InspectAPedia.com InspectAPedia®
Google
InspectAPedia
 

Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair

Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia

  • HOME
  • AIR CONDITIONING
  • ELECTRICAL
  • EXTERIORS
  • HEATING
  • HOME INSPECTION
  • INTERIORS
  • PLUMBING
  • ROOFING
  • SEPTIC SYSTEMS
  • STRUCTURE
  • WATER SUPPLY
  • ENERGY SAVINGS
  • ENVIRONMENT
  • INDOOR AIR IAQ
  • INSULATION
  • MOLD INSPECT TEST REMOVE
  • NOISE
  • ODORS
  • SOLAR ENERGY
  • VENTILATION
  • EXPERTS DIRECTORY
  • CONTACT US



Mobile View
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY

MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE to TEST CLEAN PREVENT

ACCEPTABLE MOLD LEVEL
ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD
ACTIVITY of MOLD in buildings
AIRBORNE MOLD SPORE COUNT ACCURACY
AIRBORNE PARTICLE ANALYSIS METHODS
ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings
ATTIC MOLD

BASEMENT MOLD
BASEMENT MOLD WATER IMPACT
BATHROOM MOLD
BIBLIOGAPHY for ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, MOLD, IAQ
BIOGAS PRODUCTION & USE
BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS
BLACK MOLD, HARMLESS COSMETIC
BLACK MOLD, TOXIC & ALLERGENIC
BLEACHING MOLD, Advice about
BOOK MOLD, Moldy Book Cleaning
BOOKSTORE - ENVIRONMENTAL
BROWN HAIRY BATHROOM MOLD

CACTUS FUNGI / MOLD
CAR MOLD CONTAMINATION
CARPET DUST IDENTIFICATION
CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION
CARPET PADDING ASBESTOS, MOLD, ODORS
CARPET STAIN DIAGNOSIS
CARPET & other STAIN TESTS
CARPET TEST PROCEDURE
CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY
CARPETING, SELECTION & INSTALLATION
CAT DANDER in buildings
CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS - MOLD CLEANUP

EFFLORESCENCE, Salts & White / Brown Deposits

FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD
FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST
FIELD INVESTIGATION SERVICE
FIND MOLD, ESSENTIAL STEPS
FIND MOLD in BUILDINGS, HOW TO
FIRE DAMAGE vs MOLD DAMAGE
FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP
FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-mold
FUNGICIDAL SPRAY & SEALANT USE GUIDE

GAS EXPOSURE EFFECTS, TOXIC
GAS DETECTION & MEASUREMENT

HOUSE DUST ANALYSIS
HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS
HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND
HUMIDITY CONTROL & TARGETS INDOORS

INDOOR AIR HAZARDS TABLE
INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS
INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE
INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED
INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
INSULATION MOLD
ITCHY FABRICS

LABORATORY SERVICES
LAB PROCEDURES MICROSCOPE TECHNIQUES
LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE
Legionella Legionnaires' Disease
Legionella BACTERIA & HVAC Equipment
LP & Natural Gas Safety Hazards

MEDIA BLASTING for MOLD REMOVAL
METHANE GAS SOURCES
MICROSCOPE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
MILDEW in BUILDINGS ?
MILDEW ERRORS - MOLD PHOTOS
MILDEW REMOVAL & PREVENTION
MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS

MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE to TEST CLEAN PREVENT
MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD
MOLD ACTIVITY in buildings
MOLD AGE - Old is the Mold?

MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE
  Black Mold
  Brown Mold
  Green Mold
  Red Mold
  Yellow Mold
  White Mold
  Invisible Mold
  Meruliporia Mold Photographs
  Mildew Photographs
  Recognize Cosmetic Mold
  Recognize Harmless Black Mold
  MOLD GROWTH ON SURFACES, PHOTOS

MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD
  HARMLESS INDOOR PARTICLES
    BASKETBALL MOLD SYNDROME - BBMS
    Black stains from soot/thermal tracking
    Black stains from animals
    Black cosmetic mold
    Efflorescence & brown deposits
    Efflorescence & white or brown deposits
    House dust
    Pollen
    Sprayed foam insulation
    White stuff that is not mold
    Wood sap

MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX
MOLD BY MICROSCOPE
MOLD in the PETRI DISH, PHOTOS
Mold on Books, Book Conservation

MOLD CLASSES, HAZARD LEVELS
MOLD CLEANERS - WHAT TO USE
MOLD CLEANUP COMPANIES
MOLD CLEANUP, DO IT YOURSELF
MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD
MOLD CLEANUP with BLEACH
MOLD CLEANUP - WOOD FLOORING
MOLD CLEANUP - WOOD FRAMING & PLYWOOD
MOLD CLEANUP HEALTH RISKS
MOLD CLEANUP MISTAKES to AVOID
MOLD CLEANUP - SAFETY WARNINGS
MOLD CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS
MOLD CULTURES
MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE
MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE

MOLD or INDOOR AIR EMERGENCY RESPONSE
MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE
MOLD EXPOSURE, FOOD HAZARDS
MOLD EXPOSURE RISK LEVELS
MOLD EXPOSURE STANDARDS
MOLD on or in CARPETS
MOLD ON DIRT FLOORS
MOLD FREQUENCY in buildings
MOLD GROWTH ON SURFACES, PHOTOS
MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, TABLE OF

MOLD INSPECTORS & MOLD TESTERS
MOLD INSPECTION HOME BUYERS GUIDE
MOLD INSPECTION SERVICE
MOLD INVESTIGATION PROCEDURE TIPS
MOLD INVESTIGATION REPORTS

MOLD KILLING GUIDE
MOLD LAB REPORTS
MOLD LEVEL REPORTS
MOLD LEVELS IN buildings
MOLD by MICROSCOPE

MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS
MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE
MOLD RELATED ILLNESS
MOLD SAFETY WARNINGS
MOLD SPRAYS, SEALANTS, PAINTS

MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS
MOLD TEST METHODS, ACCURACY
MOLD TEST PROCEDURES
MOLD TEST REASONS
MOLD TEST SAMPLE POINT CHOICES
MOLD TESTING & SAMPLING MISTAKES
MOLD TESTING SERVICES

ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE
OXYGEN - O2
OZONE HAZARDS

PAINTS & COATINGS ODORS IN BUILDINGS
PARTICLE SIZES & IAQ
Particulates & Allergens Indoors
Pesticide Exposure Hazards
PET ALLERGEN REMEDIES
PLASTIC CONTAINERS, TANKS, TYPES
PLASTIC HEATER VENT
PLASTIC ODORS-SCREENS, SIDING
PLUMBING SYSTEM ODORS
POLLEN Photographs

RENTERS & TENANTS GUIDE TO MOLD

SICK HOUSE IAQ QUESTIONNAIRE
SEWAGE BACKUP, WHAT TO DO
SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP
SEWAGE BACKUP PREVENTION
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS
STAINS on INDOOR SURFACES: PHOTO GUIDE
STAINS & Thermal Tracking

TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES
THERMAL TRACKING Indicates Heat Loss
TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES

VENTILATION in buildings

More Information

Photograph of Making a test cut to look for mold in a building wall cavity How to Find Hidden Mold Reservoirs in the Home - a guide detection of mold allergens
InspectAPedia®  -      

  • Where & How to Look When You Cannot Find the Mold Problem in a Building
  • How to Find & Test For "Invisible" Mold in buildings
  • Links to Photographs of black mold & other molds of various colors and textures in buildings
  • Photographs of mold on or behind wallpaper
  • Links to photos of stuff that is not mold or is harmless mold
  • Questions & answers about how to go about finding hidden mold contamination in buildings

How to find hidden mold contamination: What do we do when we cannot find a mold problem but we think there is problem mold in a building. Suppose an "air test" says there is problem mold indoors but you don't see where the "problem mold" is coming from? Where and How do we look for hidden mold?

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.

Where to Look When You Cannot Find the Mold Problem in a Building

Where to look for "Invisible Mold" in buildings - important mold reservoirs that cannot be detected by visual inspection

Wall Cavity Side of a test cut shows hidden mold

Also see Mold Related Illness: Index of Symptoms and for an atlas of building molds and for more microphotographs of building mold samples observed in our laboratory, see Mold Atlas of Indoor Clinical Mold, Pathogens, Allergens & Other Indoor Particles.

