FAQs on how to recognize mold contamination in buildings:

Mold recognition FAQs and references to an online reference photo library of various kinds and colors of mold found in buildings.

These pictures of mold on building surfaces help you recognize mold in buildings and also heo you to recognize stuff that is not mold and does not need to be tested.

FAQs on how to Recognizing Mold Contamination

6 atlases or indices of building mold

1. MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX - A-to-Z Mold Atlas of Indoor Clinical Mold, Pathogens, Allergens & Other Indoor Particles
2. MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE - What Does Black or Dark Indoor Mold Look Like? Black Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library. What toxic black mold or other indoor mold looks like in buildings.
3. MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, PHOTOS - What Does Mold Look Like on Various Materials & Surfaces? An extensive photographic guide to mold as it is found growing on various building materials & surfaces.
   
   Also see MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, TABLE OF - a Table of Kinds of Mold Growth Found on Building Surfaces, lists mold genera/species most often found on specific building surfaces, materials, or contents
4. MOLD in the PETRI DISH, PHOTOS. - Photographs of Mold Growing on Petri Dishes or Mold Culture Plates or Settlement Plates
5. MOLD by MICROSCOPE - Mold spores under the Microscope - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of toxic or other mold
6. MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS - Mold Related Illness: Index of Symptoms. Readers should not rely on this document for medical diagnosis and instead should consult with their physician or with a specialist such as a medical toxicologist

The building mold questions and answers found below were posted originally at MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE

 

Question: worried about mold related illness

(Mar 24, 2014) tracey said:

Our water heater tank in basement of my condo burst open and a couple of inches of water standing in basement of our 1947 built building.I asked the man replacing it what he was going to do about the standing water. He said, " It will dry up in time". I was shocked! My old neighbor across the hall said they had mold in their place too, but they moved out.

The lady downstairs is 70 who moved in 4 months ago has become sick and I have been sick at 53 with a week immune system. My skin has been getting rashes,I have severe brain fog, joint aches, gums receding and even my 2 year old dog can't jump up on the bed anymore. I have eye twitching and hair loss.

I am scared I am really sick because they say the skin is the sign of inside problems. I bought my condo outright and afraid I will loose my home and not be able to sell it and have no where to go. Is the HOA responsible and how do we prove it? How can I tell if it is what is the cause of all my symptoms?

The lady downstairs rents. I just got back from being away 12 days and my skin got better and didn't have the joint aches that I wake up with here at home. It was a light turning on that something in my home is making me sick. I am on disability and live on a small income. Can you guide me? Thank you Tracey

Reply:

A couple of inches of standing water will "dry up in time" is not sensible from a viewpoint of what's needed to avoid mold contamination indoors. I'd have asked "in time for what?"

Even if the basement were totally unfinished - absent of mold friendly materials like stored cardboard boxes, paper, drywall, wood, etc., evaporating a large volume of water in a building basement is most likely sending that moisture up through the entire structure. At times we even see attic condensation traced to a wet basement.

Not to panic, but if mold-friendly stuff gets wet and we don't dry it out in a couple of days, mold growth is a likely result.

And when a building is occupied by elderly or immuno-compomised people, the risk from any environmental contaminants or irritants, mold, insect fragments, bacteria, is more significant.

START by consulting with your doctor, including discussing her opinion of whether or not your complaints are likely to be related to the environment in your home.

If the doc says yes, then see our article MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT, HIRE ? for some help in deciding if you need an onsite expert to examine the building. DO NOT hire someone who's just going to "do a test" - as what's needed is a diagnostic inspection. Otherwise, even with a test result that hints at an indoor problem (mold contamination for example) we don't know how to proceed because we don't know where the problem lies.

Question: humidifier & pets caused mold?

(Apr 22, 2014) Anonymous said:

My teenage son had a tank with a live animal and constantly had a humidifier going in his room. He no longer has this, but I noticed the following and am concerned that it may be mold. One of the walls in his room has a white looking type stain all over the wall. It almost looks like a water drip but there aren't any leaks at all.

It is white but strangely it only appears on one wall in his room. It is an outside wall that this white looking mold appears on. He has another outside wall that is painted a dark color but I don't see anything on that wall or the other two inside walls that are painted the same color as the wall with the possible mold on it.

Does it sound like mold to you? If so how can I get rid of it?

Will re-painting the wall eliminate the mold or will the mold still continue to grow if in fact it is mold? the tank was kept on his wood night table and now the table has these mold looking black dots on it. I want to throw it out but my husband thinks I should just clean it with bleach.

Do either of these seem like mold and what would be the treatment? Thank you Nan

Reply:

Anon, sorry but I can't identify mold from a text description such as that below. White stuff on a wall may be a mold growth or mineral deposit or discoloration. Take a look at the WHITE MOLD PHOTOS article At the ARTICLE INDEX at the end of this article .

The response to mold contamination is to remove the material and fix its cause. If mold is growing on drywall the most effective repair is to remove the moldy drywall, assure no mold growth in the cavity behind it, and re-drywall, prime and paint.

If I thought that a wall was never actually wet and was not worried about a hidden mold resevoir in the wall cavity and if I were looking at a trivial area - a foot square, say, I'd just clean and paint the surface - breaking the "rules" of best practice.

At the topic home page MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE - or by searching you can find our articles on bleaching mold - generally the wrong approach.

People who are renting a home with mold problems will want to see our mold advice for renters: RENTERS & TENANTS ADVICE for UNSAFE or UNHEALTHY HOME

Question: mold on wood cabinets

(July 14, 2014) Anonymous said:

I have some wooden cabinets that have what I am told is mold. There are craft papers on the bottom shelf and there is a powdery blue/green substance they say is mold. There was water on the floor but we don't know how long. I believe it was only a week or two. Is this substance mold?

Reply:

Anon,

With just your e-note no responsible person would assert whether or not we're looking at mold or something else, but certainly mold can grow on a mold friendly material in 24-48 hours of that surface becoming wet.

Unless you are facing very large cleanup cost or have a special medical need, I would not test the suspect mold. Rather, remove the cabinets, clean all surfaces, then when the surfaces are dry, seal them with an appropriate coating such as clear shellac - on ALL surfaces. Certainly you'd toss the craft paper.

Question:

(July 24, 2014) sharon said:

I have just moved in to a new apt building. After just a week of being here I have been really sick. I notice there is a lot of black mold in the laundry and storage rooms. I tried to talk to the apt manager but to no avail. What can I do. I don't have the funds to move again.

Reply:

Sharon

We give mold-problem advice for tenants at

inspectapedia.com/sickhouse/Rental_Unit_Mold.php

Question:

(Sept 8, 2014) Michelle said:

I have been living in my house for 6 months but only noticed yesterday that there is a very pale-mid green colour on the very top of the wall walking up the stairs. This also is in patches in several places on the same wall but its too high for me to reach. I have not noticed this before and do not think it was there when I first moved in.

This also appears to be under the bottom of door frame outside bedroom at top of landing. I peeled back wallpaper there and there is no mold or damp behind it. I do not understand why this green is appearing on the outside of the wallpaper! Is it possible that the stairwell (which is half open to the lounge) can accumulate mold?

