Mold Action Guide
What to do about mold, mildew, and other indoor allergens found in buildings

MOLD ACTION GUIDE: a step by step guide on what to do about mold in a building
Is mold making someone sick? Should you consult a mold doctor or specialist in environmental medicine?
Do you need to hire a professional to find, test, or remove mold?
How to find mold in buildings
How to clean or remove mold properly
Mold Health Risks for Building Owners, Contractors, & Home Inspectors
How to Inspect Homes and Other buildings for Mold
Mold clearance inspections after cleanup - Acceptable or unacceptable mold levels
How to prevent mold in buildings
EMERGENCY RESPONSE, IAQ, GAS, MOLD - separate article
Questions & Answers about what to do about a mold-contaminated building
References

Click to Show or Hide Related Topics

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

This toxic mold article series provides an easy to understand step-by-step guide for dealing with toxic or allergenic indoor mold and other indoor contaminants: what to do about mold contamination in buildings: how to test-for mold, find hidden mold, clean up or remove mold, and prevent mold.

Action Guide for Dealing With Mold Contamination In or On Buildings

The steps in this document will be sufficient for many building owners who want to do their own mold investigation, mold testing, mold cleanup, and mold prevention in their home or office. The photo shows a small moldy area in a residential bathroom.

Here we describe in step by step detail just how to deal with building mold: find, test, remove, prevent indoor toxic or allergenic or even just cosmetic mold contamiantion & growth in buildings

Mold "mildew," moisture, in your house or office, building-related illness, involves your physician, medical treatment, sick building investigators, possibly professional cleaning companies, steps to reduce the future creation of mold or other indoor irritants, and possibly the special products to help clean buildings and air.

In the Mold Action Guide that continues below, for each step in the process of diagnosing, identifying, removing, and preventing indoor mold problems in buildings, links to in-depth articles are provided. In some cases in this document I use excerpts from longer dissertations on these subjects. Where we do that we offer a link to the longer, more detailed original documents as well.

You can scroll down through this document in sequence, or use the links at the page top article outline to jump to specific subtopics of dealing with building mold concerns.

SEE A DOCTOR? Should you consult with physicians and knowledgeable indoor environment experts

A simple clue that suggests that one may be suffering from building related illness is the abatement of symptoms when the person with the complaint spends time out of the building. However the converse - when symptoms do not abate - does not rule out a building as a contributor to the complaints.

Please see MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE for the full version of this article on deciding when to consult a mold doctor or expert in environmental medicine as well as for a list of related articles and research and a list of medical experts.

Readers should see MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE, and MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS and MOLD EXPOSURE STANDARDS and also see MOLD EXPOSURE, FOOD HAZARDS, and ACCEPTABLE MOLD LEVEL. For background on how and why molds can be toxic, see this World Health Organization Mold Bulletin.

Some mold-related illness symptoms are slow to diminish, and more than one building can contribute to complaints. Proving with scientific accuracy that a substance in a building has actually caused or aggravated a specific illness is a difficult and costly procedure.

A common approach taken by building diagnosticians who are considering whether or not mold in a building is (or could be) making someone sick is simply to look for substances which are believed likely to cause or aggravate illnesses and complaints. If such materials are present at significant levels they should be removed.

Here are some mold sickness - mold related illness articles you'll want to review