Results of a small test cut to check for hidden mold

Of course some important problematic mold reservoirs may be hidden inside building cavities where you won't see them without making a test cut in just the right place. We find these problems by inspecting "by context", that is, we decide where to make an invasive test cut by studying where leak or moisture problems have been or are likely to have been on a building.

This photo shows the hidden interior side of drywall on the test cut we made using the hole saw shown at the top of this page. The red material was a yeast which accompanied toxic mold which we confirmed was present in this wall cavity.

What's important is the development of a strategy for just where to make such test cuts to look for hidden mold. Random test cuts to screen a building for mold are unreliable.

Some other critical indoor mold problems may be on an exposed building surface or material, but the mold may be totally invisible to the naked eye. Such "hidden in plain sight mold" can be detected by a combination of common sense in recognizing mold-friendly materials and mold-producing conditions.

Clean  looking insulation in a basement may be a bad mold reservoir

Exposed insulation may be mold contaminated

For example, fiberglass insulation in the ceiling over a flooded basement or crawl space is highly suspect. In some cases it's more economical and sensible to simply replace suspect material than to spend on testing it for mold contamination.

But where large areas or large expense would be involved, special testing methods can determine whether insulation or other mold reservoir materials are indeed mold-contaminated. We use a combination of vacuum pump and sampling cassettes to examine suspect building insulation.

See Mold in Fiberglass Insulation for details of the occurrence of mold contamination in building insulation, and see  Vacuuming building cavities as a screen for building mold as well as Vacuuming exposed insulation for finding mold-contaminated fiberglass.

Microscopic photo of mold in fiberglass insulation

Here is a photo taken in our laboratory when we examined our sample of insulation which we suspected would be mold-contaminated.

You can see extensive mold contamination of at least two types, Penicillium/Aspergillus spores and spore chains and darker fungal spores which are probably a species of Cladosporium sp. This insulation looked "clean" to the naked eye, but by context we suspected it would be a problem reservoir of mold.

Moldy fiberglass insulation is often missed by casual or inexperienced mold inspectors. The presence of spore chains confirms that we had active mold growth nearby if not in the insulation itself.


Wall test cut reveals moldy insulation and drywall


Making a larger wall test cut to check for hidden mold

Here we made a larger test cut in mold-suspect drywall because we saw a leak stain on the exposed surface. Even though there was no mold on the exposed side of this wall, the water stain led us via this test cut to discover a leaky drain pipe that was previously unknown.

We would not make a cut like this unless there was external evidence of probable leakage into this cavity; a borescope might have found this problem too, though views through such instruments are quite limited and do not permit full examination of all materials and surfaces. Notice the evidence of mouse activity at the right end of this test cut?

Wallpaper peel down reveals hidden mold


Removing Wallpaper to Check for Hidden Mold

In our daughter's condominium we peeled down clean-looking wallpaper because we saw evidence of a history of leaks into the wall cavity at the window sill. Even though there was no mold on the exposed side of this wallpaper, the water stains led us via this test to discover an area of Stachybotrys chartarum that was worth removing.

We often find mold growth behind wallpaper where there has been leakage or high moisture, including wallpapers used in bathrooms. Beware: some antique wallpapers which may be attacked by mold growth can cause the release of poisonous arsenic into the local environment.

Mold under furniture drawers


Hidden Mold Under Furniture Drawers or Built-in Drawers

Simply pulling out a drawer may reveal problem mold growth. In this case we found this by pulling out the bottom draw of a built-in storage chest in a bathroom in an older home. we have also found Aspergillus sp. colonies growing on the un-finished underside of furniture and game tables.

 

 

 


Mold behind paneling in a bathroom


Hidden Mold Behind Wall Paneling

We pulled down this bathroom paneling even though it's exposed side looked very clean, because other clues indicated that there had been a history of floor flooding in this area.

Hidden Black Toxic Mold Behind Drywall

Memnoniella echinata toxic black mold behind drywall Memnoniella echinata toxic black mold behind drywall

We made the test cut you see in the photo at left above, even though the architect had directed the mold inspection and testing to be performed in a completely different building area.