I had wondered if the previous wallpaper behind it was geen but there doesn;t appear to be any green wallpaper. The colour is like pale mint ice-cream! Please could you advise? It does not appear anywhere else in the house. Thanks

Reply:

Michelle

At the ARTICLE INDEX at the end of this article see these article
GREEN MOLD PHOTOS
and
LIGHT COLORED MOLD

for help in deciding if what you are seeing is mold or something else.

If your indoor air is at high humidity or if there are building leaks you might expect any of several green molds growing on building surfaces. If this is mold it needs to be removed and its cause corrected.

Question: black mold in 1975 mobile home

(Sept 16, 2014) Roberta said:

I bereaved we have black mold through out our 1974 mobile home. Do mobiles have to be replaced when black mold is present?

Reply:

Roberta,

You ask an important question: at what point do we condemn a property rather than repair it. The answer, as Mark Cramer says, is "It depends...."

You'd need a thorough, expert inspection to find the location and extent of mold removal and leak repairs that are needed for the specific mobile home. Compare that cost to the value of the home or to its replacement cost.

Watch out: "black mold" is an over-poplular worry in that there are many mold genera/species that can grow in buildings, that can be harmful, and that are not black at all but may be white, green, red, yellow, or other colours.

Question: mold inspections for invisible mold

(Oct 3, 2014) Celeste said:

How effective is a mold inspection if you can no longer see the mold? In August, there was black stuff on my basement walls (block walls, I guess). When I ran my finger over the black stuff, it acted like soot. Now, with the dryer, colder weather, most of that black appearance is gone, but a little remains.

I am allergic to mold and have been sick all of August and now into October.

My kids all have respiratory illnesses with compromised systems, so they should not be around it either. My landlord refuses to have anything done or tested. Since it's no longer visible, I wonder if he's drug his feet too long and a mold inspection and test would be ineffective (since it can no longer be seen). Will a mold inspector still be able to determine the extent of the mold and what needs to be done, even if it is no longer visible on the walls?

Reply:

Celeste:

As Mark Cramer says ... it depends. If this is a post-cleanup cleareance the inspector can assess the extent and quality of the cleanup job and can confirm that the mold growth cause was identified and fixed.

If what you thought was mold has disappeared on its own , I don't know what to make of the level of risk or the need for an inspection. But certainly a competent mold inspection must consider the chances of hidden problematic mold in a building cavity such as a wall or ceiling, not just mold that's visible.

And keep in ind that small amounts (under 30sqft) of indoor mold growth without other data to suggest a bigger problem don't merit the cost and trouble of a professional inspection.

(Oct 4, 2014) Celeste said:

If I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying unless it's an area larger than 30 sqft, it doesn't pay to get it inspected. If that's true, what is someone in my position (allergic to mold and children with compromised respirator problems) supposed to do? Moving isn't really an option due to lack of housing availability.

The insurance adjuster was here and said the ground from the driveway slopes toward the house, rather than away from it, and the "grade" of it should be raised to slope away from the house (leaving me to think that's the source of the water problem). If that's the case (and dirt is not added) any time there is a large amount of water, it will drain into the basement walls and cause a problem. Correct?

Doesn't that have to be dealt with and then the mold cleaned up? Due to risks associate with mold, I'm afraid to just bleach it myself. Even if I did, would that really help anything? I don't know if this is isolated to the basement or has spread to other areas of the house (I'd read on one website that mold in your toilet is a sign of a mold problem -- and I always have mold in my 2nd floor toilet).

I'm searching for options and correct answers to solve this rather than just applying a "bandaid" quick fix that really won't help in the long run. Any ideas and advice you can offer would be appreciated.

Reply:

Celeste

Right; most expert sources point out that for small areas of mold contamintion, ordinary cleaning procedures are sufficient. But for someone who is particularly sensitive, you might want someone else to do the work.

In-slope grade towards a building invites water entry, leaks, and thus could be a contributor to mold problems. A more careful inspection could corroborate this by noticing where water is actually entering the stucture.

Just "bleaching" mold is incorrect and unsafe. The moldy surfaces are physically cleaned to remove the mold; stuff that can't be cleaned such as moldy drywall, insulation, carpet, is removed and discarded.

Key to "fixing" the mold problem rather than a wasteful superficial or temporary "band-aid" approach is to find and remove the mold and find and fix its cause.

Question:

(June 6, 2015) Lorraine said:
We have had some really heavy rains and the ground water filled the window well which then came in through the window from the track it slides open on. It then flooded the bedroom, carpet, pad, drywall and even started to go into the outer room by the bathroom.

I had a mold company come over and they suspect mold will grow. I have removed all the carpet, pad and baseboards of all the affected area. To my surprise in this same bedroom the cement floor is cracked from wall to wall. The drywall had bubbled just under the window. The company used some kind of tester that told him the wall was wet clear up about six inches of the window.

We are expecting more rain. I have not seen any black mold yet but am terrified of it as I have seen it with my job and do not like it let alone want it in my house. how long does it take for mold to grow? and Should I just tear out the drywall now? Thanks.

(July 7, 2015) James said:
I am doing some work for a client whose former tenant allowed a dishwasher to leak for an extended period of time. The leak happened above a finished garage/basement space and resulted in extensive amounts of mold growing on the ceiling.

The house is located in Northwest Florida and is subject to high humidity. From looking at your photos of black mold I suspect that this is what has taken hold of the space. Before doing anything about this myself I wonder if there is a site where I can send pictures to help identify the type of mold that is growing.

I'm not sure that my client understands the possible severity of what is going on and would prefer to hand the problem off to a mold remediation company if needed. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

(Aug 22, 2015) Barb said:
Bgries7@ Gmail.com

Question: health issues after moving out of an apartment where there was a plumbing leak - is it toxic black mold?

(Sept 19, 2015) Connie said:
I recently moved out of a apartment that had a plumbing leak that affected all carpet and floors. I was not aware of this until after 4mounths of living there I began to have health issues that were so strange I thought I was going crazy. it was at that time I began to see mold and baseboards crumbling.

I hired a mold company to check this out the results were high indoor molds but no black found. 3 months later I was so ill I packed up and moved. Still doctors said seek mental help. It's been I year since I moved my symptoms are so severe I don't to leave the house everything points to morgellens. Do you think this mold could have triggered this disease? Oh and the hvac unit was so dirty it was coverd in black slimy egg looking things.any clue? Thank you

Reply:

Connie

Looking for "black mold" is a fundamental error since among the 1.5 million mold genera/species there are plenty that may be allergenic or more harmful but that are not black. If your mold company was "looking for black mold" I have less confidence in their knowledge and expertise.

Morgellons disease is a complex of mental and possibly physical symptoms that needs to be discussed with your doctor. I'd start there and ask the doctor if s/he thinks your complaints could be caused or be aggravated by exposure to environmental contaminants such as mold. If so, and **IF** the contents you took with you when you moved were exposed to moldy dust, some additional cleaning may be in order.

