If there’s one thing we’ve got lots of in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, it’s snow. Lots of it. And any mold inspector can tell you that means two big red flags for respiratory health in communities like Marquette, Escanaba, Negaunee, and throughout the UP:
- Lots of time spent indoors. Our long UP winters force most Yoopers to hole up inside. Unless you’re a serious winter athlete-in-training your time outside will be limited. Indoor air in an Upper Peninsula home can easily become stale, stuffy, and full of unwanted particles in winter—from mold spores to animal dander and more.
- Moisture issues. Cold, snowy conditions can lead to ice damming and drainage problems in a home. These in turn can pave the way for water infiltration into your house—prime conditions for mold growth.
Needless to say, conditions such as these can seriously affect indoor air quality in Upper Peninsula homes. And there’s lots of hard evidence to prove that indoor air is more likely to be polluted than outdoor air, even in places where outdoor air pollution is a concern:
Putting your health at risk is no laughing matter. So, what’s a coughing, wheezing, stuck-inside-all-winter Yooper to do?
If you think your indoor air is causing respiratory problems in your household, the first thing to do is find out what’s really going on.
7 Common Types of Indoor Air Pollution
Your first step is to narrow down what might be causing your discomfort, so you know who to call to find out for sure. For most households in Ishpeming, Gwinn, Munising, and across the central UP, mold and particulate testing is all you’ll need. However, there are other things that can affect indoor air quality. Let’s take a look at the different types of air pollution and when you might want to test for each.
While not exhaustive, here are some of the main air quality issues often found and tested for in homes, and the issues they can cause:
Mold Spores
- Health effects: Allergic reactions, asthma, respiratory irritation, headaches
- Common in UP homes: Very common due to moisture from snow, ice dams
Airborne Particulates (dust, dander, pollen, etc.)
- Health effects: Allergic reactions, asthma, respiratory irritation
- Common in UP homes: Very common, especially during long winters indoors
Radon Gas
- Health effects: Lung cancer (long-term exposure)
- Common in UP homes: Moderate risk in many areas of the central UP
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
- Health effects: Headaches, dizziness, respiratory irritation
- Common in UP homes: Less common, usually from new construction or renovations
Carbon Monoxide
- Health effects: Headaches, dizziness, potentially fatal
- Common in UP homes: Risk near gas appliances, wood stoves
Smoke (tobacco, wood stove, fireplace)
- Health effects: Respiratory irritation, increased cancer risk
- Common in UP homes: Common in homes with wood heating
Asbestos Fibers
- Common in UP homes: Found in older homes built before 1980
- Health effects: Lung cancer, mesothelioma (long-term exposure)
As you can see, many of these issues have similar symptoms. Sometimes you may have good reason to suspect a particular cause of your health problems. For instance, if anyone in your household smokes or you have a wood stove and you are experiencing respiratory distress, smoke inhalation is a likely cause.
But more often, it’s a matter of sleuthing out what might be the problem amongst many possibilities.
What We Do and Don’t Test For
Here’s what we offer:
- Mold testing (our most popular service for Marquette County, Alger County, and Delta County homes)
- Mold testing with particulate analysis (our most comprehensive air quality assessment)
- Radon testing in portions of the central Upper Peninsula (contact us to find out if you live within our service area)
What we don’t test for:
- We currently do not offer asbestos testing. If you suspect you may have asbestos in your home, contact a contractor certified to test for asbestos in your area.
- Most of the time, you will know if you’re experiencing smoke or natural gas infiltration in your home, so there is no need for us to test for it. If these are causing problems for you, you are best off contacting an HVAC or wood stove professional.
- Carbon monoxide can be easily detected using a home carbon monoxide detector. We highly suggest installing these inexpensive units near any gas appliance.
- Mold and particulates are far more likely to be present in the typical UP home than VOCs. However, if you have good reason to suspect that volatile chemicals may be an issue, or if mold/particulate testing doesn’t reveal a problem, you’ll want to contact a VOC testing professional.
Mold Testing vs. Mold Inspection: Understanding Your Options
Here’s something that trips up a lot of folks: the difference between mold testing and mold inspection.
Think of it this way—mold testing analyzes your air to detect what you can’t see, while a mold inspection is a visual walk-through looking for obvious signs of trouble.
To be clear, a mold inspection is not a full-blown home inspection. Rather, it is a visual mold inspection where our mold inspector walks through the house looking for water-related issues and anything else that can contribute to mold, as well as actual visible surface mold. (Don’t worry – this is a visual inspection only. We won’t be drilling holes in walls or tearing up your carpet!)
Many times, however, mold is hiding somewhere out of sight. That’s why testing for mold is so important. We typically take three samples from various parts of your home (or two interior and one exterior sample in the summer months) and send them to a certified lab for analysis.
Our recommendation on mold testing vs. mold inspection?
For most families dealing with respiratory issues, mold testing (with or without particulate analysis) gives you the answers you need. We may include a basic visual check at no extra charge when we test if we think it’s warranted, but our focus is on getting you accurate lab results about what’s actually in your air.