ACCEPTABLE MOLD LEVEL - given that a target of "zero mold indoors" is nonsensical, just how much indoor mold should we accept?
ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD
MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE and MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD - how to recognize mold and how to avoid wasting money testing or cleaning up stuff that is not mold; what does cosmetic mold look like and can we reliably identify it without testing?
Mold Atlas of Common Indoor Clinical Mold, Pathogens, Allergens, & Other Particles - Medical Health Effects of Mold: Allergenicity, Toxicity, Pathogenicity, Other
MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE - when to see a doctor? what to ask your doctor about mold; directory of mold doctors and experts in environmental medicine, allergists, pulmonologists, etc.
MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE - how to decide when the mold risk in a building justifies bringing in an expert to inspect, test for mold, write a mold remediation plan, or perform a post-cleanup mold clearance inspection and test.
MOLD EXPOSURE, FOOD HAZARDS - a history of foodborne mold related illness, definitions of mycotoxins, aflatoxins, etc., moldy food advice
MOLD EXPOSURE STANDARDS - world standards for mold exposure levels - and discussion of the difficulty of quantitative mold standards
MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE - Mold-Related Illness: sickness and health risks or complaints caused, or suspected to be caused or aggravated by indoor airborne mold, by physical contact, or other means of mold exposure
MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS - a long list of all of the known, suspected, or simply documented health complaints voiced by people who have been or are suspected to have been exposed to problematic mold
MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS - if you smell mold, there's mold
MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE - how to prevent mold growth or re-growth in a building
World Health Organization Mold Bulletin - an excellent description of causes of mold related illness
Guidance for Clinicians on the Recognition and Management of Health Effects Related to Mold Exposure and Moisture Indoors, [ Copy on file as /mold/Mold_Guide_UConn.pdf] - Eileen Storey, MD MPH, Kenneth H. Dangman, MD PhD MPH, Paula Schenck MPH, Robert L DeBernardo MD MPH, Chin S Yang PhD, Anne Bracker CIH MPH, Michael J Hodgson MD MPH, University of Connecticut Health Center, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Center for Indoor Environments and Health, 266 Farmington Ave., Farmington CT 06030-6210, 30 September 2004.
[We have edited this file to remove blank pages in order to speed its load-time and to add a link back to this website. This document was designed to help the healthcare provider address patients with illnesses related to mold in the indoor environment by providing background understanding of how mold may be affecting patients.

The guidance was published in 2004, with support from a grant by the U.S. EPA, by the Center for Indoor Environments and Health, or CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center. " -- original source: oehc.uchc.edu/images/PDFs/MOLD%20GUIDE.pdf (1.13MB PDF file, slow loading) - this is an absolutely excellent and wide-ranging mold reference available online in PDF format.

Some people should stay away from mold cleanup operations

If you are sick, asthmatic, immune-impaired, suffer from COPD or other respiratory illness, before attempting any mold cleanup yourself you should see your family doctor, allergist, pulmonologist, medical toxicologist, or other appropriate specialist to discuss the chances that the environment might cause or contribute to or aggravate your illness. If you suspect that your illness is caused by or aggravated by conditions in your building you should discuss that with your physician.

And if you are yourself or if people with these characteristics are present: elderly, immune impaired, infant, asthmatic, suffer from COPD or other respiratory or immune disorders or any illness that could be aggravated by exposure to respiratory irritants, VOC's, allergens, mycotoxins, etc., you should be wary of allowing any handling moldy or dusty materials without first checking with your doctor. Medical relocation of certain high-risk building occupants may be needed before moldy materials are disturbed.

DO IT YOURSELF: How to Perform Your Own Mold Inspection, and Check for Mold-Causing Conditions

Small area mold cleanup: We emphasize that for small areas of mold contamination, generally where less than 30 square feet of contiguous mold is present, simple building cleaning and renovation procedures are all that's needed and testing is usually not appropriate. Most building mold contamination falls in this first category.

At DO IT YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP we provide suggestions for a do-it-yourself cleanup of small areas of mold.

At MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE we provide guidelines to help decide when it is probably justified to bring in a mold expert to perform mold inspection and testing in a building.

Reduce your exposure to mold: Examine living/working conditions for opportunities to reduce exposure to mold or other allergens. This means don't move your sick mother into a damp moldy basement while you're painting her bedroom.

More generally it means you don't need to prove that a specific mold in a building is making you sick to recognize that a problem mold is present and needs to be cleaned-up.

But if you are sick, finding out what you've been exposed to might be helpful to your doctor. I've had clients with severe mold-related illness which went unrecognized and mis-treated. If you're ill, ask your doctor if there is any reason to suspect an environmental factor or if there is reason to be extra careful to avoid exposure to mold or indoor allergens

Find the Mold: Examine living/working conditions to find evidence of any mold or to determine the actual extent of mold problem in the building. In the photograph above, leaks behind and under a bath vanity had produced mold that should be removed (and when rebuilding, steps should be taken to prevent future mold growth). But this small job, less than 10 sq .ft. of moldy material, is well within the abilities of a handyman, plumber, or skilled homeowner who can follow appropriate procedures.

