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Mold behind basement paneling can be easy to find if you follow the water. How to Perform Your Own Mold Inspection & Mold Cleanup

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT on when, where, how & why (or why not) to do your own mold inspection, mold testing, and mold cleanup

Do it yourself mold inspection & cleanup guide:

This article about looking for and dealing with indoor mold gives advice for an owner or occupant of a building who wants to start by doing their own mold investigation.

The steps in this document outline the procedures to find and fix a mold problem and 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.

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

- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?

Perform Your Own Mold Inspection, and Check for Mold-Causing Conditions

Very mold contaminated floor framing and subfloor © D Friedman at InspectApedia.com 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.

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

We 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?

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 mistreated. 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.

The basic steps in dealing with any mold problem include these 3 measures

  1. Find the mold, both visible and hidden mold reservoirs. If large areas of moldy material (more than 30 sq.ft. of contiguous moldy stuff) are present you should use a professional.
  2. Remove the indoor mold by cleaning or disposal of moldy materials
  3. Find and fix the causes of problem mold growth in the building so that you don't have to keep repeating this process.

Here are more details about how to proceed.

Step 1: find the problem mold reservoirs in the building & decide if you need to hire someone

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.

Our website includes detailed articles on finding and recognizing mold both on visible surfaces and by invasive methods such as cutting small openings at areas where there is high risk of a hidden mold reservoir (such as where leaks into a wall or ceiling have occurred).

For detailed advice see:

Decide if You Can Handle the Mold Clean-up Job Yourself:

Other factors that might lead you to hire a professional include the health vulnerability of building occupants, your own health vulnerability, and the type of cleanup or repairs needed.

For detailed advice see:

Step 2: remove the problem mold in the building

Clean-up the Mold: remove or clean up problem mold reservoirs.

Remember that some moldy materials like drywall and wall-to-wall carpet cannot be successfully cleaned and will need to be replaced.

Remember too that there may be hidden mold that will increase the size of the job. Example: if mold was caused by leaks into building ceiling, wall, or floor cavities, there is likely to be more mold hidden in those spaces .

Later below you'll read about stuff that is not mold or is only a cosmetic mold.

Watch out: the key word in mold remediation is "remove" - we need to clean off moldy surfaces that can be cleaned and dispose of moldy materials (such as drywall and insulation) that cannot be cleaned.

Painting-over mold or spraying "mold killers" like bleach are not effective and ultimately put building occupants at risk and risk still greater costs later.

For detailed advice see:

Step 3: Fix the Cause(s) of Indoor Mold Growth

Find and Correct The Causes of the 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.

Key technical articles at this website can help you find and correct the gating-factor that is most often associated with problem mold growth indoors: leaks or high moisture.

There are many possible sources of building moisture, all of which are addressed at InspectApedia, but I don't try to list every one of them here.

You can use our on-page search box for other leak types such as air conditioning condensate leaks, washing machine leaks, building flood events.

For detailed advice on the most-common buildig water sources see:

Health Risks for Mold Cleanup People & Mold Inspectors

 

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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2018-03-23 by (mod) - just use a sponge wetted with water or detergent to wipe away mold

What you described as fine

On 2018-03-22 by Lawrence

You recommended to just use a sponge wetted with water or detergent to wipe away mold. I removed a couple small black mold spots on ceiling by wiping with vinegar on a paper towel first. And then I sprayed some vinegar on the scouring side of a sponge and wiped it all off. It seemed to work well. Is it okay to do it like that or should I have just used water or detergent?

On 2017-09-30 by (mod) -

Betty,

Since water is a gating factor for mold growth in side buildings, I would be looking for probable leak points in the ceilings walls or floors of the room. That might be a Plumbing Leak, a leak around a window, or leaks into an exterior wall from a roof leak or ice dam. When I have an idea of the most likely leak area that's where I might make a small opening to inspect the wall cavity. I'm looking for Visible mold on the backside of the drywall or in the cavity on insulation, on wood framing, or on the inner surface of the exterior sheathing.

On 2017-09-30 by Betty

We have a room from where we get mouldy smell but cannot detect any mould in the room.

On 2017-05-24 by (mod) - How Do I Test For Black Mold

Christina,

Please try the InspectApedia search box just above to find our article series on HOW TO TEST FOR MOLD

- but I'll point out that testing for "black mold" is the wrong approach since there are more than 1.4 million mold genera/species, quite a few of which can be harmful to humans and that hundreds that can be found indoors in buildings that have been wet;

many of those harmful molds, particularly in the Aspergillus sp. or perhaps Penicillium sp. can be more dangerous than many if not all "black molds" found indoors, and are light in color, being green, gray, red, brown, blue, or other colors.

Further, testing for mold, even if your "test" finds mold, doesn't tell you what actions are needed. IF your home has a mold problem you need to find the moldy area and remove the mold, clean the surfaces that remain, and fix the leaks that caused its growth.