That's because we saw water-damaged flooring and because occupants of this area were complaining of severe respiratory and eye irritation. We had to push insulation aside to show the black mold just visible in this photo on the cavity side of the opposing drywall. Our lab test indicated that we'd found Memnoniella echinata (a very close relative of Stachybotrys chartarum) which we find quite irritating.

The second photograph above shows how extensive the mold growth was when the lower wall cavity was cut away. This mold contamination had spread on 100 linear feet of wall in this area due to an air conditioning leak which drained into the channel formed by the steel u-channel used as a sill plate for this steel-stud wall.

Be sure to review our mold-detection guides & articles on where and how to look for hidden mold problems in buildings:

Questions & Answers regarding this article

Questions & answers about how to go about finding hidden mold contamination in buildings

Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia

HTML Comment Box is loading comments...

Recommend / Share this Article            

...

Technical Reviewers & References

  • InspectAPedia.com® - Daniel Friedman - Publisher & Editor.
  • InspectAPedia Bookstore lists recommended books, organized by topic & available for purchase. Most of our articles also include a list of recommended books for the specific article topic as well as other references, and information sources.
  • Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest corrections or additions to articles at this website, and if you wish, to receive online listing and credit as a contributor. Particular thanks are due to the many experts and also consumers who read and critique technical articles at InspectAPedia.com.
  • Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
  • Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution.

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

  • HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND
  • INSULATION MOLD a photo tour of other places to look for hard-to-spot mold
  • Mold in fiberglass insulation in crawl spaces
  • FIberglass in Indoor Air, HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
  • USING LIGHT TO FIND MOLD
  • HOW TO LOOK FOR MOLD

MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE to TEST CLEAN PREVENT
MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD
MOLD ACTIVITY in buildings
MOLD AGE - Old is the Mold?

MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE
  Black Mold
  Brown Mold
  Green Mold
  Red Mold
  Yellow Mold
  White Mold
  Invisible Mold
  Meruliporia Mold Photographs
  Mildew Photographs
  Recognize Cosmetic Mold
  Recognize Harmless Black Mold
  MOLD GROWTH ON SURFACES, PHOTOS

MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD
  HARMLESS INDOOR PARTICLES
    BASKETBALL MOLD SYNDROME - BBMS
    Black stains from soot/thermal tracking
    Black stains from animals
    Black cosmetic mold
    Efflorescence & brown deposits
    Efflorescence & white or brown deposits
    House dust
    Pollen
    Sprayed foam insulation
    White stuff that is not mold
    Wood sap

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

  • Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
  • Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
  • Adkins and Adkins Dictionary of Roman Religion discusses Robigus, the Roman god of crop protection and the legendary progenitor of wheat rust fungus.
  • Kansas State University, department of plant pathology, extension plant pathology web page on wheat rust fungus: see http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/path-ext/factSheets/Wheat/Wheat%20Leaf%20Rust.asp
  • "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home", U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
  • US EPA - Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Building [Copy on file at /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
  • US EPA - Una Breva Guia a Moho - Hongo [Copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Moho_Guia_sp.pdf - en Espanol

