We own an 1890 farmhouse in Catskill, NY which we bought four years ago. At that time, the home inspector said nothing about mold and since then I haven't seen signs of it. Now all of a sudden my wife and I talk about it AS IF we have a problem. Our conversation started because a friend said she's allergic to mold and won't visit.

There are two areas of concern. Under a staircase, on an exterior wall, it's more humid than elsewhere and we put DampRid under there to absorb it...which seems to work pretty well. ALSO, in an upstairs carpeted small bedroom which we usually leave the door closed to since it's rarely used, it's always very musty. That room is adjacent to the bathroom. I haven't seen mold in EITHER area, under the aforementioned staircase or in the carpeted bedroom. I've read that mold exists in every house but how can I tell if I have a problem that might cause illness? I read that mold test kits aren't good and hate the idea of bringing in a pro if I don't have a problem. Our house is built on a dirt floor with a well-constructed concrete wall buffering against water flow from a hill on one side. It get's a bit wet down there but I don't even turn on the dehumidifier since there's so little actual water that comes in.

Any thoughts are appreciated!