourselves.

Easy to understand and get the desired results.

Envelope came back about 2 weeks later as return to sender for missing 12 cents of postage. I was in a rush to have the results, the decision to buy a house depended in part on them and the unprofessional way of dealing with it was a huge negative.

This was just a phone call but the woman who answered from MoldLab was super helpful with every question and concern I shared with her. The company only tests for mold and does not make home visits and it didn't matter to her - she talked with me for about 15 minutes and gave me a lot of great information about what steps I should take to make sure we take care of everything properly!

The mold test kit with information and return envelope arrived quickly. As it turned out, the problem area was observed and evaluated and determined to not be mold and the kit was not needed. I will be contacting Moldlab to inquire if the unused kit can be returned and a refund made.

This was unbelievably easy. After paying I promptly received a package with air machine and collection trays. Instructions were very easy to follow. Some people said they didn't know about taking a control sample outside but it was stated clearly on instructions. Package included a pre addressed , prepaid box for return. Received lab report via e-mail a couple of days after return. Easy to read and understand. If I could criticize anything it would be that package stated if not returned in 2 weeks there was a fine. I did not see this when I ordered or I would have timed it differently. Also, it would have been nice for someone ignorant about mold if there was some sort of explanation of what is considered high or dangerous as far as results go. All in all, a GREAT service for a fair price. Would do it again if need arises without hesitation

