Room-by-room meter readings; monitor placed if overnight sampling
Indoor Air Quality Testing in the Denver Metro
VOCs, particulates, carbon dioxide, humidity and allergens, measured in the rooms where you will actually live. For families with kids, asthma, or a bad feeling about the basement.
Sampling in a bedroom · where you spend eight hours a day
What it is, and why it matters here
Tight houses, dry air, and a lot of new carpet.
Front Range homes are built tight for the climate, which means whatever is inside stays inside: off-gassing from new finishes, combustion byproducts from furnaces and gas ranges, dust from forced air systems, and humidity that is either too low or trapped in a basement.
An indoor air quality test measures those directly and tells you whether ventilation, filtration or a specific fix is the answer. It pairs naturally with mold testing when the question is "is this house healthy to live in."
Parameters
6+
VOCs, PM2.5 and PM10, CO₂, CO, temperature and humidity. Allergen panel optional.
Sampling time
1–24hours
Spot readings during the inspection, or a monitor left overnight.
Report
2–4days
Same day for meter readings; lab-analyzed panels take longer.
New construction note
New homes often test highest for VOCs in the first year. A reading before closing sets a baseline and tells you how hard to ventilate.
How the test works
Measure where you breathe, compare to guidelines.
Readings are taken room by room with calibrated meters, with optional lab panels for allergens and specific compounds.
Day 0
Day 1
Monitor retrieved, lab samples shipped if ordered
Days 2–4
Report with readings against EPA and ASHRAE guidelines
- 1 Walkthrough and source survey
Combustion appliances, attached garage, new finishes, humidifiers and swamp coolers, filter condition.
- 2 Meter readings
VOC, particulate, CO₂, CO and humidity in bedrooms, living areas and basement.
- 3 Optional lab panels
Allergen, formaldehyde or specific VOC analysis by an accredited lab.
- 4 Report
Each reading against published guidelines with the likely source and the practical fix.
If readings are elevated
Most air quality problems have a mechanical fix.
Elevated readings almost always trace to ventilation, filtration or a specific source. The report names which.
1
Ventilation
Bath fan routing, range hood, fresh air intake. Often the whole answer in a tight house.
2
Filtration
Filter grade and HVAC runtime for particulates; standalone units where ductwork cannot reach.
3
Source removal
Sealing the garage door, replacing a failing furnace, or simply time for new finishes to off-gas.
Indoor air quality questions
Is this the same as mold testing?
No. Those test for one thing each. IAQ measures the general mix. Many buyers order all three on an older or finished-basement home.
Can it be added to a home inspection?
Yes. Spot readings happen during the inspection; overnight monitoring adds a pickup.
What about allergens?
An optional lab panel covers dust mite, pet dander, cockroach and pollen.
Will it tell me if the house makes my kid's asthma worse?
It will tell you what is in the air and where it comes from. Share the report with your pediatrician.
Do you test for asbestos or lead?
Not as part of IAQ. Justin can point you to licensed specialists.
How do I prepare the house?
Normal living conditions. Do not air it out beforehand.
Want to know what you are breathing before you move in?
With your inspection or standalone. Open 7 days a week.
Inspections performed by Justin Kast, A+ Home Inspections, LLC.