On 2017-05-24 by Christina Boyce

How Do I Test For Black Mold And Surten Mold And Test Human For Exposure To Black Mold Or Toxic Black Mold What Symptoms Can You Have From It

And I Have Personal Issue It Probably Do To That I Would I Know If It Is Or Not I live In apartment I been telling landlord along time about it and property management company and they never did nothing about it and I have a immune system disease and I haven't been feeling good and I think it spread through out rest shower stall

ause apartment above me has a leak and been for a long time mold started out small I did bleach thing and later down line it got alot bigger and I think spreaded and something hanging from mold on ceiling in my bathroom it's hanging down from it and apartment across from me my family and about have baby there's is the same I need help and no one helping what should I do can you please give me options advice help

or something I very read list of what you have on your site and I have quite a bit the symptoms I want to test the mold and test my self for the mold so have proof and I can do something about it no one believes a word I say I even have pics too only ceiling though I'm gonna take more of the rest the shower siñcerly I appreciate whatever insight you can give me please siñcerly a concerned for my health and the health of fam across from my apartment I'm concerned at all aspects and

everything I read and researched I research things I like to research things especially when comes to this I am glad I came across all the things I came across that I found about molds black mold and toxic black mold siñcerly a concerned person , christina

On 2016-11-08 by (mod) - I want to do a home test kit for mold

Jen,

I cannot recommend a home test kit for mold for the problem you describe.

Culture tests are 95% "wrong"when you open the package, since 95% of molds won't grow on any culture media whatsoever.
Airborne particle tests (done by a professional) are similarly unreliable as results vary by up to 4 orders of magnitude ("1" might be "400") depending on how a test is conducted and on test conditions. And a "negative" result is very unreliable again depending on how a test is conducted and on building conditions at the time.

Worse, neither of these tests is going to tell you where a problem is, what caused it, what cleanup is needed.

In short I can't bet your money and your health on a screening test with such a large range of possible errors.

Search InspectApedia.com (using the search box just above) for "WHEN TO HIRE AN EXPERT" for help deciding if bringing in an expert for a thorough visual inspection is appropriate.
If it's not, you might consider checking the floor under the carpet padding for absorbed odors and of course, since 2" of water is 1/2" higher than the thickness of a typical 2x4 partition wall sill plate, it's likely that drywall or paneling and perhaps insulation in and on finished basement walls were wet - making wall cavities an area worth further exploring by checking behind floor/baseboard trim and by a few strategic test cuts to look into the lower wall cavities.

Search InspectApedia.com for HOW TO FIND MOLD for more detailed help.

There is no single culture media that will grow all common indoor molds and no single mold culture media that will molds with equal efficacy. In addition, temperature, pH, humidity, relative abundance of specific airborne mold spores in the environment, spore settlement rate out of air, and other features add to the quantitative inaccuracy of a general culture media.

On 2016-11-07 by jen

We had a hot water heater leak all over the basement floors 2inches. Prior to this the baement was a dry area and this is a finished basement. The water was over 3/4 of the basement floors. Everything was wet that was on floor level in this area.

We cleaned it up and tried to dry out carpets with wet/dry vacuum and fans. We realized after months the smell was still bad. So we had the carpet and the padding replaced. The smell still has not gone away. We run a dehumidifier too. My office is in the basement so I sit down there all week pretty much. The door is closed on weekends and when I go down initially on Mondays the smell is not good.

For the last 2 fall and winter seasons I have had bad respiratory type colds, bronchitis, and nasal swelling. Not sure if related or not. I typically was very healthy with no allergies.

I want to do an at-home test kit what do you recommend based on the info above?
Thanks for any help.
Jen

On 2016-05-08 by (mod) - I have a wet crawl space under my house

Connie:

I can't say with so little information about your home just what a fan will do; it depends.

Certainly I'd not want to put the crawl area under positive pressure lest we push moldy air up into the occupied space above. I'd start by removing the insulation and then have a thorough inspection to find what surfaces need cleaning. Just blowing air around won't remove a mold problem and could make it far more dangerous.

As you probably understand you can't complete the cleanup before the leaks are fixed.

On 2016-05-05 by Connie

I have a wet crawl space under my house from a leaking water line. I am going to fix the problem, but, it has been leaking for some time. If I remove the insulation around the area, and all debris, and then use a fan, will that take care of any potential mold.

(June 15, 2011) spotter said:
thank you this was helpful

Question: how do we clean up mold in the bathroom?

I suspect we have mold in the bathroom of our apartment. I found your website in the course of trying to get information verifying my suspicion and to find how it might be possible to fix the problem myself (because we cannot afford to pay for commercial remediation services). I do hope that we qualify for Pro Bono assistance under your conditions for making it available.

I am 79 years old, my wife is 73. Both of us have COPD and are asthmatic, but she has emphysema and needs a humidifier and oxygen tank in the apartment (which she uses each night to be able to sleep); my breathing problems are much less severe, although I do have Apnea and have to sleep with a CPAP machine. Both of us have had cancer (in remission) and I have had a triple coronary bypass. I am living with other heart-related (valve and low EF) problems.

I'm not complaining, Daniel. Growing old is seldom easy unless one considers the alternative. But our situation is what it is, and I would like to make what is left of our lives as comfortable as possible.

