is the air In Your Home Safe?

There are a variety of different methods you can use to test for mould in your home that range in pricing and sampling time. When deciding on what testing to pursue, remember your objective and the data you are interested in.

A young family playing with their child in their home.

Trusted by businesses & CUStomers across the UK

A scientist analysing a sample through a microscope in a laboratory.
data-driven testing

take the guesswork out of it

Our mould tests provide the data to understand the following:

  • If mould is present
  • The severity of the mould problem (spore count per m3)
  • The mould strains present
  • The context and points of comparison to understand the results above

The results of your air tests are fed into a personalised dashboard designed to help you understand the data through intuitive visuals. Our air tests provide fact-based insight into the health of the home, the cleanliness of its airspaces and if any mould remediation is required.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Mould Testing Options

There test we recommend typically depends on your objectives, budget and use-case. Read more below:

A white vectorised graphic of a cultured petri dish.

Viable Test

This test captures mould spores in a mould trap. Captured spores are then cultured on a growth medium (i.e Petri dish). Any living (viable) spores reproduce and grow and the species are identified and recorded.

An icon of a microscope above an explanation of our mould and air quality testing which are analysed in a laboratory.

Non-Viable Test

This test also captures mould spores in a mould trap. Whether alive (viable) or dead (non-viable), the captured spores are analysed. The genera (types) of the captured mould spores are identified and recorded. The spore count per cubic metre is calculated, giving an indication as to the scale of the growth and risk to health.

vOC Test

A sample of air is collected and a vast array of airborne contaminants are collected. They are then analysed and any byproducts of any indoor mould growth (mVOCs) and other indoor pollutants (VOCs) commonly found indoors as a result of building materials and a wide range of household and lifestyle products are recorded. This gives an indication of overall indoor air quality.

A white vectorised graphic of a strand of DNA.

QPCR Test

This test uses a dust sample collected from the property. The dust is analysed using a DNA-based method called MSQPCR. All mould DNA, viable and non-viable, is identified and recorded and the ratio of water-damage mould species and common indoor mould species is calculated to provide an indication of unhealthy mould conditions.

Our Verdict

A photograph of a scientist's gloved hands holding a petri dish with visible mould growth.

Viable Test

Pros
  • Identifies spore genus of living, colony-forming mould spores captured in your air.
  • Identifies specific species of mould within a genus
Cons
  • Not all captured species will grow in a lab or in the limited timeframe, meaning inaccurate data.
  • Doesn't look at dead (non-viable) mould - more lost data.
  • More expensive than non-viable test.
A machine used to capture air samples in order to send them for analysis.

Non-Viable Test

Pros
  • Cheapest way of ascertaining if a mould problem exists and its severity.
  • Uses alive (viable) and dead (non-viable) mould spores as data points.
  • Affordability means funds can be focused on addressing the issue.
Cons
  • Not as much detail provided as an ERMI or VOC test.
  • Does not map species, just genus (unlike Viable Test).
A photograph of a scientist's gloved hand inserting a capped sample tube into a rack alongside others.

VOC & mVOC Test

Pros
  • Records mVOCs present to identify mould.
  • Records VOCs present to identify other contaminants (chemicals & compounds emitted within the house).
  • Cheaper than ERMI test.
Cons
  • Not all captured species will grow in a lab or in the limited timeframe, meaning inaccurate data.
  • Doesn't look at dead (non-viable) mould - more lost data.
  • More expensive than non-viable test.
A highly-detailed, computer generated reconstruction of DNA, extremely close up.

qpcr Test

Pros
  • Highly specialised PCR technology (used by the police) to profile DNA.
  • A breakdown of species present and if the source is outdoor or indoor.
  • An indication of which building materials have been affected.
  • An indication of the moisture levels in the property.
  • It indicates when the mould was actively sporulating.
Cons
  • More expensive than our non-viable mould testing.
already got mould?

get a quote for mould remediation

Already know you've got mould? Our innovative, patented mould remediation technology is truly market leading. We eradicate mould with our dry fog sterilant, our technicians remove any visible mould colonies and we lay down our anti-microbial film on all surfaces, creating an inhospitable environment for mould subsequent to our treatment.​​

Leave us your details using the button below and our quick response team will get back to you. Our in-house experts will talk you through our services, pricing and will tailor a treatment plan based on your unique circumstances.

A photograph of one of our technician's in the process of applying our antimicrobial film to a customer's walls to stop mould regrowth.