Clean-up Mold: remove or clean up problem mold reservoirs. But don't be fooled into spending an outlandish sum on removing a "cosmetic" mold. Later below you'll read about stuff that is not mold or is only a cosmetic mold.

Find The Causes of Mold: In addition to looking for reservoirs of existing mold, examine the building for evidence of leaks (current or old) or moisture problems as those often define the most-likely mold reservoirs. If there is mold in your attic, has there been a history of basement flooding? Even if you don't see mold on exposed building surfaces, finding mold-producing conditions or events, like traces of leaks into a wall or ceiling, can tell you where a mold problem may be hidden.

The steps in this document - THE MOLD ACTION GUIDE - will be sufficient for many building owners who want to do their own mold investigation, mold testing, mold cleanup, and mold prevention in their home or office. However do-it-yourselfers should pay close attention to what can go wrong. If you haven't already read HIRE A PROFESSIONAL? you should do so now (Seelinks listed at Related Topics ). I encourage healthy, not-at-risk people to handle small mold problems themselves. You don't need to hire an expert to clean up moldy bath tiles or a square foot of moldy drywall. But if you are proceeding on your own, be alert for the discovery that the extent of the problem is large enough that you should stop and bring in a professional.

With these warnings made clear, continue by reviewing the next steps below - by scrolling down or by using the links at the left on any of our web pages.

If you're unsure whether to tackle mold yourself and want to know when to bring in a professional, see HIRE A PROFESSIONAL?

ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD
  See a Mold Doctor?
  Clean Up Mold Yourself?
  Mold Health Risks
  How to Find Mold
  How to Clean Up Mold
  Building Flood Response
  Mold Clearance Inspections
  MOLD RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION
  Other IAQ Concerns

Mold HEALTH RISKS for Building and Home Inspectors

Photograph of a health department sign placed on a moldy apartment that was unsafe to enter.

Please see MOLD CLEANUP HEALTH RISKS for the full article.

Readers should see MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE, and MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS and MOLD EXPOSURE STANDARDS and also see MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE, see MOLD EXPOSURE, FOOD HAZARDS, and MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS and ACCEPTABLE MOLD LEVEL. For background on how and why molds can be toxic, see this World Health Organization Mold Bulletin. Our page top photograph shows green and white Penicillium sp. mold growing on an orange.

Don't disturb large areas of mold or moldy materials (more than 30 sq .ft.). Bystanders and occupants have sued careless inspectors who cut openings or otherwise produced a burst of mold activity in a building.

Risks include contributing to illness of building occupants and contamination of building areas if substantial amounts of toxic mold are present and proper containment methods are not used.

This does not mean that invasive inspection techniques are prohibited--but methods of inspection need to be chosen based on the situation.
If you are in a seriously moldy area, wear a HEPA respirator. Repeated exposure to allergens can cause you to become sensitized even if you have not had problems in the past.
If necessary, keep spectators calm by explaining that you wear the mask because you're entering buildings every day. But keep their noses out of the mold too. People who are at particular risk can get sick from a single exposure. (Examples: elderly, babies, people with compromised immune system.)
Other risks may be present, related to the same conditions which caused mold growth: Sewer backups - bacterial hazards; wet areas, damaged electrical or other mechanical components, even shock hazards.

HOW TO FIND MOLD: How to Inspect Homes and Other buildings for Mold - the Basics of How to Find Problem Mold Indoors

Photograph of mold found behind paneling in a bathroom.

Please see HOW TO FIND MOLD and WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE for full details.

Any experienced home inspector can identify conditions that risk water entry or high moisture levels in a house. These conditions promote the growth of mold spores. Mold is a natural organism and it's virtually everywhere. The goal of "zero" mold spores makes no sense.

A home inspection is not a reliable indicator of the presence or absence of problem mold unless there is a large non-cosmetic mold reservoir actually visible. In fact often mold samples collected by a non-expert fail to identify the more important mold reservoirs in a building.

But the visual inspection of the building by an experienced inspector is a great place to start. if building conditions such as a history of wet conditions have been present, these promote mold growth so mold problems are more likely.