Question:

(Oct 1, 2015) Kjones said:
I have a large mirror in a wooden frame. Shells have been glued to the wooden frame. It has been standing on a concrete floor in my basement which is humid, as is every place where I live. I just discovered black, spongy mold growing all over the glue under the shells (which are falling off). There is no mold anywhere else. Any idea what this is? Should I be concerned?
KJones

Question:

(Oct 16, 2015) Rodney Caupp/student said:
My apartment in Licking County,Ohio was the 4 unit common type building in which the bathrooms were on the second floor, "above the kitchen cabinets". Most of these apartments had mold issues. I went to the county health dept, and was told, "nothing is Known about mold to be able to make claims of risk to ones health".

That's your pinstripe suit wearing government's opinion on the issues of life. Ohio. These were off-campus housing for The ohio State university students in Newark, Ohio. "Truth"

Question: I thought we had a mold problem but the Landlord says it's just "mildew"

(Feb 29, 2016) Donna said:
I told my landlord that I thought we had a mold problem and they said it was mildew me and my family stay sick and I keep telling the and they keep saying it is mildew now they are kicking us out can they do that well if it is mold I guess we better move but we have no where to go please help us understand why we keep getting sick if it is just mildew

Reply:

Mildew, Donna, is a specific sub-type of mold that grows ONLY on living plants. You will never find "mildew" growing on indoor surfaces such as drywall, wood, insulation, etc. And I'm doubtful that mildew growing on plants would explain family illness. In deHoog's atlas of clinical fungi, mildew does not make much of an appearance.

Question: how to salvage moldy lumber

(Mar 20, 2016) Kim said:
My boyfriend and I had cut down trees and had them milled down to 2" x 6 and stored them in a dry area under a carport type building with stick between each layer. It's been about 6 or 7 months and we just took them out to cut to length and noticed severe black mold on many of the boards, some green, some yellow, alot of white on the black mold.

Were both extremely upset as we did this to save money on buying expensive pine boards from the lumber company. Although we spent a bit on the milling, was suppose to save us money in the end. My question is wether or not we can save any of these boards or if it was all for nothing. I imagine the ones that have the black mold through the entire board are no good as I assume they will continue to rot.

Can't have our barn we are building fall in. Can we save any of them. They are already the thickness they need to be so we cant plane them down any. Can we treat the lesser mold ones or will the mold continue to grow?

(Mar 20, 2016) Kim said:
My boyfriend and I cut down some trees on our property and had them milled to the thickness we wanted. We are using them rought cut to build a pullbarn. We stacked them on a trailer with stick between each row to give proper ventilation and stored under a dry carport type building. Its been 6 to 7 months and we just pulled them out to cut to length and noticed 70% of the wood has black mold on them with white as well on really severe ones.

Many go through the entire board. They are already to the thickness we need so we cant plane any off. Is there any salvaging of the wood, maybe the not so moldy ones or should we just lose out on the money used to have them milled and just have a big bonfire as we dont want our barn falling in cuz they continue to rot. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I think we just wasted alot of money, but am hoping we can save some.

Reply:

Kim:

Depending on where your wood was stored, temperatures, weather, moisture levels, mold-growth on wood is no surprise. The mold that grows on wood ranges from cosmetic to harmful: one can't guess from just your e-text.

For an outdoor building and wood that will be under a roof and off of the ground, you will probably be just fine as long as you don't use visibly rotted or soft wood. For cosmetic reasons you can power-wash the ugly posts if you like.

Question: dark marks on closet walls behind boxes

(Apr 19, 2016) Donna said:
What would cause dark marks on my walls behind boxes I was moving from my closet? The marks could not be washed off. Some were odd shapes, for example I had a box measuring 6" x 12", on my shelf in my closet. When I moved the box, which had been in that location less than a year, there was a dark squ are measuring approximately 3" × 3".

The mark as a blackish color and could not be washed off. Behind other boxes there were other black marks, which couldn't be washed off either. I'm wondering if there was a chance that when it was painted, black mold was present. I had a lot of the symptoms that black mold can causes and now that I no longer live there
don't have the symptoms I had been experiencing

Reply:

Lack of air circulation, accumulated moisture, sticking housedust

Question: discovered black mold with greenish tint in mobile home

(Apr 22, 2016) ALETHEA said:
On repairing a leak in my wall we discovered blackmold with greenish tent to it.come to find out my whole 12,000 square foot mobil is covered in this mold. made my family sickpeople say their is simmular molds that look like the toxic one.id like to see some pictures so I can tell the diffrence

Reply:

Sure Althea, we have published a number of articles with photographs of what mold looks like, starting at

MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE - click the ARTICLE INDEX to MOLD CONTAMINATION & REMEDIATION live link given just above at CONTINUE READING and you'll find that whole article series.

But in fact, with a small exception of harmless cosmetic-only black molds found on some framing lumber in buildings (and very unlikely in a mobile home), most molds found growing on building surfaces or contents are harmful, being allergenic, or more harmful as pathogens or toxic species.

And the mold cleanup requirements are the same regardless of which mold color or species is present.

I'd like to see some sharp photos of your home from outside and inside some photos of the mold you are seeing, and I may be able to comment further. Use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to find our email. Any comments we may offer are "pro-bono" or at no charge.

(Apr 30, 2016) alethea loveett said:
My mobilewas built in 1970.for the past 6 years or more it has fallen under major disrepair it has had a hidden leak coming from the roof for at least 6years.we have replaced a wall and part of the floor do to massive water damage.I havemold in every part of my house.

Can't aford to get it removef.or move what do I do is their help.

(mod) said:
Aletha

Search InspectApedia.com for MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE for complete details. Here is a description of the basic procedure:

You'll see in that article series that you will need to
- find and fix the leak
- remove and dispose of stuff that can't be cleaned, such as drywall, insulation, carpeting, upholstered couches etc.\
- clean hard surfaces - any household cleaner will work
- optionally, seal dry sealers with a fungicidal paint or even spray lacquer or lacquer primer/sealer paint
- restore insulation & finished surfaces

Watch out: cleanup of more than 30 sqft is normally done by a professional who sets up negative airpressure in the work area (fans blowing out) and dust containment to keep from cross contaminating other home areas (may not apply if your home is completely empty), and the workers wear protective clothing, goggles, and a HEPA + VOC filter rated respirator. If you don't protect yourself adequately you could get sick.

Question: Is there a way for me to upload pics and get advice

(May 27, 2016) Random guy said:
Is there a way for me to upload pics and get advice

Reply:

Sure Random. Use the page top or bottom CONTACT link.

Question: hills of fluffy gray stuff on furnace filter - is it mold?

(June 16, 2016) Stephanie said:
Hi, I just changed my furnace filter today. Last time was in March. It had 5 or 6 spots of large hills of fluffy gray stuff. Is that mold? If so, can you venture to guess what kind? Thank you.

Reply:

Stephanie, I really can't say what are the hills of fluffy gray stuff on your air filter, though clots of lint would be the most common debris in household dust caught by an air filter.

See inspectapedia.com/aircond/Air_Handler_Leaks.php to read about the conditions that might make mold growth likely. You can also use our page top or bottom CONTACT link to send us photos for comment.