Allergies, Allergens, Allergy Testing in buildings - References & Products

  • Air Conditioning System Blower Fans & Filters Cascading for Optimum Indoor Air Quality
  • Allergen Tests in buildings advice about how to test, what to look for, in evaluating the level of dog, cat, or other animal allergens in a building
  • "IgG Food Allergy Testing by ELISA/EIA, What do they really tell us?" Sheryl B. Miller, MT (ASCP), PhD, Clinical Laboratory Director, Bastyr University Natural Health Clinic - ELISA testing accuracy: Here is an example of Miller's critique of ELISA http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/282.cfm - Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
    The critique included in that article raises compelling questions about IgG testing assays, which prompts our interest in actually screening for the presence of high levels of particles that could carry allergens - dog dander or cat dander in the case at hand.
    http://www.tldp.com/issue/174/IgG%20Food%20Allergy.html contains similar criticism in another venue but interestingly by the same author, Sheryl Miller. Sheryl Miller, MT (ASCP), PhD, is an Immunologist and Associate Professor of Basic and Medical Sciences at Bastyr University in Bothell, Washington. She is also the Laboratory Director of the Bastyr Natural Health Clinic Laboratory.
  • Allergens: Testing for the level of exposure to animal allergens is discussed at http://www.animalhealthchannel.com/animalallergy/diagnosis.shtml (lab animal exposure study is interesting because it involves a higher exposure level in some cases
  • Allergens: WebMD discusses allergy tests for humans at webmd.com/allergies/allergy-tests
  • Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality.
  • Atlas of Mold Related Illness Symptoms & Complaints - long list of both documented, studied mold related illness, and complaints ascribed to mold contamination or allergens in buildings
  • Cat Dander: how to inspect and test a building for past or current presence of cats, cat hair, cat dander, and cat allergens
  • Clinical Atlas of Mold Toxicity - An Online Description of Toxic, Pathogenic, Allergenic Fungi, Fungal Diseases
  • Fiberglass Insulation Contains Mold© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation
  • Humidity: What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem?
  • Mold Action Guide detailed guide on finding, removing, and preventing indoor mold contamination
  • Odors, Odor Detection, Smells, & Gases how to find and identify sources of noxious or toxic odors and gases
  • Other environmental risks, Our much longer list: Asbestos, carbon monoxide, electromagnetic fields, etc.
  • Ozone: The Use of Ozone Indoors for Control of Odors and Mold Removal in buildings: A Summary of Hazards and False Claims.
  • Pollen Allergens: identification, plant pollen and indoor air quality
  • Products to Reduce Mold & Allergy Problems to reduce indoor mold or allergen levels: air cleaners, air purifiers, dust mite covers, vacuum cleaners, crawl space vents
  • 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
  • Rodent control issues, including dander, fecal, and urine contamination of buildings and Building insulation are discussed at our
  • Sewage and Septic backup contamination in buildings: inspection, testing, remediation, & references to expert sources
  • Action Guide: What to do about mold, mildew, and other indoor allergens
  • ...

