Surface Testing .

Surface mold testing collects samples directly from visible growth using clear adhesive tape-lifts or by removing a small bulk sample of the affected material. The sample is analyzed by direct microscopy at an accredited laboratory.

Surface sampling answers a different question than air sampling. Where air sampling tells you what is in the breathable air, surface sampling tells you exactly what is growing on a specific surface — and at what density. Arnold Mold Inspection uses tape-lift sampling for finished surfaces and bulk sampling when material is loose, friable or being removed.

Lab analysis identifies common indoor mold genera including Stachybotrys, Chaetomium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Alternaria and Ulocladium, and rates the density of spores and structural elements (hyphae, conidiophores) observed. The presence of growth structures — not just settled spores — confirms active or recent colonization at that location.

Surface results inform whether visible discoloration is mold, mildew or simply staining, and which species are present. Because Arnold Mold Inspections does not sell remediation, our interpretation is independent: when the data does not warrant remediation, we say so.