Visual inspection and moisture checks
We look at bathroom exhaust venting, attic ventilation, crawl space vapor barriers, window sills, and any area with a known past leak, then use a moisture meter to tell whether the material is still wet or merely stained from an old, resolved leak.
When air testing is worth the cost
Lab-verified air testing earns its cost mainly in three situations: real estate transactions, a persistent musty smell with no visible source, or an occupant with mold-sensitive allergies. Small, obvious problems can usually move straight to remediation without testing.
The problem with DIY petri-dish kits
Store-bought petri-dish kits react to spores that are always present in normal air, so they almost always show something and cannot distinguish a real problem from background levels. A professional inspection with moisture readings can.