If you don't see water stains don't assume there was never a flood or a leak.
If a building has had flooding, plumbing leaks, roof leaks, A/C condensate leaks, hidden mold may be at serious levels.
Check HVAC equipment and duct work for presence of mold or other allergens. Pay close attention to duct work downstream from air filters and blowers; check blower compartments and duct work for contamination (including dead mice), and check other areas where condensate may have accumulated in duct lines, supporting mold growth. Clean ducts in one area don't assure clean ducts everywhere; a "clean" air test does *not* guarantee no duct contamination either as variations in temperature, moisture, and mechanical disturbance can suddenly release mold spores into the building air.
If you don't see mold don't assume a severe mold infection can't be present (behind walls, under carpets, under insulation, in HVAC equipment.) I've found serious toxic mold colonies in walls which showed no external moisture stains nor external mold growth - the clue was other evidence of a history of leaks into the subfloor, confirmed by an impaction air sampler result.
Minor changes in building conditions can cause very big variations in the level of airborne mold. Mold may be present or absent at problem-levels in house air depending on variations in humidity, temperature, season, air movement, and physical activity. Not finding airborne mold at a given moment is not an excuse for visual and in some cases invasive inspecting.
A home inspection is not an environmental check for unhealthy mold or other bioaerosols or allergens. But if you see moldy conditions, warn your client.
Do not be hasty to assert that a specific illness or complaint is caused by mold. The four tests (proposed by Burge, Harvard School of Public Health) are stringent beyond your means as an inspector. Mold at high levels may cause and almost certainly aggravates or contributes to a wide variety of complaints.

HOW TO CLEAN UP MOLD: How to Clean or Remove Mold, Moldy Debris, Other Indoor Environmental Contaminants

Photograph of moldy basement ceiling before cleaning.

Photograph of a basement ceiling after cleaning by media blasting.

For small areas of mold contamination, generally where less than 30 square feet of contiguous mold is present, simple building cleaning and renovation procedures are all that's needed and testing is usually not appropriate. Most building mold contamination falls in this first category.

At DO IT YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP we provide suggestions for a do-it-yourself cleanup of small areas of mold.

At MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE we provide guidelines to help decide when it is probably justified to bring in a mold expert to perform mold inspection and testing in a building.

Please see these articles for full details on removing mold and assuring that the mold cleanup was handled correctly:

Protect the occupants and yourself from mold, demolition dust, debris, cleaning chemicals, etc. Where a large area of cleanup is involved (more than 30 sq .ft.) a professional is usually called to establish negative air in the work area and to install containment barriers of plastic or other material to protect cleaner areas of the building from cross-contamination during the cleanup.

If you used a building environmental specialist to inspect and define the scope of work, you should have baseline mold test samples of both the work area and other building areas which will permit you to state definitively, at the end of the cleanup, whether or not the cleanup has caused cross-contamination of other building areas.

The spotless cleaning produced for the second photo above was obtained by using a professional who used media blasting to clean these surfaces. Such measures may be needed for large or complex surfaces, but quite often the necessary steps are less technical and less onerous, as we describe next.

Clean or remove mold and moldy debris: The most succinct Mold Remediation or Mold Cleanup Guidelines one could state would be this: the objective is not to sterilize your environment or "kill" mold, steps which are ineffective anyway - the operative words are "clean" or "remove" problem mold and then to correct its cause. We're talking about scrubbing here. It's the physical removal of moldy or allergenic debris that's important, not the surface sterilization.

The second I permit someone to "spray for mold" I can count on them to fail to do an adequate cleanup. Moldy drywall, paneling, trim, carpets, boxes, junk, are removed and disposed-of as construction debris or trash.

Be sure to remove insulation that has been wet or smells moldy or has been exposed to high levels of airborne mold. Clean all of the exposed surfaces. You could use water, soapy water, spray cleaners, or if you must, a dilute bleach cleaning solution. But bleaching is not the object. Keep that in mind.

BUILDING FLOODS: What to do to Prevent Mold Growth After a Building Flood or Burst Pipe

If you scrolled down instead of using the links at left, you can read the most-current version of this article at BUILDING FLOODS - or use this FLOODS & MOLD CLEAN/PREVENT link

If your building has just been flooded by rising flood waters, a burst pipe, a waste line leak or other event, immediate action may prevent a very costly mold cleanup.