June 16, 2016) Stephanie said:
... do you think it's gray mold? My house is 100 years old and the basement is around 55-60 percent humid
My washer and dryer are upstairs on the first floor

I threw the filter away already, otherwise I'd send a picture. BTW, thank you for responding so quickly.

(mod) said:
No one who is even slightly informed can identify hills of fluffy gray stuff on your air filter from a brief e-text, though clots of lint would be the most common debris in household dust caught by an air filter.

Question: puffy tan yellow mold growing on ceiling where there was a leak

(June 17, 2016) Keyandra said:
I have a puffy tan or yellow mold growing on my ceiling where we have a leak.I have searched and not been able to find the name or if it is hazardous or not. Do you know this description, when sprayed with Lysol it deflated or fried up some.

Reply:

Key

Use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to send me some sharp photos of the mold; I'd like to see it and can comment further.

But spraying with Lysol won't fix anything. The source of the leak that caused mold growth needs to be found and fixed, and the moldy drywall removed and the cavity above cleaned;

Question: black wall on bedroom near A/C duct - a worry?

(June 30, 2016) Anonymous said:
I have a wall unit air conditioner in my apartment, there is a duct through the wall into my bedroom, I noticed the other day a block substance on my bedroom room wall near the duct. I took the small grill off and there was a black substance in the duck and small whitish mounds inside the duct. I told the manager about it and she said it was most likely mildew, now the air from this duct blows onto my bed and face. Do I have reason to be concerned

(June 30, 2016) Estel ezell said:
That should have said black in the message above

Reply:

There is no mildew in buildings; mildew is a very small subset of the mold genera that grows only on living plants - like grapes.

But there might be mold growing on the A/C surfaces on the wall, as there might also simply be a deposit of house dust. Take a look at the photos of what mold looks like: you'll see that as a biological substance it usually grows in a pattern, often roundish, and is not so uniformly distributed as might be dust from air flowing out of a register.

I can't assess how concerned you should be by e-text; if there is moldy air blowing in your face, of course you want that corrected promptly. Even dust blowing in one's face can be a problem for some people such as asthmatics, elderly, infant, immune impaired, and those risks are increased if the dust is moldy.

Black algae would be less likely to be found indoors on drywall or wood than a mold. I'm skeptical. But it's trivially easy to resolve the question. If the landlord had a proper test sample collected and properly examined by a qualified lab, then there is a written lab report of those results. Ask to see a copy; send me a copy for comment if you like, using the page top or bottom CONTACT link.

Question: black mold on wod window casing at the glass

(July 29, 2016) vera said:
i have a black line of mold on wood window casings where it touches the glass. tried cleaning with many things over time: vinegar,peroxide, bleach ,mold control.. but it keeps coming back .now i am ozonating in those 2 rooms regularly.

i thought in the summer there would be no condensation and it would stop but there must be a source of water i need to find.does ozone kill mold in the air enough to be protective until i can take the next steps? what steps would you take. i have no finances to take big steps..what would you do?

Reply:

Vera

Watch out: search InspectApedia for OZONE WARNINGS before you over-cook your home with ozone, creating a worse problem.

Using Ozone for moldy window casings is ineffective and inappropriate.

Start by reviewing the quality of your windows and storm windows for air leaks;
Continue by inspecting your home for abnormal moisture sources such as a damp or wet basement or crawl area.

Search InspectApedia for WET BASEMENTS for diagnosis and cure help.
After cleaning the window muntins or other sash parts, you might try re-painting with a fungicidal sealant paint.

Search InspectApedia for FUNGICIDAL SEALANTS to read details.

Question: Kelley drowns the moderator

(Aug 13, 2016) Kelley said:
We have been living at our apartment complex for over a couple of years now and the first year I would say for the most part we had no real issues, but the typical apartment living annoyances ( which were tolerable). So without thought we renewed our lease.

My name is Kelley, I have a 5 year old son and we share rent with long time friend. I am currently on social security disability and have been since 2012 for medical reasons. Financially we were not prepared for what was going to be one of the most challenging times of our lives.

On October 15th 2015 our lives were turned upside down and we had not a clue what we were about to endure. I know that if you take the time to read further you too will be in shock of the havoc that has been upon us since then. We are at our wits end and are praying desperately for someone to help us find a solution as well as restitution for the devastating effects we have faced. Here is our story:

We first thought we had a flea problem as we found 1 flea on our cat, in which was taken care of right away. However a day after we started experiencing bites, and began inspecting our "below-grade" or first floor apartment, only to witness small insects jumping in our carpets.

We contacted the office right away and they responded by flea bombing our apartment, hallway and public laundry room. We spoke with other residents of 1 Fairway Drive only to find out that others also had been having similar issues.

Their pets too had fleas, one couple had drain flies and fruit flies invading their apartment , another resident admitted to having fleas, and instead of contacting the office they bombed there own apartment with a store bought product, and it goes on! They even buried a dead rabbit in the back of the building!

We thought we were ok but our symptoms continued and got worse. We ended up going to our doctors on several occasions with no avail, diagnosed with dermatitis, scabies, and then worse pinworms. We were treated with no relief and these diagnosis are not even anything I believe we even had.

However something was consistently aggravating our skin and at the worst times we were pulling out what looked like fleas, or again some type of insect from our skin with tweezers. Our symptoms were that of rashes, crawling and even witnessing movement under our skin. This has been so traumatizing I can't even begin to express how bad it has been.

We have spent countless hours and spent crazy amounts of our money ( which we don't have) on replacing items that have been ruined, along with tons of cleaning products purchased to somehow disinfect this disgusting apartment.

We finally collected specimens from our skin lesions and brought them to UNH entomologist who stated that there were some grain beetles but mostly nothing that would cause our skin infections. At this point we seriously thought we were going crazy!

We contacted the office again and they sent out their contracted pest control company to check for bed bugs, again to NO avail. They agreed to rip up our living room carpet which had black stains and sludge seeping up through from God knows where!
They replaced the carpet with "faux" hardwood flooring. Which also continues to collect black sludge seeping up through. We can't walk barefoot anywhere otherwise our feet become black and its very hard to clean off.

With months passing things have gotten worse if you can even believe that! More doctor appointments, and serious health problems experienced by myself, husband and son

They include but are not limited to skin irritations, respiratory problems, headaches, irritability, anxiety, sleeping problems, eye irritation ( pink eye ), our son has become aggressive and angry, seems as if he has neurological damage, nausea, vomiting and more.

With more research we are beginning to believe there is toxic black mold that engulfs this entire building. Here is a list of other issues that have also been a HUGE problem:
Pest control confirms thousands of Norway rats live behind building ( not confirmed to be inside however there is indicating signs that they do. No one has really even looked

Electrical issues
Septic system problems: bathroom sink leaks, toilet clogs constantly and overflows onto floor which even after cleaning is very unhealthy
A/C has never been cleaned and blows out dirt
Kitchen sink leaks
Black carpets even after cleaning
Our walls have cut-outs as if they have had years of problems but deny they have piping or damage inside walls
The vents outside building have birds nests in them which can cause several blockage problems causing mites to get in through vents that blow out not suck in
We noticed dead flies, water damaged walls, leak stains in ceilings and in hallways.

