Mould Guides & Insights
Plain-English guides from a working New Zealand mould laboratory
These guides are written by the people who analyse your samples. They draw on real samples, reports and site inspections from our New Zealand laboratory.
They explain what a mould test measures, how to read your report, what different moulds mean for your home and your health, what a mould assessment finds that a building inspection misses, and why cleaning alone so often fails.
Have a question about your own home? Get in touch, send a sample to our lab, or read how to take a tape lift sample (PDF).
Understanding Different Types of Mould — A New Zealand Laboratory Genus Guide
The common types of indoor mould in New Zealand, including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium and Stachybotrys, with our own microscope images of each...
Read more →
Smoke Smell in Your House After a Fire: What Testing Can (and Can't) Tell You
The smell and the residue are different problems. What soot, ash and char testing measures, what it doesn't, and when it's worth doing before you repaint, re-let or settle a claim...
Read more →
Your Neighbour Had a Fire: Is Smoke Residue in Your Home?
How smoke and soot travel between houses and apartments, the signs that residue got in, and how to test before anything is cleaned...
Read more →
Mould Air Testing in New Zealand: What a Spore-Trap Test Actually Measures
How a spore-trap air test is taken and read to ASTM D7391, why the outdoor reference sample is the whole point, and the situations in a home where air testing is the right tool...
Read more →
Mould Test Kits vs Professional Mould Testing in New Zealand
Petri dish kits grow whatever lands on them. A tape lift read under a microscope shows whether mould is actually growing. Which DIY kit is worth posting to a laboratory, and when to stop buying kits...
Read more →
How Much Does Mould Testing Cost in New Zealand?
Our published fees: $150 + GST for a post-in tape lift, $250 for a three-slide test kit, $800 to $1,200 for a residential assessment, and the five things that move the price...
Read more →
From the Field: What 3,000+ Spore Traps Tell Us About New Zealand Buildings
What we see in New Zealand buildings: hidden mould in modern airtight homes, new builds closed in while the framing was still wet, and how New Zealand compares with Australia...
Read more →
Wood Rot in New Zealand: The Fungi Behind Timber Decay
The fungi that actually rot New Zealand timber, what BRANZ's leaky-building research found, why the Serpula "dry rot" story doesn't match our lab results, and what a mushroom indoors tells you...
Read more →
How to Read Your Mould Test Report — A Lab's Guide to IICRC S520 Conditions
A walk-through of a real Scaada NZ test report: what Fs/cm² means, why the outdoor sample matters, and what each IICRC S520 condition rating (1, 2, 3) means for you...
Read more →
Why Bleach (and Vinegar) Don't Kill Mould — What We See in Lab Samples After DIY Cleanup
Why bleach and vinegar only clean the surface, what our lab finds on "cleaned" walls a few weeks later, and when to call in a certified remediator...
Read more →
What Mould Assessments Reveal That Property Inspections Miss
Real cases from pre-purchase inspections: decayed subfloor timber, a failed damp-proof membrane and water damage hidden under carpet...
Read more →
Mould and Your Health: Symptoms, Risks and Who Is Most Affected
The common symptoms of mould exposure, who is most sensitive, what different moulds mean for health, and when to see your GP...
Read more →