Review this checklist. If your building already has an actual or suspected mold problem, review this "Mold Action Guide" web page (this document).

If you did not take the steps in "Building Floods" below and are reading this section days or weeks after the flooding event, a comprehensive building survey for hidden mold or other contaminants may be needed before a full building cleanup plan can be made.

For full details of what to do to clean up a building after flooding to remove mold or to prevent mold growth in a flooded building see Building Floods - Steps to Clean and Prevent Mold.

CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS: When & How to Perform a Mold Remediation Clearance Inspection

Details about mold clearance inspections are now at CLEARANCE PROCEDURES. This header and link remains in the main document for people who scroll down instead of using the links at left. To read about post mold remediation clearance inspections please use this link.

HOW TO PREVENT MOLD: Correct the Causes of Mold and Prevent Indoor Mold or other indoor environment problems

Photograph of a contractor pointing out wall leaks at an air conditioner..

Please see MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE for the full article on this topic.

Also see these articles:
  Mold-Resistant Building Practices
  Mold proof drywall? You Must Be Kidding!
  Attic Condensation & Ice Dams
  Humidity Targets for Indoors
  IAQ or Anti Mold Products

Our photo (left) shows a contractor pointing to wall leaks at an air conditioner, a source of mold found indoors at this building.

There is no point in "cleaning up" or "removing" mold if the underlying causes of a mold problem are not also addressed. Unless the causes, such as leaks or high moisture are corrected, mold will simply recur. Band-Aid approaches like trying to "kill" or "prevent" mold by using chemical sprays, coatings, or air cleaners are insufficient and ineffective at preventing future mold and in some cases (such as ozone) these approaches create their own hazards.

In the photo at above left, the contractor is pointing out to the owner that wind-blown rain running down the building's wall will enter the wall cavity at the air conditioner penetration because of improper installation and sealing there. Inside we found that the wall cavity was wet and moldy. Proper installation and sealing at building wall and roof penetrations such as roof vents, windows, doors, and trim can prevent many building leaks which in turn reduces the chances of a future mold problem.

Attic Condensation and Ice Dam Leaks: If roof leaks or attic moisture condensation due to a combination of inadequate attic ventilation and a building moisture source (wet basement, plumbing leaks, roof leaks) causes excessive moisture or actual wet conditions in an attic, conditions are ripe for extensive mold growth.

Visible mold may appear on wood surfaces in an attic such as on rafters or roof sheathing.
Hidden mold may be present and may be even more of a problem if it forms in insulation or in the ducts and air handler of an air conditioning or heating/air conditioning system.
Mold from an attic might be a problem on lower floors: Typical building air convection currents tend to move air up and out from lower to upper building levels, so one would not think that much mold would move down from an attic into the living area. But important exceptions to this can quickly move problem mold from an attic into a living area. For more details on this topic see Attic Condensation & Ice Dams, Detection and Correcting Venting and Condensation Problems in buildings.

Conditions moving mold downwards from an attic include the following:
- Mold growth in HVAC ducts or air handlers found in an attic
- Mold on any attic surface or in attic insulation if it is a species producing airborne spores and if the building uses a whole house ventilating fan, especially if there is inadequate exit venting for the fan operation. This condition pressurizes the attic and moves mold down through various openings into the floors below.
- Mold on building surfaces in an attic or attic knee wall space which opens onto or has a knee wall common with an upper floor living space such as a bedroom.

Photograph of leaky wood shingles on a home exterior.

Building Exterior Leaks and Mold No mold cleanup project will be successful unless you correct the conditions that caused mold growth in the first place.

An expert inspection and report should find and suggest remedies for site and building exterior conditions that produce mold or for building areas that serve as a mold reservoir or as amplifiers for allergens, mold, mildew, excessive pollen or pet dander.
The basic steps: find all unwanted moisture sources, correct appropriate building, site, landscaping, & construction details. 90% of the wet basements and crawl spaces I see are caused by bad or missing roof gutters and downspouts.
An environmental investigator who has training and experience in building science, mycology (mold science), and IAQ, or in some cases an experienced ASHI-Certified home inspector or sick building investigator who is who has a similar in-depth understanding of construction failures can be helpful at this step.