Want the complete picture?
Consider bundling your mold testing with a full home inspection. You’ll get comprehensive air quality results plus a thorough assessment of your home’s overall condition—moisture issues, ventilation problems, and structural concerns that could be contributing to your air quality problems. So much more than mold inspection alone.
It’s like getting two services for the price of one-and-a-half, and you’ll have all the information you need to make smart decisions about your home and your family’s health.
Think You’ve Got Mold? Our UP Mold Inspector to the Rescue
Think you may be dealing with mold or particulate matter in your Escanaba, Iron Mountain, or Manistique home? That’s where UP Home Inspection comes in!
In just an hour or so (often less, plus a couple days for lab results), our certified mold inspector can test your home for the presence of mold and/or particulates in your indoor air, and let you know whether these are contributing to your problems.
If it’s just mold you want to test for, ask for our basic test. But mold isn’t the only thing that causes asthma or other respiratory problems. Adding the particulate test option will help us identify in far greater detail what’s floating around in your family’s air.
What to Expect From Your Mold Testing
In addition to detecting the presence of mold, the most important thing a mold inspector can do for you is determine whether the mold is active or not. Because virtually every house has traces of dead, inactive mold in it. You’ll have an area that got wet at one time and dried up; there’s no moisture so the mold is not active. Dried, dormant mold does not generally cause problems. It’s active, elevated mold counts we’re looking for. When we see a higher concentration of mold spores in a house we know we have active mold.
Mold Inspector Do’s and Don’ts: When to Call Us Vs. Someone Else
As your mold inspector, normally once we’ve delivered your test results, our part of the job is done. But for you, it’s just the beginning of solving your issue. So here are a few thoughts to help you tackle your next steps in clearing the air:
When to call us:
- If you’re not sure what the issue is, call us and tell us what you’re dealing with. If we think we can help, we’ll suggest scheduling a mold test and/or particulate test.
- If we suspect it’s something else such as VOCs, we may refer you to another company.
After you get your mold test results:
Once you’ve had your air tested, there’s little more a mold inspector can do to help (although we’re always here to answer your questions). Particulate and mold testing helps you identify exactly what’s in the air. Then once you know there’s an issue…
Your next step is to identify the source of the problem.
Mold could be in a wall, it could be in a ceiling, in a cavity, in the carpet—maybe all those things. So you start playing detective.
Some things are pretty obvious. For example, if you have a leaky roof with rot, you’ll likely find mold in the ceilings. Then you know you have to fix the roof or get a contractor to come in and scrub down the rafters, remove the insulation and scrub everything down, install new drywall, seal it up, and you’re good to go.
Same thing with particulates in the air. But sometimes, especially with particulates, there’s more nuance in figuring out the problem. What is causing the particulates? You start running through the scenarios. You start eliminating potential causes until you find the source of the problem.
Most homeowners are able to find the source of their mold problem pretty quickly. That’s why we don’t do a lot of full mold inspections in Marquette, Escanaba, or other areas of the U.P. But if you do find yourself running into trouble with hidden mold and just can’t figure out where your high mold count is coming from, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (906)360-3879 to discuss scheduling a mold inspection in your home.
Remediation: Fixing the Root Cause of Your Air Quality Problem
Will a HEPA filter take care of the problem? In some cases it may be that you can’t get rid of particulates in the air, but you could put one heck of an air filtration system in there and solve it that way. Unless you are very experienced in construction, at this stage of the game you are best off finding an appropriate contractor to help you resolve the issue.
There are companies in Ishpeming, Escanaba, and other U.P. communities that specialize in mold mitigation, radon mitigation, HVAC, general construction, and more. Once you have an idea what you’re dealing with, it’s time to call in one or more of these pros and have them give you a quote!
Ready to Breathe Easy? Let’s Get Started Today
Don’t spend another day wondering what’s in your air. Whether you’re in Marquette, Negaunee, Escanaba, or anywhere across the Upper Peninsula, our certified mold inspector is ready to help you get answers.
Here’s what happens next:
- Call or schedule online at (906) 360-3879
- Choose your service: Basic mold testing, mold + particulate testing, or bundle with a complete home inspection
- Get fast results: In most cases, you’ll receive results back in 2-4 business days after we send your samples to the certified lab
- Understand your results with a clear explanation of what we found and what it means for your family
Your family’s health is worth knowing the truth about your indoor air quality. Schedule your mold testing today and take the first step toward breathing easier in your UP home.
Schedule Your Mold Testing Now or call (906) 360-3879
Minor updates were made to this post in July 2025 to align with our current service terminology and offerings.
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Inside you’ll discover:
- Where mold hides in Upper Peninsula homes
- How to spot early warning signs before problems spread
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- When to call professionals (and when you can handle it yourself)
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Serving Marquette, Escanaba, Munising, Negaunee, and communities throughout the central and western U.P.
