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This document gives advice on how to find, test for, remove & prevent mold in marble tiled bathrooms, including mold found on bath tiles, moldy tile grout, moldy caulk, and hidden bathroom mold. This is a chapter of "How to Look for Mold" which describes how to find mold and test for mold in buildings, including how and where to collect mold samples using adhesive tape - an easy, inexpensive, low-tech but very effective mold testing method. (See MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS for details).

This procedure helps identify the presence of or locate the probable sources of mold reservoirs in buildings, and helps decide which of these need more invasive, exhaustive inspection and testing.

© Copyright 2010 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Photo Guide to Finding Mold Behind Solid Marble Bathroom Walls

Following a major mold remediation project and after all mold demolition and cleaning had been completed (or so we thought), we inspected the bathroom shown in the photographs below. The bathroom floor and walls were covered with marble tiles and we all thought that it was unlikely that the surfaces behind that material had gotten wet even though we knew that water had been on the bathroom floor.

A peep below the cast iron heating baseboard told a different story however. The tile had not been installed to floor level - the heating baseboard had been mounted on drywall. We could see a half-inch of black and green mold in a little gap below the baseboard.

The question was, is this trivial or do we need to destroy the marble to inspect and clean a large mold reservoir. The owner was a builder who was not intimidated by hammering off and replacing marble tiles. We would have carefully removed some tiles to inspect for water damage but the builder went to work with a hammer and a vengeance.

The photographs show that considerable areas of the wall cavity had indeed become wet, wetting wall insulation as well as drywell, leading to a large area of moldy drywall and moldy wall insulation. The mold was a mix of Stachybotrys chartarum and Aspergillus sp.

How much of a health risk would this mold have been to future building occupants? Perhaps not much as there was probably little air movement through the marble-covered surfaces. But the possibility of a growing mold problem associated with a large inoculated area of building cavity mold led the builder to demolish, clean, and repair these areas before the rest of the building restoration was completed.

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD
AFTER THE MOLD CLEANUP
ATTIC MOLD
BATHROOM MOLD
  Is Bathroom Mold a Health Risk
  Hidden Mold in Bathrooms
  Bathroom Vanity Cabinet Mold
  Mold Behind Marble Walls
  Remove & Prevent Bathroom Mold
  Clean off mold on tile, grout, or caulk
  Renovating to Avoid Mold Growt
BASEMENT MOLD
BASEMENT MOLD WATER IMPACT
BASICS YOU NEED to FIND, TEST, REMOVE MOLD
Basketball Mold Syndrome - BBMS
BLACK MOLD, HARMLESS COSMETIC
BOOKSTORE - ENVIRONMENTAL
BUYERS GUIDE - home inspections for mold
CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION
CARPET TEST GUIDE
CARPET STAIN DIAGNOSIS
CARPET TEST GUIDE
CRAWLSPACE MOLD
DIRT FLOOR MOLD CONTAMINATION
DO IT YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

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• Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our own technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

Mold and Allergen Recognition and Identification - Not All "Black Mold" is Harmful; Some Suspect Stuff is Not Mold

• How to Find and Test For Mold in Buildings - Looking for Mold - A 'how to' photo and text primer on finding and testing for mold in buildings
• Recognizing Mold: What mold looks like mold identification photos to help identify mold - choosing what to sample in buildings
• Recognizing Allergens: What various indoor allergens look like - identification photos to help identify pollen, dust mites, animal dander, toxic or allergenic mold - Common Mold and other Allergens, Irritants, Remedies & Advice
• Stuff that is not mold but is often mistaken for it - things you may not want to test. Also, not all "black mold" is toxic - here are examples of harmless black mold.
• Mold Action Guide: an easy step by step outline of what to do about mold
• How to find mold without hiring anyone, for do-it-yourself'ers
• Associations: Sick House, Sick Building, SBS - Air Quality, Government, Private Associations and Information Resources
• Mold Test Kits - How to Collect and Send Your Own Mold Sample to our mold testing lab
• How to find a mold inspector or test consultant: Directory of IAQ,Sick Building, Mold Allergen Testing, Building Investigation Service Providers
• Meruliporia: the house eating fungus or "poria"
• Mold Investigation Tips for Home Inspectors how to find mold, where to look, what is likely to be important. Advice to building inspectors intending to inspect or test for toxic or problematic mold indoors, mold inspection methods, and mold test methods which are valid or invalid
• Mold Risk Levels in Buildings Based on Visual Inspection - simple visual clues help decide on action
• Mold in Fiberglass Insulation© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation - DJF
• Frequently Asked Questions About Mold -- check this FAQ list & IAQ Site Map to see if you can find a quick answer to your mold concern
• When to hire a professional to inspect for toxic mold or other allergens
• Contact Us to arrange mold/IAQ building on site inspection and testing.

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The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems

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