The photograph shows a double problem with this wood shingle exterior wall: shingles are improperly installed and falling off of the home, inviting water to enter the wall structure. Because there is no roof overhang or eaves, and not even a gutter on the home, roof runoff runs right down this wall.

Photograph of plumbing leaks into a basement ceiling.

Building Interior Leaks and Mold: address interior conditions that produce or serve as reservoir or amplifier for common allergens: mold, pollen, pet dander as well as other possible respiratory irritants such as latex, paints, product-outgassing furniture or carpets, and renovation hazards such as lead paint or chemicals or other environmental issues.

Plumbing leaks that are unattended, water running under kitchen or bathroom cabinets when fixtures are in use, and air conditioning system condensate leaks into the building or into the HVAC duct work are examples of indoor leaks that can lead to a mold problem if not promptly attended.

The photograph shows extensive staining from protracted plumbing leaks in a house that was left unattended. The result was extensive basement mold requiring demolition and cleaning of large area of the home.

Photograph of leaks into HVAC duct work (C)DJ Friedman.
Indoor Humidity Control: What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem? A maximum indoor relative humidity of 55 should be OK, 50 better, 45 for an attic knee wall space which is not vented to outdoors. The moisture level you detect varies depending on when, where, and how you measure it.

For normal home use we like modern dehumidifiers such as this Sears ™ unit which permit setting a specific humidity level and also permit connecting the dehumidifier to a drain so that it can operate unattended. The article cited at the end of this paragraph explains the need for maintaining an anti-mold low humidity level in a building, sets moisture level targets, and tells you how to get the indoor moisture level into the desired range.
More detail about how to control indoor humidity is at Indoor Humidity Control:

Mechanical Systems (Heating and Air Conditioning Systems) and Mold: HVAC - Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Systems and Duct Work Cleaning and Remediation Issues & Advice about mold are needed from the same expert. I often find that a building owner has paid for "duct cleaning" only to discover that simply opening the air handler unit (AHU) shows a filthy or moldy blower compartment! Thoroughness is important as is the choice of duct replacement materials to reduce the chance of new mold growth and to make the system easier to clean.

Duct Cleaning for mold or bacterial contamination: Leaks into duct work wet organic dust and

Our experience is that fiberglass and fiberglass-lined ducts and air handlers cannot be cleaned effectively and worse, improper cleaning may cause dangerous release of fiberglass into the building air. Don't just spray ducts with disinfectants and sanitizers.
However it is also our experience that it's rare (not impossible, just rare) for the duct system itself to be the source of the main mold problem in a building.

The US EPA advises caution about using duct cleaning sprays and chemicals, the AIHA also advises that occupants may suffer from respiratory irritation from these chemicals, and research on fungicidal treatment of fiberglass HVAC ducts suggests that their effectiveness is limited anyway.

The photo shows stains indicating a history of leaks into this fiberglass lined HVAC duct. We recommended replacing the insulation, cleaning the duct interior (or replacing the duct work if that was less costly), and making sure that the leak source was repaired.

Indoor Air Cleaning Products can help improve indoor air quality, but watch out for products that are ineffective.

At least one study has shown that there at least up to 2005 there was not one portable free-standing home "air cleaner" or "air purifier" on the market that moved enough cubic feet of air per minute to actually clean a home much less a room of problem airborne particles.

Also see Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.

Portable air cleaners: The photo above shows a popular portable air cleaner in a room where we ran a time-lapse impaction sampler to collect particles at regular intervals to see what the machine seemed to be doing. We compared the particle levels in this room with the door shut, with the door open, and with other building areas.

OPINION: our clients' experience, confirmed by our own field testing suggest that in a room without severe dust and particle reservoirs (no pets, no wall to wall carpets), some air cleaners might reduce, but by no means eliminate, problematic airborne particles. The particle reservoir forms what is in a practical sense, an infinite particle source.

Central HVAC systems, with a much larger air handling capacity, can be equipped with filtration that can substantially reduce the level of indoor airborne particles. Their effectiveness can be increased still further if the system permits the fan and filtration to run continuously.

Air Cleaning Products are discussed and listed further \ here.