Got results: Cladosporium Hyphal fragments And the meaning: Cladosporium (clad-oh-spore-ee-um) ? common allergen / contaminant / very rarely pathogenic, found everywhere, many times the most common and numerous mold found in outdoor air. Indoor concentrations are usually not as high, but it is an important airborne allergen and common agent for hay fever, asthma, and other allergy related symptoms. It can thrive in various indoor environments, appearing light green to black Cladosporium can be found in most air samples most of the time. It is very common. Cladosporium is one of the type and here's the accompanying "definitions" that explain the results: Thank you for allowing Moldlab, Ltd. to process your samples. Please follow these easy steps: 1. Read your lab report 2. Read the glossary entry for each of the type(s) of mold listed on your report to learn of potential health effects associated with the type of mold detected in your sample 3. Review the FAQ found after the glossary to help understand the report. 4. Need more assistance understanding your report? Call us; we are here to help toll free 1-866-416-MOLD (6653) Monday through Friday 8-6pm. 1X=trace, less than 10 count 2X=minor, 10-20 count 3X=major, 20-50 count 4X=abundant, greater than 50 count Tape lifts/surface direct exams generally not used for quantitative analysis, rather are reported semi-quantitatively as a rating (trace, minor, major, abundant) so that one can have an idea of relative amount present. This test is primarily used qualitatively to identify the type of mold present. If results are negative (no mold detected), a bulk or swab culture of the material might be recommended to verify results because spores can be down inside porous material and can be missed by direct exam. Also, be aware that large surfaces can have multiple mold types spanning across it, and a single tape-lift might not be inclusive or representative of all the molds. *Diagnosis of health effects should be left to a medical professional. Health effects in general are not well studied, and dosage, exposure, and sensitivity thresholds are not well known and can potentially vary tremendously depending on various conditions and on the particular individual. Effects can also vary from species to species within a particular mold genus. The EPA, OSHA, NIOSH and other occupational health related associations in the U.S. have not yet established permissible exposure levels (PEL), recommended exposure limits (REL), or other limit values for aeroallergens. Please realize that the evaluation of one's specific results in terms of potential health hazards and subsequent courses of action are beyond the scope of the laboratory analysis. Those requiring expert advisement on a particular situation should retain the services of a professional IAQ consultant. Results apply only to samples tested. Results may not be reproduced except in full without prior written approval of Moldlab. License No: LAB0137 by the Texas Dept. of State Health Services. AIHA EMPAT ID No. 154782. Kristina Rucker is a Certified Spore Analyst Level 1 (ID No: 10040071) by the Pan American Aerobiology Certification Board. Analyst: Kelly Wood Lab Director: Kristina Rucker Frequently Asked Questions What does the rating system 1X-4X mean? 1X-4X is a visual estimate rating. 1X equals a trace amount and can be found in typical dust samples and a 4X rating of abundant tends to come directly from a source of the mold. For example, you saw mold growing on a piece of wood, you sent in a tape lift sample of it, the lab would probably send you back a report with a 4X rating of what ever type of mold was there. Conversely, if you had taken a sample of dust that had settled on a tabletop, you may get a report back with a 1X of several types of mold listed. It is normal for many types of mold to be airborne every day so it is not uncommon to find trace amounts in a typical dust sample. Keep in mind that there are numerous variables involved in interpreting lab results and attempting to make conclusions based solely on preliminary testing such as tape lifts is generally considered unreliable. What do I do now? If you receive a lab report back that lists abundant levels of types of mold that have adverse health affects associated with it, we usually recommend that air samples be taken. Of course each situation is different and air samples may not be necessary in all circumstances. Air sampling will tell you if that same mold the lab detected on your tape lift sample is airborne. Call us we may have a referral for in your area or you can find professionals on the Internet or look in your local phone book under labels/search criteria such as: Indoor Air Quality testing, Industrial Hygienist, Environmental Consultant, Mold Remediation, or check with your local health department. How do I get rid of it? Most molds are allergens and some may be toxigenic, so if you are going to disturb the mold with cleaning methods, you increase your chances of exposure to the particulate. That being said, mold clean up and disposal methods vary greatly from source to source and company to company. A good rule of thumb is that if the contaminated area is small and the material is non porous such as metal, it can be cleaned by traditional methods, taking care to use personal protective equipment. Porous materials on the other hand, such as wood, textiles, sheetrock etc. are difficult to clean because of the tiny microscopic holes in the material. The root type structures of the mold called hyphae/mycelia, can grow down into the holes and make it hard to clean effectively. The surface can appear to be wiped clean but as soon as the conditions are favorable the mold can start to grow again from the hyphae down inside the material. Is this the Black Mold? Usually when a customer asks this question he/she is referring to Stachybotrys, because that is the particular type of mold that received so much media coverage in the late 90?s and early 2000?s. Although Stachybotrys is black in color, so are many other types of mold. Also, you do not want to make the mistake and discount the importance of other types of mold that may be listed on your report. Just because you do not see the word or words Stachybotrys or Black mold on your report does not mean that there may not be a potentially harmful mold present. Please look up the type of mold detected on your report in our Mold Dictionary for a better understanding of the type of mold you are dealing with. There are many excellent resources for mold information on the Internet and we encourage you to educate yourself with information from as many different sources as deemed reasonable. Can we still live here? That is a difficult question to answer since there are no established ?safe? levels of mold and more importantly individuals have dramatically different resistances to mold. If you received test results back and after looking up those types of mold on our Mold Dictionary or used another resource and determined that there are some potentially harmful health affects associated with the mold, you should consult with your healthcare provider regarding further exposure. The following questions may help you answer that question. a) How wide spread is the contamination? Is it inside a cabinet? Or is it inside a wall cavity, or under the entire carpet pad? If it is a small area you can close/seal it off until it can be cleaned properly by a professional. If the contamination is wide spread or you do not know the extent of the contamination you should probably contact a professional in your area for advice. b) Do any of the occupants fall into the particularly susceptible group, like persons with existing respiratory disorders, the young, the elderly or the immune suppressed? If so, it is recommended to err on the side of caution and discontinue any possible exposure of these individuals. c) Is the mold airborne? Is the mold in an occupied area? If you received a lab report back from tape lifts and the types of mold listed have potential health affects associated with it, we recommend taking air samples. Having air samples taken will let you know if the mold you sent in on the tape lifts has contaminated the air. We highly recommend having an Exterior / outdoor sample taken at approximately the same time the interior samples are taken so you will know what is considered normal for your area this time of year. d) Have you been experiencing any health problems that you think may be due to mold exposure? Will it come back? It certainly can if the conditions are conducive to its growth. Different types of mold thrive in various conditions. Some types of mold grow in high moisture, some low, some like cellulose, some prefer decaying material, etc. For this reason it is easy to see how you can have one type of mold growing in the bathroom and yet another type growing in the kitchen or on a tree stump in the yard. As far as in your home, control of mold growth involves keeping the organic materials dry and keeping wet areas clean of organic dust/dirt/debris. What about my clothing, furniture etc.? Can these items be cleaned or do I need to throw everything out? If the item is a non-porous hard surface such as metal or plastic they typically can be cleaned. The tricky items are the porous materials like clothing and furniture and whether the mold was growing on it or the contamination was from settled spores. Was the item the source from which you lifted the tape sample? Or is the item simply in the same area or room of the contamination? Abbreviated Mold Dictionary (for full Mold dictionary, complete with color pictures, visit our website at www.moldlab.com) ***Diagnosis of a particular health effect should be left to a medical professional. Health effects in general are not well studied, and... Sorry, I have reached Angie's list character limit...

It really didn’t have any effect on us. I had to bring somebody in to do a complete inspection. It turned out that the results that the inspector sent was just a tiny part of the whole thing we had to get done with another company. He did what he said he was going to do. I got my $20 worth I guess but it just didn’t go anywhere. It alerted us to what was wrong but we had to go a really long way after that, so it was the very beginning of the whole process. Ultimately what the inspector had said is what we had but I wouldn’t bother with them in the future; I would just simply bring the inspector out and start right there.

they were prompt in sending me a test kit, notified me when they received my samples, when they would be done testing and when they would send a report. Very well done and communicated. Resulting report was very thorough. Would use them again for sure

It was fine. I had a good experience with it. They did what they said they were going to do. They were on time. It was a good price.

They were excellent and it was helpful.

We received the kit in the mail fairly quickly. The kit was not the easiest to use. The instructions were vague and incomplete. We sent them the kit with the mold samples in it. We never received a response from them. I don't have their contact information so I can't even figure out if they didn't receive our test kit, if they lost it, or what happened. Next time I'll hire an actual person to come and do the testing. Going to inexpensive route did not work at all. I would NOT recommend this provider.

The kit arrived quickly and was very easy to do the testing by following the enclosed instructions. I mailed back the test slides and the results were provided to me within 48 hours.