I noticed recently that I have more difficulty breathing in the apartment than when I go outside (which is not really a good option because the high temperature and humidity does not represent a good tradeoff).

It is not clear to me what is the next step if we do qualify for your Pro Bono assistance. Please advise. - B.G. 7/14/12

Reply:

I would be glad to assist you but because we're working out of the U.S. I cannot offer onsite investigation nor testing for quite some time.

Do-it-yourself mold investigation advice: visual inspection for mold

It is entirely reasonable for a homeowner to make a first pass effort at tracking down a mold problem, principally by a visual inspection for obvious and visible mold contamination in the home and for visual evidence of past or current leaks or moisture problems that invite mold growth.

See MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE.

Watch out: people who are elderly, immune impaired, asthmatic, allergic, or otherwise in fragile health are at extra risk from indoor mold and allergens or other air quality issues, and can be at still greater risks if such folks undertake their own cleanup project. From your description in my opinion you are at extra risk and should avoid disturbing mold nor other potential indoor dust, allergens, etc. And you should not let an amateur make a dusty mess in your home either.

Follow the water trail

A second level of such investigation is to look for evidence of leaks or moisture traps and investigate those areas of the building further.

For small areas of indoor mold, in my view less than 30 sq.ft., a DIY approach is also reasonable for people in good health and not sensitive or at extra risk to mold. See MOLD CLEANUP, DO IT YOURSELF

When to hire an expert

You'll see that because of potential health risks and also ultimate cleanup costs that can occur if an amateur attacks a larger indoor mold problem, I advise against tackling a larger problem - that would be when a professional service is needed.

See MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE for help in deciding if you need to hire an expert. I'm not the only consultant who offers reduced fees or no fees whatsoever to people whose means are limited. So don't be afraid to ask others in your area for some help. It may be that local senior citizens aid associations in your community will also offer financial assistance should you need it. Check with your local office for the aging.

I also advise against superficial mold tests or screens using cultures or air tests alone, with no expert inspection. A negative mold contamination test result by itself can be quite unreliable

(see MOLD TEST METHODS, ACCURACY)

and even a positive mold test result is not very helpful as it may not point to the actual mold growing in the building but rather to the mold that liked the test media; even if such a test suggests that there is a mold problem it hasn't told you where to look nor what to do about it.

Question: how should I clean off moldy kitchen cabinets and shelving?

I have started to remodel my basement and in the interim my dehumidifier broke. It is a second home so it was several weeks before I replaced the dehumidifier. The contractor informed me y That there is mold growing on most of the unfinished surfaces. There are cabinets without the tops, doors, etc. how do I safely remove? Thank you, K.C. 8/15/2013

Reply: use a household cleaner, HEPA vacuum, and consider sealing wood surfaces to reduce moisture uptake & future mold growth

Any household cleaner should be fine. If you want to reduce the moisture uptake of wood and are ok with a coating, when the surfaces are clean and dry you can coat with an appropriate clear sealant or paint.

Watch out: as you'll note in our discussion above, large areas of mold generally merit cleanup by a professional.

Question: Repairs for laminate flooring that pops up and smells moldy

(Sept 5, 2014) Michele said:
Just purchased a property. Laminate popping. Looked un de rand smelled mold. What to do?

Reply:

Michele you'll need to remove the damaged flooring, clean the surfaces, find and fix the leak.

Question: fixing moldy broken shower tiles

(Jan 2, 2015) Anonymous said:
Have a tile shower with broken tiles and black color mold that continues to regrow. How do I fix this and is it safe to remove it yourself

Reply:

Anon if the mold is growing in tile grout, the total area is unlikely to be so great (more than 30 sqft of contiguous non-cosmetic mold) as to require professional cleaning (you can remove such areas yourself using normal household cleaners), nor likely to be the principal health risks in the building. It can be difficult to remove the residual mold stains in tile grout without using a bleaching cleanser or re-grouting those tiles with mold-resistant grout or caulk.

Watchout: I'm unclear what's going on with broken tiles however. I'd be worried that your bath is leaking into the wall cavity, risking a larger, more serious hidden mold problem.

Question: builder says painting prevents mold; says I should just bleach and paint it.

Victoria said:
my builder guaranteed me that the ordinary drywall (not blue board) would be effective against mold as long as it was painted first and I turned my fan on. A year later and I have a mold problem. He found that my fan wasn't properly vented (not punched thru the soffits),

but said I just needed to kill mold with bleach then paint a mold-proof paint over it when completely dry. The bleach DID appear to get rid of the mold, but before I use that bathroom shower again, or paint with an anti-mold paint, am I sure I've gotten rid of the mold?

Could some have gotten behind the drywall or inside it? I don't want harmful mold growing on the studs under those newly painted walls.

Reply:

"Killing" mold with bleach is the wrong approach, ineffective, potentially dangerous. If drywall is moldy it should be replaced and the cause of mold growth (moisture or leaks) repaired. If there is mold on the wood framing or in the wall cavity you'll want to clean those surfaces and you'll want to replace any insulation that was moldy or wet.

Doing a half-baked job means doing it over again later.


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