Carpets are so lose you can pull them up revealing a very disturbing sight.
Carpet cleaning company empties waste water into parking lot sewer.
The management is fully aware of this problem and it continues to happen.

We eventually contacted the town Building inspectors and Heath inspector who finally all came out to investigate the building to see if there is any code violations. A week later we received a call stating that they saw no code violations however The Health inspector stated she wished we hadn't resigned lease.

I believe due to the revenue this complex brings in for the town, they are all in kahoots with each other and therefore won't risk losing the money they bring in so therefore deny any issues to protect their town from losing tons of money. We have been treated as though we are complaining about petty issues but in our hearts know something isn't right and we will not allow to be left with lasting health issues due to their lack of concern for our safety.

We also continue to have our car broken into and have filed police reports as well as believing that someone has access to our apartment and has been targeting us. We have found things to be out of place, altered or missing. We too filed a report and had an officer come out to take a report and then he left.

The final straw was just recently ( August 2016) when our bathroom vent began pouring water out onto our bathroom floor. Only to discover the leak was from the third floor and had been an ongoing issue due to a resident ignoring their own bathroom leaking problem.

They opened up the bathroom ceiling revealing soaked wood, black toxic mold, and who knows what else. We are absolutely literally and figuratively sick and tired and are contacting a lawyer. Our lease is up in February which at this point we are in search for a new place and will move ASAP but this problem is above and beyond anything I ever could imagined. We have an appointment for our son to be tested for black mold poisoning.

At this point we have no other choice but to contact a lawyer and find out what to do next and find out what our options are as far as a lawsuit is concerned. We would appreciate any help we can get in regards to this horrible situation we face and hope to resolve this problem with restitution for lost time, financial crises and trauma suffered. We are in search for peace of mind and freedom from the stress this has caused us all.
Thank you

Reply:

Kelly

I'm a bit overwhelmed by the question and history, and some of the things that worry you, like burying a dead rabbitt outdoors, are not likely to be part of the problems you describe.

But I can see that without doubt you need a competent onsite expert to help address the question of what hazards need to be found and removed in your home. Start by discussing your concerns with your doctor. Ask her if the health concerns you have can be caused or aggravated by environmental contaminants and if so, which.

That will be helpful when you bring in an onsite expert.

See the EXPERTS DIRECTORIES at the top of any InspectApedia page for help in finding the person you need.

Also search InspectApedia for MORGELLONS SYNDROME to read more details that may be helful to you.

(Aug 16, 2016) Kelley said:

Thank you for responding,
I have an appointment for our son tomorrow to be tested for mold. They will also be referring us to an allergist.
We have done tons of research and are 100% positive this is not morgellons.

My biggest concern is that all of these buildings are infested with mold. After speaking with many other residents we have learned that there are countless leaks everywhere.
We spoke to a carpet cleaning company that dumps contaminated water into our sewer ( located in the parking lot where our children ride bikes ) who claims he is here at least 3-4 times a week sucking up water.
Ultimately we are moving, but that doesn't happen overnight.

So in the meantime we continue to spend most of our time cleaning. I guess we will just wait until our son is tested and see the results from that.
I know in my heart that this is mold! Is there any way I can send you pictures of what our apartment looks like and see if you can decipher if it's mold or not?
Thanks again

(mod) said:
Kelley

When I hear from a person who's understandably anxious about an environmental hazard that might be making people sick, and when the complaints and guesses are a veritable blizzard of arrows stuck all over the target of the problem source, I worry that we're leaping from guess to guess, risking health and money.

Sure it's reasonable to test someone for mold exposure but doubtful that that's a comprehensive look at the problem. Start with your doctor, the G.P., and if she or he agrees, continue with a consult with a doctor who specializes in environmental medicine.

Even moving out - as you suggest - is not a complete solution:

1. how do we know we're not moving into a new area of contamination and hazard?

2. how do we know if we need to clean our furnishings, clothing, or other stuff that might otherwise be importing IAQ hazards, moldy dust, allergens, insect fragments, mite fecals, rodent hairs, etc. from the old environment?

Question: our house is making us sick - mold behind paint on drywall

(Aug 16, 2016) linda l said:
hello. Hopefully someone can help. I moved in this house in 2011 and after 2 months 1 of my roommates started getting sick. Now she has multiple auto immune diseases. Today i noticed the paint cracked and when i pulled it back it appears to be covered on the drywall by mold spores. They are tiny but plenty. Should i try to scrub it off its the whole wall

Reply:

Linda:

Use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to send me some sharp photos of the whole wall, close-ups of the area where you pulled paint back and of the apparent drywall mold behind it.

It is possible that someone did an improper, unsafe, "just paint over it" faux-mold-remediation job. If so professional evaluation of the extent of the problem and a definition of the work needed would be in order.

Also search InspectApedia.com for WHEN TO HIRE AN EXPERT for help deciding if that's justified.

Question: mushrooms growing out of bathroom ceiling

(Oct 8, 2016) Renee Taylor said:
I had a mushroom growing out of the ceiling of my bathroom. I itch all the time. I found a black speck on my arm that bit me. I wake up dizzy and with a headache. My maintenance man opened the ceiling. He said there was no leak. The wood had a few black spots and he said it was due to oil in the wood.

I told him I would clean up the drywall in the bathroom after he sealed up the ceiling. It smelled like sewer in my bathroom. I noticed a couple pieces of drywall were black. It was dry and sooty looking. I wish I would have inspected the ceiling much better than I did. Does that sound like mold and should it be tested.

Question: mold found on framing when tore down drywall

(Oct 27, 2016) Tony Mcgann said:
I had a pipe that has been leaking several months behind a wall. I tore down all the moldy drywall and exposed the studs which now appear black stained. Indeed, the toe plate stud along the floor is totally black along its face, as is the top plate where the pipe was leaking. Will stuff like concrobium stain remover break down the stain?

Can I treat the studs with anything and leave them in place. There is no rot. This room was only put in about 5 years ago, so stud are basically new. Should I just replace studs and toe plate?

Reply:

Functionally, Tony, if you physically clean the surfaces there's nothing (other than cosmetic) to gain from trying to get rid of the stains. What will cause mold re-growth will be moisture, stained or not. If the wood is left exposed you can use a blasting technique or you an paint it with a fungicidal sealant if you prefer.

(Oct 27, 2016) Tony Mcgann said:
Thanks .... The reason for moisture has been addressed. Can I just allow studs to dry and drywall over them? Should I seal them over? If it is redundant, and I am confident the wall will be dry, then I won't bother with sealing time. I did by the mold control from concrobium, so can't hurt I suppose. Interested in your comments.

(mod) said:
Yes Tony. I think that's reasonable.

Question:

Anna levis said:
Black mold restoration is something that you should not take lightly, black mold is highly toxic. You need to have the training to know what black mold looks like and how to treat it. Take a bit of time to inspect your home to make sure that it is safe for you and your family to live in.

