What does green mold look like on indoor building surfaces?

These mold spores and their photographs and examples of materials sometimes mistaken for mold have been collected in the U.S., Spain, Mexico, France, as well as in other countries where I've studied bioaerosols.

These photos of mold on indoor building surfaces may help you recognize mold in buildings, recognize probably-cosmetic mold, and recognize stuff that is not mold and does not need to be tested.

Photographs to Help Identify Mold in buildings -
What mold looks like in a home or other buildings

Identification Photographs of Green Mold in buildings

Among the 1.5 million mold species, there are quite a few that may be found in buildings and that are green or green-gray in color. Three very common indoor mold groups found indoors and that include visible green mold growth are some members of the Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., and Trichoderma sp. mold genera.

Green mold can be easily seen on building surfaces but it cannot be reliably identified to genera/species without analysis by a qualified aerobiologist/microscopist in a test lab.

Our photographs which follow show the typical appearance of green and gray-green molds on building surfaces indoors.

The photograph (above left) of thick green mold growth appearing on plywood subflooring over a wet crawl space was taken at a vacation home located at the edge of a lake.

The combination of wet soils, roof spillage against the foundation, and long periods of inattention subjected this house to water damage and problematic mold growth.

This photograph (above) of thick green mold growth was taken on cardboard boxes and contents stored in a basement closet subjected to not only leaks through a foundation wall but also recurrent basement flooding.

The presence of black mold and white mold on this box suggest that we may have at least three different genera/species of mold growing in this area.

You can also see tan colored mold on the wooden picture frame on which this box sits, and white mold growing on the cigar boxes at the lower right of the photo.

This photograph shows thick green mold growth on furniture, side-lit by our flashlight. the Green mold on furniture in a damp moldy basement, Aspergillus photo shown in thumbnail just below is a larger view of this item.

Our lab examination determined that this mold, which was quite green to the naked eye, also contained Aspergillus niger (a black mold in the microscope).

Interestingly this very moldy furniture had been in this (very wet) location only three weeks according to our client.

Green mold on furniture in a damp moldy basement, Aspergillus sp. is shown just above.

Green mold on drywall and cabinetry in a flooded basement, or blue-green mold is shown in this photograph. The mysteriously-sharp line marking the top edge of this mold growth was very important.

Dissection of the wall showed that a 12-inch strip of drywall had been removed and replaced around the entire room perimeter. The mold growth line marked the cut edge and taped-over repair - and a change in moisture levels of the materials which slowed mold spread above this point.

A previous owner had repaired previous water and flood

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Is this green stuff between bathroom vent wood panels mold?

This green substance is in between the wood panels above where my bathroom vent lets out air into the ceiling, is this mold?

On 2023-03-09 by Lcc -

by InspectApedia Editor

@Lcc,

Possibly, there are greenish molds, and you've had moisture in the area.

The total amount of possible mold contamination -in square feet - is trivial and might be cleaned with any household cleaner and perhaps a small brush.

The question I'd have is: what's on the other side of that wood paneling?

Is there a history of building leaks or moisture problems? If so, further investigation is in order.

Also see MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE

 

How do I get green mold off of paper?

How do I remove green fuzzy mold from sheets of paper? On 2017-07-15 by Luis

Reply by (mod) -

Luis, other than gentle dry wiping to remove what you can, more completely-removing mold from paper probably requires the efforts of a paper conservator.

Advice is in the article above and other examples (using photographs that are moldy)

and at BOOK / DOCUMENT MOLD & WATER DAMAGE RESTORATION 

What is the green mold on my garage ceiling?

I have a small patch of light green mold on my garage ceiling. It is located beneath my master bathroom. It wipes off like dust with a cloth, but comes back. What could this be? On 2016-06-15 by kristina

Reply by (mod) -

Kristina:

There could be a leak into the ceiling above; look for water stains;

If the mold returns I'd cut a small opening into the ceiling to check for hidden mold on the cavity side of the drywall and to find the leak.

I cleaned off green mold in my shed but it came back

Cleaned shed , I mean every thing, and 4 months green mold back On 2016-04-20 by Jody

Answer by (mod) -

Jody

Cleaning is good, but finding and fixing the water leaks or source of high moisture is also required to prevent mold in or on buildings.

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Continue reading at INVISIBLE MOLD or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS  - details about specific mold genera/species and their health effects.
• HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND - home
• MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE
• MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD
• MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX - atlas of building molds and for more microphotographs of building mold samples observed in our laboratory
• MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, PHOTOS
• MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE  - Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens on indoor building surfaces.

Suggested citation for this web page

GREEN MOLD PHOTOS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to MOLD CONTAMINATION & REMEDIATION

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