Wellbuild FAQ

Can I buy the pump without the media or lab analysis?
No. If you want to test your home’s air, you need to send the media to the lab.

Why should I test my house for VOCs, Formaldehyde and mold?
If you have any suspicion of your home being the cause of your symptoms, or you are curious about what is in the air that you are breathing, you owe it to yourself to test for these things. VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) largely come from off gassing paint, carpets, wood, adhesives, or anything with a chemical compound in it. Many of these are very toxic. Formaldehyde will off gas for 15 years, and is in many household products. Mold can be toxic, and can grow undetected in your home, or your ventilation system.  You should try to avoid living with and breathing these things to maintain a healthy life.

How long does the process take?
Once you are comfortable with where you are going to test, the VOC test will have to run for about 90 minutes. Then the formaldehyde test will run for another 30 minutes. In the meantime, you could run all 4 of your mold samples in about 25-30 minutes. Figure you will spend less than 2 hours actually testing for a 2000 square foot house (you may have to test more for a larger building). Once you ship them to the labs, you should have the results back within 5 business days.

How often should I test my home for mold, VOCs and formaldehyde?
It depends on how sensitive you are to mold and chemicals. Once a year is a good amount for most people, but some like to do it more often. Checking for mold is a good idea if you suspect you have experienced any dampness somewhere in your home.

Are all kinds of mold dangerous?
As a rule of thumb, humidity-born molds are not harmful, but are an irritant. Whereas water-borne molds are toxic. Unfortunately, you don’t know what type of mold you may have unless you test. And if you are sensitive to mold (as a lot of people are), any quantity of any kind of mold can cause you major problems. (We offer local mold testing in Portland, Oregon but will offer a mold test kit for sale with the same support as our IAQ test kit).

What symptoms might I be experiencing if I have poor indoor air quality?
After years in this industry, we have seen a wide range of issues caused by poor indoor air. Asthma-like symptoms, skin irritation, headaches, body aches, runny or dry nose and eyes, coughing, trouble concentrating, sneezing, congestion, dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue and nausea ar just some of the symptoms you may be experiencing if you are breathing contaminated air.

Is there ever a false positive? How accurate are your tests?
There can not be a false positive. Assuming you follow our instructions for collecting samples, they should be as accurate as they can be. We take the time to instruct you and answer your questions prior to you starting testing. The labs you will be sending them to are accredited labs that meet the highest standards in the industry, and the reports they send back are the professional reports we have been using for years now. While it is never possible to reach 100% accuracy, these tests will give you a very good idea exactly what is going on in your environment.

What steps should I take before testing to ensure my results are accurate?
We will instruct you to (if possible) leave your doors and windows closed for about 24 hours before testing. Going inside and outside is fine, we simply don’t want the interior to be contaminated by the outside air. Also, don’t dust or do a heavy cleaning for a few days before you test. You could kick up dust that could contaminate the mold test, and your cleaning products will show up in a higher concentration than what you would normally be breathing.

Why do I need to take another outdoor sample every time I test for mold?
We are not shooting for a cleanroom! The outside mold sample will tell you what type of environment the house is in. The inside numbers should be equal to or less than the outside numbers. It is important to test outdoors every time you test for mold, because the numbers in the environment fluctuate greatly based on the time of year, direction of the wind, proximity to a mold source, and many other factors.

Should I test again after going through the remediation process?
If you are remediating your house, it is always a good idea to do a test a few days after to make sure the job was done properly.

Why should I use WellBuild Labs?
WellBuild Labs has been professionally testing indoor air for years. We noticed that the DIY tests were lacking in several areas, particularly  in transparency and professionalism. We know we are not the cheapest solution. But if you chose us, you will get experienced professionals to walk you through the process, and answer any questions you may have, as well as detailed professional reports which we will help you make sense out of. In short, we offer exactly what you would get if you hired a professional, for hundreds of dollars less.

What is the difference between your services, and the DIY kits I can get at the hardware store?
Those tests are very rudimentary, and don’t go into the same type of detail our tests do. They can identify VOCs, Formaldehyde and mold, but they can’t tell you how much is there, or exactly what it is. You get what you pay for. 

What is the difference between your services, and hiring a local professional to come and test for me?
Our test kits allow you to save hundreds of dollars without sacrificing the quality of the information and results given by hiring a local professional. You can skip all of the scheduling and do the test on your own time.

Which rooms in my house should I run the tests in? 
Any room where you have a sensitivity, or where you spend a lot of time. Or anywhere you want to be sure is not contaminated.

Are there additional fees for lab analysis?
No. There are no additional fees for anything you will do when you order a testing kit. The only additional fees will be if you want to test again down the road. We will sell you the testing media at cost, and charge what the lab charges. We aren’t making a living on you deciding to test again.

What will the entire process cost me?
If your home or workplace is a single story, and 2000 square feet or less, the entire cost is $495. Multiple stories, or larger spaces may require more media and/or more pumps. If you get in touch with us, we can add those costs in, and be sure to send you all that you need. We believe being upfront about all the costs is the best policy. Everything is included in the price we quote.

How often do I need to change the batteries?
We recommend changing the batteries on the VOC/Formaldehyde pump before you use it for another round of tests. Batteries can and do go bad. 

Will the results stand up in court?
Yes. However, if you believe the case could result in litigation, I would hire an air quality professional to take the samples, so there is no question about the integrity of the test that you took. It may also be an issue if you have to testify as an expert witness. It is always better to be safe than sorry in court.

What if I have additional questions about my results after receiving my consultation?
You are, and will always be a client and as such you are welcome to contact us with any questions by email or phone.

What if I want to do additional tests? 
You may purchase additional media with lab processing for the tests you want to perform in our online store. The pump is reusable so it is cheap and easy to run additional tests.

Can I return the pump?
If your pump is defective, or not working get in touch with us. We will replace it. Otherwise, you keep the pump for future uses.

What if I don’t understand something, or I have a question?  
Feel free to contact us by phone at 503-386-2003 or by email at info@designwellstudios.com with any questions or further clarifications.