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Mobile ViewENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY AIR CLEANER PURIFIER TYPES AIR FILTER EFFECTIVENESS AIR FILTERS, FIBERGLASS PARTICLES AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS AIR HANDLER / BLOWER UNITS AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR Air Quality Improvement Strategies AIR LEAK SEALING PROCEDURE AIR SEALING STRATEGIES ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE ANIMAL ALLERGENS / PET DANDER ANIMAL ODORS IN BUILDINGS ASBESTOS-FREE INSULATION MATERIALS ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS ATTORNEYS and EXPERT WITNESSES BACKDRAFTING HEATING EQUIPMENT BASEMENT MOLD BATHROOM MOLD BIBLIOGAPHY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, MOLD, IAQ BIOGAS PRODUCTION & USE BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BLOWER FAN OPERATION & TESTING BOOKSTORE - ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE CACTUS FUNGI / MOLD CAR MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPET DUST IDENTIFICATION CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY CAT DANDER in BUILDINGS CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS CRAWL SPACES CRAWLSPACE MOLD ADVICE CPSC Indoor Air Pollution Book Online Copy DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS FIBERGLASS DUCT, RIGID CONSTRUCTION FIBERGLASS HVAC DUCTS DUST ANALYSIS for FIBERGLASS DUST CONTAMINATION FROM HVAC? DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE EMF RF FIELD & FREQUENCY DEFINITIONS EMERGENCY RESPONSE, IAQ, GAS, MOLD EMF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS & HUMAN EXPOSURE ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings Fiberboard Insulation Sheathing Mold FIBERGLASS DUCT, RIGID CONSTRUCTION Fiberglass Enviro-Scare FIBERGLASS HAZARDS Fiberglass Insulation Exposure Limits FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST Recognizing Fiberglass Insulation Recognizing Fiberglass Duct Insulation Lab Identification of Fiberglass Fiberglass Fragment Hazards Fiberglass Detection in Building Air Mold in Fiberglass Insulation Mold on Books, Book Conservation Mold on Fiberboard Insulating Sheathing References, Fiberglass Hazards Vacuuming exposed insulation FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST FIBERGLASS INSULATION IDENTIFICATION FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD CRAWLSPACE MOLD ADVICE INSPECTION of INSULATION for MOLD TEST CHOICES for MOLD in FIBERGLASS TEST PROCEDURE for MOLD in FIBERGLASS WHEN to TEST INSULATION for MOLD WHY DOES MOLD GROW in INSULATION? FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST Fireplace Inserts Fireplaces & Woodstove Contaminants FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-mold FLOORING MATERIALS, Age, Types FORMALDEHYDE HAZARDS Formaldehyde Gas Hazard Reduction GAS DETECTION & MEASUREMENT GAS EXPOSURE EFFECTS, TOXIC GAS FIRED WATER HEATERS HVAC Systems HOME HEATING SAFETY HUMIDITY CONTROL & TARGETS INDOORS HOUSE DUST ANALYSIS ICE DAM PREVENTION INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE INSULATION, ASBESTOS INSULATION CHOICES Insulation Air & Heat Leaks INSULATION FACT SHEET- DOE INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT INSULATION LOCATION - WHERE TO PUT IT INSULATION MOLD Mold in Fiberglass Insulation Mold on Books, Book Conservation Mold on Fiberboard Insulating Sheathing MOLD PREVENTION AFTER FLOODING MOLD RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION Mold in Foam Insulation Moldy insulation may look clean Why does mold grow in fiberglass? When to test insulation for mold How to Test for Mold in Insulation References, Fiberglass Hazards Vacuuming exposed insulation INSULATION MOLD RESISTANCE of FOAM INSULATION, UFFI UREA FORMALDEHYDE FOAM LEED Building Designation & IAQ Legionella Legionnaires' Disease Legionella BACTERIA & HVAC Equipment MILDEW REMOVAL & PREVENTION MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE MOLD CLEANERS - WHAT TO USE MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD MOLD CONSULTANTS/INSPECTORS MOLD CULTURE TEST KIT VALIDITY MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE MOLD or INDOOR AIR EMERGENCY RESPONSE MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE MOLD FAQ's MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE MOLD SAFETY WARNINGS MOLD SPRAYS, SEALANTS, PAINTS MOLD STANDARDS MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS MOLD TESTING METHOD VALIDITY MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS MYCOPHOBIA, STAINS MISTAKEN for MOLD MYCOTOXIN EFFECTS of MOLD EXPOSURE Museum Artifact Preservation Nanomaterials Hazards NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURE OIL TANKS INSPECT LEAK TEST ABANDON REGS OZONE HAZARDS OZONE for MOLD OR ODORS PAINTS & COATINGS ODORS IN BUILDINGS PARTICLE SIZES & IAQ Particulates & Allergens Indoors Pesticide Exposure Hazards PET ALLERGEN REMEDIES Pet Dander PLASTIC CONTAINERS, TANKS, TYPES PLASTIC HEATER VENT PLASTIC ODORS-SCREENS, SIDING PLUMBING SYSTEM ODORS Pollen Photos PVC - VINYL BUILDING PRODUCTS RADON HAZARD TESTS & MITIGATION Radon Enviro-Scare ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE SAFETY HAZARDS & INSPECTIONS SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR SEWER GAS ODORS SICK HOUSE IAQ QUESTIONNAIRE SIDING VINYL SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS SULPHUR & SEWER GAS SMELL SOURCES THERMAL TRACKING & HEAT LOSS UFFI UREA FORMALDEHYDE FOAM INSULATION URETHANE FOAM Deterioration, Outgassing VAPOR BARRIERS & AIR SEALING at BAND JOISTS VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS VAPOR BARRIERS & HOUSEWRAP VAPOR CONDENSATION & BUILDING SHEATHING VENTILATION in BUILDINGS VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS in buildings Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs WATER ODORS, CAUSE CURE WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT Well Pollution World Trade Center Collapse Dust Photos More Information |
Can clean-looking insulation be moldy? This document provides information about the occurrence of problematic toxic or allergenic mold growth in fiberglass insulation that appears, on visual inspection, to be clean in residential and light-commercial buildings. A 720x micro-photograph provided in this article shows active fungal growth along the surface of a fiberglass insulation fiber collected the suspended ceiling of a building suffering wet conditions and moldy in-slab HVAC ducts. Mold is often found in basement fiberglass insulation, crawl space fiberglass insulation, fiberglass wall insulation, heating or cooling duct fiberglass insulation, and attic or roof insulation in buildings which have either been wet or have been exposed to high levels of mold from other sources. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Moldy building or duct insulation may look clean on visual inspectionThe fiberglass insulation falling into a crawl space at the left hand photo above is obviously suspect for having been wet and possibly contaminated by rodents, insects, or toxic or allergenic mold. But what about the nice new clean looking fiberglass insulation in the right hand photo.That clean-looking fiberglass insulation was located over a clean-looking basement of a home less than ten years old. But a closer inspection of the home, its exterior, and its basement (as well as attic) found several clues suggesting that during one or more prior springs the basement had been quite wet. Check our our Mold-Contaminated building insulation photo just below.
The photo at above left shows clean looking insulation; in fact this is one of our baseline samples of clean fiberglass insulation fragments (taken from a sample of new fiberglass building insulation). The photo at above right shows dirty looking insulation from an older building. The right photo of a sample collected from fiberglass insulation in an older building exposed to moisture and leaks shows a high level of particulate debris, almost certainly including organic debris such as skin cells, animal hair, and insect fragments which can form a base for mold growth. But we didn't detect problematic mold in either of these cases. Of course a high level of insect fragments, mite fecals, or rodent fecal and urine-contaminants in any building insulation can result in indoor air quality complaints if air and dust move from that particle reservoir into the living area. Questions & Answers regarding this articleQuestions & answers about mold contamination in fiberglass insulation that looks "clean" - where can the mold trouble come from? How is it detected? What should be done about moldy insulation? Are all insulation materials equally prone to hosting mold growth?. Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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Fiberglass in buildings: hazards, testing, cleanup, prevention: references & productsFor more information about fiberglass as an indoor air quality concern see:
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