Fresh Air Ventilation / Air-to-Air Heat Exchange: contact local HVAC contractors and see products

These Articles Offer Details on Mold Prevention

Mold-Resistant Building Practices, advice from an expert on how to prevent mold after a building flood and how to prevent mold growth in buildings by selection of building materials and by anti-mold construction details.
Mold proof drywall? You Must Be Kidding!
Moisture control, dehumidification, ventilation: reduce conditions that encourage mold growth
- Condensation: Detecting and Correcting Attic Condensation and Preventing Ice Dam Leaks in buildings
- Humidity: What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem?
- IAQ or Anti Mold Products:Allergy/Asthma, Air Quality, Cleaning, Filtering, Ventilating, Dehumidification Products
- Contact a home inspector or a local de-watering contractor for inspection and advice

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About When, Why, How, and Where to Look for Building Mold

At MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE we discuss how to decide when it is appropriate to hire an expert to check a building for mold contamination.

Question: My elderly parent with health concerns lives in an older home that has roof leaks. Should we test for mold?

My mothers home is about 45 yrs. old. Recently, we noticed water spots on a wall and ceiling plus in the base ment ceiling tiles. This is a 2-story w/ attached dbl. garage. There has been NO flashing where the garage roof and the 2ns story meet. This is where the problems occur. She has also had many respiratory, memory lapses and constant sinus problems. We have read quite-a-bit on MOLD and believe this might be the problem. Could you advise us of the best road to take and who to call. - Thanks. W.B., Louisville KY

Reply: Set Priorities and Take a Sufficiently Broad Approach When Looking for Building-caused or Building-aggravated Health Worries

A competent onsite inspection by an expert usually finds additional clues that help accurately diagnose a problem. That said, here are some things to consider:

Since you know there is an ongoing leak, you need a competent roofing contractor to install the missing flashing and to inspect the rest of the roof for other flashing or leak problems you may not have noticed. More about roofing inspection, diagnosis, and repair is at ROOFING INSPECTION & REPAIR.

Ask your doctor, or in this case your mom's doctor if s/he can name specific environmental contaminants that, if present, would be likely to cause or aggravate any of your mom's medical problems.

In the absence of a large visible mold problem, you may be best served by a thorough onsite visual inspection for conditions that might produce mold or other unsafe building conditions;

You could hire a consultant to test for mold (unreliable without an accompanying thorough inspection) but because other hazards could be present, a more complete inspection that covers your mold concern plus other hazards may be more appropriate.

At MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE we discuss how to decide when it is appropriate hire someone to inspect for and test for mold contamination. There we explain some simple visual inspection steps you can take yourself and we outline risk factors that would add to an argument for hiring an expert - or not.

At MOLD TESTING METHOD VALIDITY we explain that building tests taken by themselves (without an expert inspection) are not very reliable for several reasons: the mold detected by some tests (such as cultures) may not be the most significant or dangerous mold present, and a test that does not detect mold does not assure that there is no problem mold present in a building.

Set priorities for building safety when performing an inspection to protect occupants. For example, where an elderly occupant is present, trip and fall hazards could be an immediate threat that needs attention. See ELDERLY & VETERANS HOME SAFETY.

You can find private home and building inspectors in your telephone book, from national home inspection associations, or at our EXPERT DIRECTORY.

We have no business nor financial connection with any product or service discussed at our website.

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

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
"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 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
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)
US EPA: Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Building [ copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
Mycology, Fundamentals of Diagnostic, Fran Fisher, Norma B. Cook, W.B. Saunders Co. 1998, ISBN 0-7216-5006-6 (buy this book at Amazon)
US EPA: Una Breva Guia a Moho - Hongo [on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Moho_Guia_sp.pdf - - en Espanol
Mycology, Fundamentals of Diagnostic, Fran Fisher, Norma B. Cook, W.B. Saunders Co. 1998, ISBN 0-7216-5006-6

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.

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.

Building inspection education & report writing systems from Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd

Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, have provided us with (and we recommend) Carson Dunlop Weldon & Associates' Technical Reference Guide to manufacturer's model and serial number information for heating and cooling equipment
Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Technical Reference Guide purchased as a single order. Just enter INSPECTATRG in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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 as /sickhouse/EPA_Mold_Remediation_in_Schools.pdf ] - US EPA
US EPA - Una Breva Guia a Moho - Hongo [on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Moho_Guia_sp.pdf - - en Espanol

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

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