There are many types of mold that are black, and most are not “toxic black mold.” Read more »

Posted: November 11th, 2009 under Articles, Black mold, Mold Inspection.
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If you have a basement mold problem, a mold inspection should include a walk-around the property to look for sources of foundation moisture from the exterior. If you’ve had mold growth in a room on the first or second floor, a look at your gutter system should be part of the inspection, because a properly maintained gutter system should keep roof water away from the house. If you think you have mold in your attic, the mold inspector should check to see if there have been roof leaks, if there is adequate attic ventilation, or if there are openings at the attic access or at recessed light fixtures or around pipes or ducts that allow moist house air to leak up into the attic. Read more »

Posted: November 11th, 2009 under Articles, Mold Inspection.
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One family we worked with had moved out of their home and was living in a hotel, because a mold inspector found mold all over their basement foundation walls. The mold ended up being efflorescence: crystalline mineral deposits due to moisture migration through the concrete. (If you wonder whether a fuzzy deposit on your basement foundation wall is mold or efflorescence, put some in a glass of vinegar. If the deposit dissolves, it’s mineral.) Another family was living in a camper in their driveway, because a testing laboratory had incorrectly identified candle soot on the ceilings of their home as toxic black mold. Read more »

Posted: November 11th, 2009 under Articles, Mold Inspection.
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The mold inspector you hire depends on your needs.

If you are worried about whether mold may be present due to a hidden leak, you want to hire a professional with experience investigating building problems. Use a mold inspector who owns a moisture meter and an infrared camera. Infrared cameras measure temperature differences, which can be caused by water evaporating from a damp surface. It’s important to use a moisture meter to confirm the presence of dampness, though, because temperature differences in a wall or ceiling cavity, for example, can also be caused by cooler air infiltrating the cavity. Read more »

Posted: November 11th, 2009 under Articles, Mold Inspection.
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A lot of our clients have had mold testing done and received reports that they found confusing. Many of the reports stated that there were elevated concentrations of mold spores indoors. The clients already thought this would be the case, because they were suffering health symptoms or detected a musty smell. What they needed to know was where the mold was growing. Read more »

Posted: November 11th, 2009 under Articles, Mold Inspection.
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Many building supply stores sell mold-testing kits. The kit contains a flat plastic dish that you fill with nutrients for mold to grow. You set the dish out open for a limited period of time before putting the cover back on the dish. You can then either watch the dish to see what grows, or send the dish to a lab for analysis. This type of testing can be useful under certain circumstances. If you put the dish in your basement, for example, and then find that 20 identical colonies of blue-green or black mold grew in the dish, you know you have a mold problem. Read more »

Posted: November 10th, 2009 under Articles, Mold Inspection.
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It can be devastating for both the Seller and Buyer if a mold problem is noted during a pre-purchase home inspection. Most home inspectors exclude the identification of mold growth from their inspection and will recommend further investigation if they suspect that “suspicious growth or staining” is present. Most of the calls we receive from buyers after home inspections concern questions about black mold in the attic or musty odors in a basement or crawl space. We usually encourage people to have a home inspection before a mold inspection, because issues may be uncovered that discourage them from buying the property. Then they don’t have to incur the additional cost of a mold inspection. Read more »

Posted: November 10th, 2009 under Articles, Mold Inspection.
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You should have a professional mold inspection if you see what you think may be mold growth, which often can be black, gray, yellow, green, or white, and which grows in colonies that look like round or oval spots. Sometimes you can’t see mold growth, but a musty smell almost always indicates that mold is present. For example, if there’s been a leak in a ceiling or wall, and a musty smell develops afterwards, there may be concealed mold. Or if your basement or crawl space smells musty, it’s probably contaminated with mold. Have a mold inspection.If you have allergy symptoms- like coughing, watery eyes, sneezing and wheezing - indoors year round, or if you are sensitive to mold, have a mold inspection.There are situations that don’t require a professional mold inspection. If you find mold growing on your shower or bath tiles, on the inside of a window frame, or on the outside of your house, the mold can just be cleaned off.

If you want to understand why and where mold grows, learn how to get rid of it and prevent it from returning, buy a copy of The Mold Survival Guide: For Your Home and for Your Health, Jeffrey C. May and Connie L. May (2004). Jeff May is also author of My House is Killing Me! The Home Guide for Families with Allergies and Asthma (2001). Both books are published by The Johns Hopkins University Press and are available on amazon.com.

Posted: November 10th, 2009 under Articles, Mold Inspection.
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