Mold Contamination Testing, Cleanup, Prevention: references & products

  • GO TO the MOLD and INDOOR ENVIRONMENT INFORMATION CENTER for in-depth advice on avoiding testing for or cleaning up mold and other indoor environmental hazards, odors, gases, contaminantsThe Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems
  • Aerobiology, Building Science, Microscopy, & Laboratory References, an extensive technical bibliography
  • Allergens: what they look like in buildings
  • Associations: Sick House, Sick Building, SBS - Air Quality, Government, Private Associations and Information Resources
  • Atlas of Clinical Fungi, 2nd Ed., GS deHoog, J Guarro, J Gene, & MJ Figueras, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, 2000, ISBN 90-70351-43-9 (you can buy this book at Amazon) - The Atlas of Clinical Fungi is also available on CD ROM
  • Atlas of Mold Related Illness: Index of Symptoms and health, physical, neurological, psychological, and other complaint which people suspect may be mold or building-related.
  • Atlas of Indoor Mold, Online Clinical Mold Atlas, Toxins, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles - Medical Health Effects of Mold (separate online document)
  • Black Mold that is Harmless Photos of recognizable, usually harmless black mold on wood, bluestain, ceratocystis, ophistoma
  • Building Floods: quick steps after a building flood or plumbing leak can prevent costly mold contamination
  • Classes of Mold: what types of cosmetic, allergenic, or toxic mold are a problem? Can mold be cleaned-up successfully?
  • Clinical Mold References - Detailed bibliography of mold reference texts
  • "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home", U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
  • "Disease Prevention Program for Certain Vegetable Crops," David B. Langston, Jr., Extension Plant Pathologist - Vegetables, University of Georgia (PDF document) original source: www.reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/209797.html
  • "Disease Prevention in Home Vegetable Gardens," Patricia Donald, Department of Plant Microbiology and Pathology, Lewis Jett
    Department of Horticulture, University of Missouri Extension - extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6202
  • "Management of Powdery Mildew, Leveillula taurica, in Greenhouse Peppers," Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, British Columbia - Original source: www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/peppermildew.htm
  • Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our own technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
  • Fiberglass: Mold in Fiberglass Insulation© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation - DJF
  • Fifth Kingdom, Bryce Kendrick, ISBN13: 9781585100224, is available from the InspectAPedia online bookstore - we recommend the CD-ROM version of this book. This 3rd/edition is a compact but comprehensive encyclopedia of all things mycological. Every aspect of the fungi, from aflatoxin to zppspores, with an accessible blend of verve and wit. The 24 chapters are filled with up-to-date information of classification, yeast, lichens, spore dispersal, allergies, ecology, genetics, plant pathology, predatory fungi, biological control, mutualistic symbioses with animals and plants, fungi as food, food spoilage and mycotoxins.
  • Fungi, Identifying Filamentous, A Clinical Laboratory Handbook, Guy St-Germain, Richard Summerbell, Star Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-89863-177-7 (English) (buy at Amazon)
  • Looking for Mold Procedure: what mold is often found where in buildings - simple technical presentation
  • Meruliporia: the house eating fungus or "poria"
  • Mold Action Guide: Step-by-Step Instructions, What to do about mold, mildew, and other indoor allergens
  • MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE Photos of what mold looks like in buildings
  • MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD Photos of NOT-mold material that is sometimes mistaken for mold
  • MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles - Medical Health Effects of Mold (separate online document)
  • MOLD BY MICROSCOPE Mold under the microscope - photo identification of the most common indoor molds found in buildings
  • Mold FAQs Answers to Most Questions about Indoor Mold, Mold Related Illness, Mold Cleanup, Mold Prevention
  • US EPA: Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Building [Copy on file at /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
  • Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens
  • Mold Test Kits - How to Collect and Send Your Own Mold Sample to our mold testing lab or to any mold lab you wish
  • Most Common Indoor Molds Found in buildings, A Table of
  • Mycology, Fundamentals of Diagnostic, Fran Fisher, Norma B. Cook, W.B. Saunders Co. 1998, ISBN 0-7216-5006-6 (buy this book at Amazon)
  • Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
  • Rot concerns in buildings-some building mold such as Meruliporia incrassata "Poria" risks serious rot and hidden structural damage
  • US EPA: Una Breva Guia a Moho - Hongo [Copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Moho_Guia_sp.pdf - en Espanol

OTHER IAQ ISSUES: How To Find and Address Other Indoor Air or Indoor Environment Contaminants Besides Mold

Mold or allergens may not be the only or even the main indoor environmental contaminant. Don't let media attention to mold cause so much enviro-scare fear that other, possibly more urgent hazards go un-addressed.

  • Fiberglass building insulation and HVAC duct work insulation hazards
  • Sewage and Septic backup contamination in buildings: inspection, testing, remediation, & references to expert sources
  • Other environmental risks: Asbestos, carbon monoxide, electromagnetic fields, environmental illness, fiberglass, MCS - multiple chemical sensitivity, toxic gases, etc
  • Indoor Gas Sampling Plan for Residential buildings lists a number of toxic indoor gases which we test for, depending on the building complaint and building conditions
  • Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
  • Pet control - if you can't say goodbye to your bird, cat, dog, guinea pig, hamster, tropical fish, then limit the areas they occupy and limit the airflow from that area to sleeping or other areas of the building, use allergenic bedding, eliminate wall-to-wall carpeting, improve housecleaning including use of a HEPA-rated vacuum cleaner. For more details see our article Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Information for Asthmatics and Indoor Air Quality
  • Rodents, Mice, Squirrel Control - I find high levels of mouse and rodent dander, fecal dust, and urine-contaminated dust in some buildings, and high levels of these materials in building insulation in those locations. If you have a mouse problem, particularly if mice and their waste (fecals or urine) are contaminating the building HVAC or building insulation, may need both steps to clean up or remove infected materials and steps to stop an ongoing rodent problem. If squirrels are a problem, the cleanup needs to include closing off entry openings into the building. Get some help from a licensed pest control expert.

Home About Us Accuracy Contact Us Content Use Policy Printing Tips Privacy Website Description © 2012 Copyright InspectAPedia.com