If you don’t have any cash to spare for a professional to come and inspect and eliminate mold from your home there are actually testing kits that you can use yourself, and there are also excellent mold mitigation products you can buy.
... [Advertisement deleted]

Reply:

(mod) said:
Actually,

Spraying for "toxic black mold" is not a recommended nor is it an effective cure for indoor mold contamination.

First, there are harmful molds that are not black.
Second there are allergenic or pathogenic molds that are not "toxic".

Third, "dead" mold spores may still contain mycotoxins and thus still be harmful, so "killing" mold is the wrong objective.

Fourth: home test kits for "toxic black mold" are fundamentally unreliable, with significant risk of missing harmful indoor mold reservoirs completely. Most molds will not grow in culture; Air tests vary in results by several orders of magnitude simply by movement in the building or opening or closing a door.

Fifth, the proper and effective treatment for indoor mold contamination requires

- find and remove the mold: clean what can be cleaned, toss out what can't be cleaned
- find and fix the leaks or humidity that caused the mold growth

Question: disaster, sewage, mold, rot, contaminated mobile home

2016/12/03 Timothy said:

WOW!! Very informative !! Just wish I had realized how bad this could get for me before accepting at work and my employers politics left me with out insurance, employment,or even a place called home,doctor said I would never work again, was living in my van looking for work along came a Mobil home in need of some repairs, this little 90 year old widow needs someone to help her with various jobs so a deal was struck , 3 months rent traded for replacing some floors , painting, fix couple leaks.

LMAO IM A SUCKER. raw sewage under trailer had flooded for a long time, every pipe, all, everything leaking,every joint two tolits dumping straight on ground, the worst mess I've ever seen!! OK well its more work than I thought. I needed a place to get back on my feet. Now its full time , 0 money or 3 months , I repiped complete 4 bdrm 2 full bath, laundry, kitchen.

Now floors, all , everything is rotted , joists fell out under it , walls are not attached to floors , floors buckled in rear rooms. I'm rebuilding a 40 year old Mobil home that has been neglected and should have been condemned. New joists, sheeting floors framing walls,

I found the craziest looking mold underneath while installing new copper pipes and repairing old abs , then all the wood is black and some dry just crumbles,thought it was rot mixed with termites and mold. Started spraying jomax an bleach from a 1 gallon bug sprayer and using a 3 gallon water fire extinguisher charged with jomax an bleach at 150 psi .

thought that's a great idea under trailer I can stay in one spot soak everything from end to end blasting off fiberglass insulation, old construction debris.sewage from the many breaks in the old abs Mold etc.but the deeper I get into this the worse it gets.

I have never seen the inside of walls like this,dry wall covered with wall paper covered with paneling covered with wall paper ,then painted. Looks OK on outside but at bottom I could see the studs were rotted off an needed at least scabed an reattached so I cut up 2' on the walls and started removing ( demo ) all the layers.

There is so much mold inside it has penetrated all the way thru everything but the paint and looks like , unbelievable!! Measured in fractions of inches thick , advrage 3/16 some corners over an inch thick,its in the wording,switches,recepticals,under carpet , all the way thru 3 layers of plywood flooring layered in linoleum, and tiles.

Its everywhere!! I opened small holes in the walls I was working on at top then stuck my phone inside an took photos then started treating, soaking the inside several times over several days before tearing down all the wallboard and still covered in crazy colors an patterns after 40 gallons of fungicide an bleach mix in a 200 sq ft area and haven't gotten to the ceiling yet. ( SCARRED)

IM living in this ,no floors,walls,with oscillating heaters an moving blankets for walls, just got hot water back in after weeks of sewer line repairs an running new copper water , took hundreds of photos from demo start thru each step of bigger an bigger an in so deep now what?

Been sick since I started staying here, sneezing hundreds of times an the worst tickel in my nose ever , i have no alergies , HAD .guess I'm EXPOSED in more ways.

Finished main bath all new wall to wall but did not open the walls just floor, painted cabnits with oil base kiltz then oil base rustoleum caulked water tight w/100% silicone, caulked every joint and both behind an under trim, painted 100% of all trim w/oil base prime and oil base paint Caulked 100 % of everything in bath with 100% silicone after removing all old caulk with razors an wire brushing clean, wiped down with MEK Prior to glueing an caulking then painted final coat after filling nail holes.

SO MUCH WORK! Does it need to be torn open ? Or torn down ,is there another way short of condemning .INSURANCE ? IT was only 6k new 40 years ago she has it insured for 6k , what about medical ? I won't harm her or her family financialy or in anyway .

this property an mobil home has been a rental oucipied until November when I began work on it. would insurance total it out an pay her? better off homeless , all my clothes,belongings, everything has been exposed to the crazyest nastyest looking mold .

Lots of dust on everything from demo, sanding, cutting, cutting used plywood I treated for mold to use laying an crawling on under trailer , figured It safe,and did not want to get covered in mud from raw sewage spillage where pipes had been split maybe for as long as 12 months

Reply:

This mess sounds like a combination of health and safety and financial issues that are serious, indeed, Timothy. I think you need to start with a consult with your doctor that includes both your healh-safety concerns and then help in deciding if it is indeed unsafe for you to remain where you are.

On 2011-11-25 by Amanda

We had a major water leak that resulted in about 3 inches of water under our entire house. We were told the leak had been happening over a longer period of time (months rather than weeks. I first found rising damp 6 months ago and reported it.

The agent for the property has repaired the leak and put anti damp/mold paint over the area where the rising damp was.

The problem is we have wet patches still on the wall and fluffy things growing there, we are now told that there is no mold (they haven't done a test in the house at all) and before they began the work we were still getting a whole container of water in the de-humidifiers in every room and i saw that there was still some wetness under the house.

My youngest daughter has a constant cold and cough and i keep asking for the property to be properly inspected but i just keep getting told i have to leave the doors open (it is November), there is no mold and the dampness is being drawn out. What action should i be taking at this point?

On 2011-11-17 by Jay Jacob

I have a partially finished basement. The rafters were covered by paneling installed many years ago. Recently we began having some pretty bad leaks and we took down the paneling to discover the insulation was gray and black in many places. We did not think anything of it and left it as it was.

Then we had a leak that we couldn't locate the source of so we started tearing down the insulation. I noticed the dust coming from the insulation was black and smelled very strange. I took a closer look at it and thought maybe it was mold so I bought a mold test kid and sure enough the sample I took from the insulation caused mold to bloom rapidly in the petri dish, except the mold in the petri dish is white and fluffy, looking nothing like the mold i got the sample from.

I'm only concerned about this because we plan to rip down all of the old moldy insulation and replace it with new insulation, and I know very little about mold but have been on asbestos removal or abatement jobs before so I know plenty about getting bad stuff air-born and how nasty that can get.

Thank you for any help!!

On 2011-11-04 by (mod) -

Glenn, indeed a number of mold genera/species will grow on OSB Sheathing board (search InspectAPedia for "What Does Mold Look Like on Various Materials & Surfaces?" to see photos of mold on OSB)

Often I've found dark molds on OSB that actually were dark brown species of Cladosporium such as C. sphaerospermum, but a lab ID would be needed to know what you've got.

