In Smyrna, a mold test is worth paying for when there's a specific question to answer, such as whether a musty room hides growth or whether a cleanup was finished properly. Before anyone samples, stop the water and dry the area, because no lab report fixes a leak. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local mold inspector in Smyrna.
Smyrna at a glance
Smyrna is a Rutherford County town about 19 miles from Nashville, best known for the Nissan assembly plant, with arms of Percy Priest Lake inside town limits and the Stones River and Stewarts Creek nearby. Most homes are on the newer side, but about one in five houses in the 37167 ZIP was built in 1979 or earlier, and close to four in ten occupied units are rented. Older plumbing and tired crawl spaces tend to be where a test turns something up.
What to do before anyone takes a sample
- Stop any active leak: a drip under a sink, a backed-up AC condensate line, a gutter spilling against the foundation.
- Dry the area and bring humidity down. The Tennessee Department of Health warns mold can start growing within 48 hours of flooding.
- Decide what you want answered. "Is there hidden growth behind this wall?" is a good question; "what kind of mold is this?" rarely changes the plan.
- Don't scrub, bleach or paint the spot, and skip running air purifiers in the room before an air test.
- If you rent, notify the landlord in writing. Smyrna Building Safety's Property Maintenance division takes reports through the My Smyrna app or Report an Issue when repairs stall.
What you notice and what's usually behind it
| What you see | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Odor that's worse after the house is closed up for a weekend | Hidden growth in a wall, crawl space or closet with poor airflow |
| Spotting on the ceiling under a bathroom | Leaking tub drain or toilet seal above |
| Dark lines along baseboards on an outside wall | Cold wall surface and high indoor humidity |
| Musty air from the vents when the AC kicks on | Condensation at the air handler or on ducts |
| Soft, stained subfloor near the water heater | Slow leak from the tank or its fittings |
Cost factors
Angi reports a national range of about $250 to $500 for a mold test. Middle Tennessee prices vary, and the final number depends on how many indoor samples are needed, the outdoor control sample, any wall-cavity samples and the lab turnaround. Paying for one well-placed sample beats paying for six random ones, so ask the tester to explain each sample before it's taken. Angi also suggests using a different company for testing than for removal.
Mold Testing questions in Smyrna
Air sample or surface sample: which do I need?
How should I get the house ready for air sampling?
Are the mold test kits sold at hardware stores worth using?
Should the company that tests also do the removal?
More mold services in Smyrna
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