Mold Testing in Crosby, TX

Is my Crosby house at risk of hidden mold?

Any home in this climate can be. Crosby is a small unincorporated community in east Harris County, about 25 miles from Houston, that grew from an 1820s settlement into a railroad shipping point for lumber and farm goods. Heavy rain is the local wild card: in an October 2015 storm the Harris County Flood Control District measured about 13 inches of rain, and businesses at a Crosby shopping center had more than four inches of water on their floors. Water that sits on flooring or soaks into the base of walls for more than a day or two can start growth that stays out of sight. Add attic AC equipment that sweats through a long summer and it's easy to see why a musty smell sometimes has no visible source.

What will a test actually tell me?

An air sample, compared with one taken outdoors, shows whether the indoor spore mix looks unusual. A swab or tape sample identifies what is growing on a specific surface. What a test cannot do is give you a pass or fail number: EPA notes there are no federal limits for mold spores. Lab reports are judged by comparison and by what the assessor finds during the walk-through, so the inspection matters as much as the samples.

Who is allowed to test, and what comes next?

You can sample your own home, but anyone you hire must hold a TDLR mold assessment license, which you can verify on TDLR's license search. If the results show growth that needs professional removal, that same assessor writes a remediation protocol, and a separate company holding a TDLR mold remediation contractor license does the work. Texas law does not allow one company to do both on the same project. After the work, the assessor returns for a post-remediation assessment.

One local note

Crosby has no city hall, so rebuilding after a mold project, such as replacing drywall or framing, goes through the Harris County Office of the County Engineer's Residential Group, and floodplain properties face extra requirements there. For rental problems in unincorporated areas, Harris County Public Health's Neighborhood Nuisance program takes reports of unsafe or unsanitary buildings and standing water through Harris County 311.