Your contractor probably believes what he's saying but I doubt he can provide an authoritative citation on the mold resistance of the plan he suggests. IF however you clean the surface, make sure it's dry before spraying the foam insulation, and then take steps to keep it dry you should be OK.

I am presuming you're spraying foam to solve an insulation need. Certainly don't spray foam just as a "mold killer". If that's all you're doing, clean and dry the surface and use one of the products intended for sealing post-mold-cleanup surfaces such as Foster's products.

See MOLD SPRAYS, SEALANTS, PAINTS (use the on page search box) for that approach.

If you are spraying foam because you need to insulate the surface, priming with KILZ or a fungicidal paint should not be needed, not because the hot spray will "kill" the mold, but because you've cleaned and dried the surface and expect it to stay dry.

Killing mold is not the object of a mold cleanup. Dead mold is not always harmless.

On 2011-11-03 by Glenn

We have some type of mold growing on the inside of 3/4" OSB. It's black but we don't know if it is Stachybotrys chartarum or not. Moisture-laden air from inside the home reached the cooler OSB and condensed on the interior side, no vapor barrier was present. We caught it before it got very deep.

We have sanded, sprayed with boric acid/water/vinegar/hydrogen peroxide, dried, and are about to have a contractor spray hot polyurethane foam (green) against it because he says the temperature of the foam is high enough to kill any mold it contacts, and it will encapsulate the mold. Is he correct? Also, we could paint KILZ Original Primer on prior to the polyurethane application, but the same contractor says 'unnecessary.' Again, is he correct?

On 2011-10-24 by emily ignatuk

I have wood paneling in my basement which was flooded several times. The wood in several areas has black stains but nothing growing and does not look like the pictures , what could i be

On 2011-09-13 by (mod) -

Kristin,

See the article titled ACTION GUIDE, WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD (use the on page search box to find this article by title)

If you have more than 30 sqft of moldy material you will want to call a professional.

Remember the object is to clean off or remove moldy materials, not jost spray it, andd that finding and fixing the cause is essential.

On 2011-09-13 by Kristin

We had flooding in our rental home in the basement and ther are lots of dark mold growing on the walls and the wood. I pulled back part of the drywall that was damaged and saw more. I am worried about black mold for I am highly allergic to mold and have started to become sick. What should I do about the mold issue, also it is under the carpet in the room as well? Thank you

On 2011-09-09 by Anonymous

Hi I have been very sick past two months, I wont get into the detils of my ailments, however I think they could be mold related, about few weeks ago I found something on my shower wall and ceilings which looked like mold (have picture in my cell) called the managaemnet and they send someone to look at it, he told me it was a hole that he would fill it not mold ....

it was obvious it was some black things were growing out of the wall so when I questioned his answer he said I ll call my supervisor and he did, supervisor came and said its meldew and he will have it cleaned and paint the whole bathroom .....

which he did, my questions is if that stuff is in the wall I am probably still breathing them and will continue to get sicker, I suspect that I have Candidosis and other health problems, now how do I go about to test for the mold and see if that is the root cause of my health problem, is there a test that I can perform myself or I have to hire someone to do that for me....thanx

On 2011-09-01 by (mod) - Aspergillus and Penicillium mold spores are so tiny that they move in air like a gas

Bret,

I'd be quite concerned. In my experience both Aspergillus and Penicillium mold spores are so tiny that they move in air like a gas, easily entering the structure above a moldy crawl space.

The proper repair is NOT bleaching (which is incomplete, leaves harmful even if dead spores, and is amateur) but CLEANING or REMOVING the mold from surfaces and of course tossing any moldy insulation. If the area surfaces are irregular and hard to physically clean by hand (or too slow and costly) media blasting may be the way to go.

If the crawl space were over an open area - that is, outdoors - I might try pressure washing if that could be done without forcing water into the structure - else there too we're back to media blasting.

see MOLD CLEANUP - MEDIA BLASTING (article link(links found at the ARTICLE INDEX near the end of this page) )

On 2011-08-20 by Bret D

I am a property manager. At one of my houses, a pier and beam house, the T&P Valve got stuck open and the tenant did not know it for about 2 - 3 months. Needless to say the hot water heater drained hot water underneath this pier and beam house for a long time.

So, the underneath of the house, the crawl space became a damp, humid environment for a long time. This lead to mold underneath 75% of the house. I did take some samples and sent them in. I found Aspergillus, Penicilum, and Non-Sporulating Fungi.

Anyway, I'm looking for the cheapest best way to take care of this problem before we start work on the flooring that was destroyed because the tenant was stupid. It is no longer damp and moist under the house. I did put some fans out to dry it out and it's dry now. I'm concerned about spores.

I did spray some bleach underneath the house, but every time the bleach stream hit the wood surface you could see a cloud of dust or I'm guessing spores. Should I be concerned?

On 2011-07-19 by (mod) -

Try not to let mold cause panic - the result is you're likely to pay too much for services that may not even be needed, or worse, to pay a lot for ineffective "mold cures" by a charlatan.

Small areas of mold can be cleaned by most homeowners; large areas more than 30 sqft of non-cosmetic mold should be cleaned up by a professional; in either case you want to find and fix the leak or moisture source.

See the article MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE (Found in INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES at our Continue reading suggestions at the end of this article) for help in deciding just how much investigation and consulting work are justified.

On 2011-07-18 by mold scares me

I'm worried about mold in general. We came back from vacation and I noticed a very strong musty basementy smell in my home. We don't have a basement but I suspected the smell was coming from under my kitchen sink where we have had major water leaks from the pipes.

My husband refuses to acknowledge it could be mold. I think that the mold is under the floor of the cabinet under the sink and we should cut out the floor area and then clean under it and replace the cabinet floor with new floor. Am I right in thinking there could be mold growth there?

When we were on vacation my sinuses DIDN'T pour down my throat. The second we returned it all started up again. Its a small area that seems easily fixed. I may just do it myself. Any suggestions?

On 2011-04-21 by Anonymous

i found this article quit interesting and helpfull in identifing black mold

On 2012-11-29 by Dee

I am trying to distinguish whether the dark orange stuff under my bathroom vanity is mold or rust. I tried cleaning it off with a white distilled vinegar and tea tree oil solution; however, it stayed on rather well and didn't do much other than make my cleaning pad orange. Is mold supposed to come off when you clean it or is this a sign of rust instead?

On 2012-09-19 by erica

i have a water leak in my apartment from the apartment above me

On 2012-08-26 by hilary

My situation is very very similar to Kate Winchell's. I am becoming increasingly worried about how long I can wait for the building's overall maintenance to get the outside waterproofing done. Meanwhile I have pastic trash bags taped down along the area in bedroom that I think is moldy.

At this point I am overwhelmed and stuck trying to decide what my next step should be. Call for an inspection? If so, who to use? NYC has so many mold inspectors and remediation services - and they all seem so sale-oriented and expensive.
I wish I knew for certain that what's on my wall was really mold or just discoloration.

