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Big Mold Testing, Inspecting, & Cleanup Mistakes to Avoid
Relying on Ozone to Kill Mold or
Failing to Prevent More Mold Growth
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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
Mold remediation mistakes: should we use ozone to kill mold? Here we explain how relying just on "ozone mold killing machines" and failure to take the necessary steps to prevent new mold growth after a mold cleanup project can end up costing a lot of extra money. This section of our "How to Clean Mold" article describes common mistakes people make when attempting to clean up mold. Avoiding these mold cleanup
errors can save you money and may also avoid dangerous side effects of bleach, mold chemicals, or ozone when improperly applied.
We also discuss common errors made when cleaning wood surfaces, such as relying on bleach or performing expensive and
unnecessary cleaning on cosmetic black mold on wood surfaces.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
USING OZONE - to "Kill" mold to "remove" or prevent mold in buildings
 Ozone Generators are another futile attempt to "kill" mold instead of cleaning it up. This "magic bullet"
approach does not work and can destroy some building materials as well as the health of building occupants. Because of the
trouble and cost of performing an effective mold cleanup in buildings, some vendors offer what sounds like an attractive
alternative, offering to "kill all building mold" using ozone. One Midwest company offers to tent the building
and follow a mold extermination procedure.
It would be silly to leave Aspergillus sp., a problematic and easily-airborne mold, in place on this subfloor, trying to "kill it" with a sterilizing gas or spray.
Killing mold is not the same as "removing" problem mold: As with the "bleach" and other "kill the mold" approaches we described above,
this process fails to remove the problem reservoir from the building, leaving toxic or allergenic particles, even if they are no longer viable.
Trying to kill mold with ozone risks oxidizing other building materials: One of our clients,
in an effort to remove odor and mold problems from their building, rented a commercial ozone generator ran it aggressively in
closed rooms in their home.
The ensuing odors, which we tested and traced to oxidized carpet padding, were so severe that the
building was no longer habitable. Carpeting had to be removed as well as other oxidized rubber and foam products which
had been "ozone treated."
Worse, the underlying cause of the original complaint, which we traced to a history of flooding
basement and wet building materials there, had gone unrecognized and still needed to be addressed.
There are valid applications of ozone as a disinfectant but it is not a valid treatment for mold in buildings.
See The Use of Ozone Generators Indoors for Control of Odors and Mold Removal in Buildings: A Summary of Hazards and False Claims
PREVENT FUTURE MOLD - Failure to Prevent future mold growth wastes mold cleanup dollars
 Find and fix the cause of mold: A really troubling mistake that we find on occasion is that someone has spent a lot on mold cleanup but no one bothered to identify the reason why mold grew in the building in the first place.
It is not possible to successfully complete a mold remediation project if the causes of mold growth have not been found and corrected. Otherwise, in as little as 24-48 hours mold may appear all over again.
The downspout spilling roof runoff right by the crawl space behind the wood framed plywood crawlspace skirt in this photo is likely to create new wet conditions in the crawl space that had just been cleaned and sealed - shown in our photos at INCOMPLETE CLEANUP where we illustrated a good job of moldy crawl space cleanup.
Key Steps in Preventing a Return of Mold Problems After a Mold Cleanup Project
Prevention of water leaks or excess humidity in building interiors, including wall and floor cavities, is
critical if you want to avoid a mold growth problem in a building. Even following the most thorough mold
remediation, future roof, plumbing, or cooling condensate leaks or any other source of water entry all risk future mold
growth and related cosmetic, structural, health problems and economic costs.
CRAWL SPACE DRYOUT PROCEDURES - how to get a wet crawl space dry and how to keep it dry
What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem?
MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE: Correct the Causes of Mold and Prevent Indoor Mold or other indoor environment problems
Mold Prevention: Avoiding Mold Problems in Buildings by Using Mold-resistant Construction Products & Practices
Priorities for Preventing Indoor Mold Contamination in Buildings - responding to leaks and floods
COSMETIC MOLDS - Avoid unnecessary & expensive "black mold" cleanup projects for cosmetic molds and stains
It's important to distinguish cosmetic Ceratocystis, blue stain mold, blue rot, from
other problem molds which in fact might be "toxic black mold" such as Stachybotrys chartarum or harder to spot but often
more problematic molds in buildings such as the Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. families of molds.
One of our clients had begun a $600,000. "mold remediation" project on their home.
A careful investigation of the property found
that all of the "black mold" which had frightened the owners and which had resulted in this expensive cleaning contract, was
cosmetic "blue stain" mold which had been present on the lumber since the day of construction of the building. The mold was
of no concern other than a cosmetic one. Other clients occasionally send "not mold" samples to our laboratory.
To be sure
you're not incurring a big and unnecessary expense, be sure that the "mold" to be addressed is
really mold, and further, that it's not just a cosmetic mold, read the articles below before undertaking a costly mold remediation project.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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- 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
Mold Contamination Testing, Cleanup, Prevention: references & products
 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- 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.
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