Spore trap cassettes aren’t just for ambient air. When used creatively, they can help uncover hidden sources of mold by evaluating difficult-to-reach spaces or capturing particles that only become airborne when disturbed.

Advanced use cases include:

• Wall cavity sampling: Using a clear adapter tube, a spore trap cassette can be inserted into small holes in walls, under sinks, or behind baseboards. This is especially useful when there’s visual or olfactory evidence of hidden mold.
• Enclosed space testing: Cassettes can be used in closets, crawlspaces, HVAC plenums, or attic corners to capture spores in places not well-represented by room sampling.
• Disturbed air sampling: Take one sample during quiet conditions and a second after mild agitation (tapping surfaces, bumping cabinets, or running HVAC). This helps determine whether spores are being released into the air during normal activity.
• Comparative testing: Samples can be taken before and after remediation, or in areas with visible dust or musty odors, to gauge progress or confirm cleaning effectiveness.

Be aware of potential sampling challenges:

• False negatives may occur when testing calm air in clean-appearing rooms. Mold particles settle quickly—especially heavier species—so they may not be airborne at the moment of sampling unless intentionally stirred up.
• False reassurance can arise from sampling too few locations or sampling on a good day following recent cleaning or HVAC cycling.
• Wall cavity results must be interpreted carefully. A small spike in one cavity doesn’t always mean widespread contamination, but multiple elevated results may justify further inspection or limited removal.

Whenever possible, pair air sampling results with other methods (like surface or dust sampling) and consider the full history of water intrusion, health symptoms, and building design.