On 2012-08-26 by Kate Winchell

I live in an apartment. For about a week during heavy rains there was a leak (that I'm pretty sure had been there for a while, but only recently got bad) due to the gutters being stopped up. The water would cascade down, get behind the vinyl siding above my window and drip profusely in rivulets into the window in my bedroom.

As I mentioned this happened about 5 times through the course of a week and then they were finally able to get someone out to clean the gutter and put a temporary caulk on the window.

There is a significant gap between the window casing and the wall at the tops of the windows, hence where the water came in. Once they caulked it, things began to smell more musty and as I have severe asthma, I began to have problems. Little specks of mold had started to grow along the edge of the crack where the water ended. I am chemically sensitive so I can't use bleach as it gives me worse asthma then the mold so temporarily, I put packing tape over just that space at the top of the window.

It helped as a quick fix but now there is more mold growth. I know I need to clean it properly (I am told using vinegar, then peroxide works very well) but now I am afraid to remove the tape for fear the spores under it will be let loose.

Can you give me any suggestions? Would it be okay to remove the tape so I may clean it or will it simply make things worse? The apartment complex is having the window guy come back in 2 weeks to peel back the siding and get a close look at things.

Should I just wait till then? Sorry for all the questions I just don't want to do the wrong thing. Thanks for your time.

On 2012-08-22 by Ginger Milam

We have mold at my job. They said it is from our air conditioning system, our humidity level is very high.

We've had the mold cleaned but it continues to grow back. I have been very sick lately. Just wondering if this has anything to do with mold. Cold and flu like symptoms.

On 2012-04-29 by TLH

I cut a hole in my wall to look under a window that had been leaking and fixed by a previous owner. I can see stains on wood where mold was, but it is completely dry and the wood is in good shape other than the coloring. Do you think I have an issue that I need to investigate further or can I close the wall back up?

On 2012-04-26 by mary

yellow fluffy stuff keeps appearing in the corner of a bedroom wall towards the floor. we vacuum it up and it's back the next day. any ideas?

On 2012-02-23 by brandy

sorry for all the miss spelling

we juss recentlymoved into a rental home . i would wake up every morning with my nose bleeding my 1yr old had a stuff nose that never went away i was telling our neighbors about our problems an they told me they thought there was mold in the home before we moved in .

i just never said anything else well on my sons birthday one of the family members said they thought they smelt what they thought was black mold i never seen anything but to be certain i bought a test kit you put a round plastic thing in the floor for a hr then pour a liquid solution in it that hardens an you wait 48hrs.

by the next day i saw white fuzzy circles that turned into a green circle then one went from white to like a orangish color what could this be ?

On 2012-02-15 by (mod) - follow the water, see what got wet, look there for mold contamination

Shae:

following a plumbing leak of any sort, follow the water trail through the building to see what got wet - that helps assure a more complete inspection to find mold that needs removal.

Clean hard surfaces, throw away soft goods such as drywall & insulation; (Found in INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES at our Continue reading suggestions at the end of this article) you'll see several articles on MOLD CLEANUP procedures.

On 2012-02-15 by (mod) - ask your doctor about the possible risks of mold exposure for your particular medical case

Bruno you should ask your doctor about the possible risks of mold exposure for your particular medical case, but in general, people undergoing treatment for lymphoma (or other illnesses) may have a compromised immune system, increasing the risks of exposure to mycotoxins and other possible contaminants in their environment.

The role of molds in causing or contributing to cancers depends - on the mold genera/species/strain, growth substrate, and of course the level and extent of exposure - but I wouldn't completely rule it out.

In your case it is probably appropriate to hire an expert to survey the building - including an expert thorough visual inspection, perhaps even checking highly-suspect building cavities where there have been leaks or moisture problems, in order to have a better idea where there may be mold that should be removed.

That same inspection should indicate the causes of mold growth and thus will tell you what conditions to fix so that it does not recur.

If large areas of mold are present a professional cleaning would be needed and I expect your doctor will advise you to be absent during cleanup and until a successful clearance inspection has been performed.

On 2012-01-22 by shae

We had a waterleake from our washing machine now there is a mold that is black in some spots a thick white mold what is this how do I treat it

On 2011-12-27 by bruno.

i was diagnosed with lymphoma in july of this year. i've lost 2 dogs from liver and stomach cancer. could these go along with any type of mold?

On 2011-12-27 by bruno

we live in a home about a 100 yeras of age. i know there has been mold in the closets for at least 12 years. its also on the lower part of bedroom walls and is spreading. upstairs is by far worse.

it leaves a stain on the plaster walls when cleaned and always comes back after cleaned. it is dark in color, but not sure if it is fuzzy and dry or slimey. leaning towards the dry side. what is it and how do we rid the house of it?

On 2011-12-20 by (mod) -

Anon: re: how long does it take for mold contamination to spread to furniture?

The answer is ... it depends. Mold growth rates vary by mold genera/species, and the material on which mold is growing (whats it has to eat), and environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and light. Even season or time of year impacts the behavior of many molds as they are found in nature.

So if your building is wet, warm, unattended, and has a large mold growth, you may find mold growing on furniture located right in the wet moldy environment within 48 hours. Conversely, even in buildings that are suffering from an area of extensive mold contamination by multiple mold genera/species, we may find no significant mold growth in other building areas that are separated by closed doors, different floors, or more dry conditions.

However, even in building areas where there is no active mold growth, a sloppy mold cleanup job elsewhere in the same building can blow moldy dust into various building areas at a level significant enough to deserve additional cleaning.

On 2011-12-19 by Anonymous

How long to It take to spread to fruiture

On 2011-11-25 by (mod) -

Jay Jacob:

What grows on a culture plate may be quite different from the dominant mold in a building. Only about 10% of all molds will grow in any culture, and growth rates among that 10% vary depending on the particular culture media and the mold that was placed on it. Indeed building insulation can become moldy

In general if there have been leaks into an insulated building cavity that wet the insulation and cavity surfaces we'd dispose of the insulation as part of the cleaning and repair procedure.

On 2011-11-25 by (mod) -

Amanda,

I agree that no honest, competent professional would tell you that your home had no mold problem without a careful inspection of the property inside and out. Testing alone would not be reliable.

The wet patches and fluffy material you describe could be mold or possibly not mold but mineral effloresence.

If the wet areas and building cavities include mold-friendly materials such as wood, drywall, insulation, carpeting, wood trim, then there is certainly a risk of mold contamination at a building that has been wet or over a wet crawl area or basement for months.

The fact that you report family health concerns that seem building related is additional reason to proceed with an expert inspection and test of the property. See MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE (article link(links found at the ARTICLE INDEX near the end of this page) ) for help in deciding and justifying a professional survey for mold contamination.

The advice to "just keep the doors open" as a solution to dampness or mold is nonsense, though indeed the building needs to be dried out and any problematic mold contamination removed and the causes of its growth (leaks) repaired.

...

Continue reading at MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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• MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX atlas of building molds and microphotographs of mold samples observed in the laboratory
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MOLD APPEARANCE FAQs-2 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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