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Professional testing of Mold or Lead or Asbestos can be expensive. I just found some home testing kits that require you to take and submit samples.

Are these a good cost savings approach with adequate results or should I consult professionals?

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    Reasoned advice on mold is available from the feds (eg, epa.gov/mold/mold-cleanup-your-home). Mold removal companies tend to be alarmists and even uninformed. What makes you think you need to test for mold?
    – Yehuda_NYC
    Commented Jun 27, 2016 at 15:46
  • I see some water damage in our garage...the bottom part of some walls... I know that there are some asbestos vent pipes in the attic based on internet research of transite flue pipes. We live in a house that is built in 1939 so there's probably lead paint.
    – milesmeow
    Commented Jun 28, 2016 at 6:20
  • I've removed your answer from your question. Please post it as a proper answer if you like. The information is in the edit log.
    – isherwood
    Commented May 3 at 17:50

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Seems reasonable to me. IMO, if you are able to send samples to a lab, that is going to be more precise and certain than any kit you could apply in the field.

The only thing I don't like about it is that it creates a third-party record, which means now you must engage any formalities of dealing with those things, and the formalities can be more annoying and expensive than the actual work.

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  • This is the kit: certifiedkit.com/product/lead-mold-and-asbestos-testing-kit. There is the Chain of Custody included with the kit. Is that the formalities that you're talking about?
    – milesmeow
    Commented Jun 26, 2016 at 7:40
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    No, I'm talking about what the government might require to clean them up.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Jun 26, 2016 at 9:42
  • To clean up after the positive detection?
    – milesmeow
    Commented Jun 28, 2016 at 5:42
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    Very minor risk for a very short period of time, @MattS
    – FreeMan
    Commented May 3 at 18:04
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    @manassehkatz-Moving2Codidact You're right that it can generally be covered up and ignored. I don't know of any "formalities" involved in "dealing with" asbestos in that way. We're referring to removal and disposal here. FreeMan, I would neither recommend that an amateur remove asbestos, and I'm quite sure that the garbage sorters at my local facility would not appreciate unlabeled and unprotected asbestos entering their facility. While asbestos risk is dose dependent, there is no safe exposure level.
    – Matt S
    Commented May 3 at 18:45

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