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ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS GUIDE AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE ALLERGY TEST ACCURACY FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-priorities MOLD INFORMATION CENTER ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS - MOLD CLEANUP DO IT YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS FIND MOLD in BUILDINGS, HOW TO FUNGICIDAL SPRAY & SEALANT USE GUIDE HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND Hidden Mold Behind Paneling Hidden Mold Between Framing & Sheathing Hidden Mold in Flooring & Subflooring Hidden Mold in Wall Cavities Light colored toxic molds Moisture Gradients and Mold Other Places to Look for Hidden Mold Recognizing Cosmetic Mold Spotting Hard-to-See Mold Use a Flashlight to Find Mold Wall test cuts to spot hidden mold INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED INSULATION MOLD ITCHY FABRICS MOLD CLEANUP by MEDIA BLASTING MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT 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 Stuff that is Mistaken for Mold MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE MILDEW in BUILDINGS ? MILDEW ERRORS - MOLD PHOTOS MILDEW REMOVAL & PREVENTION MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD MOLD AGE - Old is the Mold? MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX MOLD CLEANERS - WHAT TO USE MOLD CLEANUP COMPANIES MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD MOLD REMEDIATION CLEARANCE INSPECTION MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES MOLD INSPECTORS & MOLD TESTERS MOLD EXPOSURE, FOOD HAZARDS MOLD EXPOSURE RISK LEVELS L1: Very-Low Mold Risk L2: Low Mold Risk L3: High Mold Risk L4: Contaminated MOLD EXPOSURE STANDARDS MOLD CONTAMINATION LEVELS MOLD TOXICITY VARIATION MOLD STANDARDS - GOVERNMENT MYCOTOXIN EFFECTS of MOLD EXPOSURE MOLD CONTAMINATION LEVELS, SPECIFIC MOLD FREQUENCY in BUILDINGS MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, GUIDE TO MOLD INSPECTORS & MOLD TESTERS MOLD LEVEL IN AIR, VALIDITY MOLD LEVEL REPORTS ACCEPTABLE MOLD LEVEL ACCURACY OF AIRBORNE MOLD SPORE COUNTS MOLD CLASSES, HAZARD LEVELS MOLD CULTURE PLATE TEST ERRORS MOLD LEVEL IN AIR, VALIDITY MOLD LEVELS on SURFACES MOLD LEVELS on SURFACES Mold Reporting Errors MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS MOLD TEST KITS MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS MOLD TESTING SERVICES MOLD TEST PROCEDURES MOLD TEST REASONS ODORS, Smells, Gases in Buildings-Diagnosis & Cure TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES More Information InspectAPedia Blog - News Updates Air Conditioning & Heat Pumps Bookstore Electrical Environment Exteriors Heating Home Inspection Insulate Ventilate Interiors Mold Inspect/Test Plumbing Water Septic Roofing Structure Accuracy & Privacy Policies Contact Us |
To assist in predicting the chances and degree of mold contamination in buildings, even when extensive mold is not visible, this document describes four levels of risk of existing mold contamination or future mold growth in buildings based on the building history, visual observations, and the materials of construction. Additional risk factors that need to be considered in deciding if a professional mold/IAQ investigation is warranted must include the health risk or vulnerability of building occupants and the existence of complaints at a building. See "When to hire a professional to investigate a building for toxic mold. Also see MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES for an index of what mold genera/species are frequently found on various building surfaces and materials. © Copyright 2010 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. Characteristics of Buildings or Building Areas at Very-Low Mold Risk: Mold Risk Level 1
Our photo (left) shows a wood paneled basement where we found no visible mold and no evidence of a history of water entry inside. Inspecting outside we did not find evidence of roof spillage or surface water runoff against or near the building. While hidden mold could be present, there were no building related health or air quality complaints, there was no visible evidence of mold or leaks, and no there was no report of building history that justified further more invasive mold inspection and testing. Level 1 Mold Risk Areas include areas and materials in a building for which there is no evidence of having become wet or exposed to high moisture, where no problematic mold has been detected, or where the materials are generally unfriendly to mold growth, such as clean, un-painted masonry surfaces. Mold can appear in these areas in the future if building conditions change or a new mold-related event occurs. Where a building is at risk-level 0, invasive inspection and expert mold testing are not required. Characteristics of Buildings or Building Areas at Low Mold Risk: Mold Risk Level 2
This category also includes instances where mold-friendly materials have become wet from a single event and where the materials were successfully and completely dried within 24 to 48 hours of becoming wet, leaving no hidden, enclosed cavities unattended. Our photo (left) shows a bath vanity in a bathroom where there was no visible mold. But the toilet (lower right) had a burst tank that flooded the ceramic tile floor as well as other areas of this home. Though no mold was visible, we removed the vanity to inspect behind it as part of the building rapid-dry-out procedure in an attempt to avoid a mold problem. The results are shown just below at L3: High Mold Risk. Mold is not visible and mold has not been detected by expert inspection and sampling. In the absence of mold-related occupant complaints expert inspection and testing are not required. Characteristics of Buildings or Building Areas at High Mold Risk: Mold Risk Level 3
Our photo (left) shows moldy drywall found behind a bathroom vanity cabinet that was removed for renovations. Water from a nearby tub ran across the floor and below this vanity cabinet where, trapped, it led to moldy drywall. It may be appropriate to cut open the drywall to confirm that there is not a larger mold contamination problem in the wall cavity, but the visible mold is less than 30 sq.ft. and is a small do-it-yourself mold cleanup project. In these wall cavities we did not find additional mold contamination and the cleanup was just a small mold project. Areas of mold contamination smaller than 30 sq.ft. of contiguous moldy material can usually be cleaned or removed as an ordinary cleaning project by a homeowner or cleaning service, without requiring expert mold inspection, testing and remediation services. Also see HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND. Characteristics of Buildings or Building Areas With Actionable Mold Contamination: Mold Risk Level 4
Areas of mold larger than 30 sq.ft.: No mold inspection nor testing is required to confirm that the property at left needs professional mold remediation. However inspection may be needed to define the extent and scope of mold cleanup and to prepare pre-cleanup test samples out of the work area to protect against cross-contamination during the mold remediation project. Non-cosmetic indoor mold found covering 30 sq.ft. or more of contiguous or effectively-contiguous space means that professional cleaning and possibly professional diagnostic inspection and testing are appropriate. See MOLD TEST REASONS for a discussion of when mold testing in buildings is appropriate. Also see HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND. Cosmetic molds such as bluestain are of no risk to the building or its occupants and should be addressed only if it is a cosmetic concern. See Recognize Harmless Black Mold for details. Expert sampling may suggest that significant problematic mold is present at an uncertain level/extent in the building, or mold may not have been detected. Additional inspection and testing are appropriate and may require use of invasive methods. ... Technical Reviewers & References
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