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TYPES OF HIDDEN MOLD
You may suspect hidden mold if a building smells moldy, but you cannot see the source, or if you know there has been water damage and residents are reporting health problems. Mold may be hidden in places such as the back side of dry wall, wallpaper, or paneling, the top side of ceiling tiles, the underside of carpets and pads, etc. Other possible locations of hidden mold include areas inside walls around pipes (with leaking or condensing pipes), the surface of walls behind furniture (where condensation forms), inside ductwork, and in roof materials above ceiling tiles (due to roof leaks or insufficient insulation).
Investigating hidden mold problems may be difficult and will require caution when the investigation involves disturbing potential sites of mold growth. For example, removal of wallpaper can lead to a massive release of spores if there is mold growing on the underside of the paper. If you believe that you may have a hidden mold problem, consider hiring an experienced professional.
Biocides are substances that can destroy living organisms. The use of a chemical or biocide that kills organisms such as mold (chlorine bleach, for example) is not recommended as a routine practice during mold cleanup. There may be instances, however, when professional judgment may indicate its use (for example, when immune-compromised individuals are present). In most cases, it is not possible or desirable to sterilize an area; a background level of mold spores will remain - these spores will not grow if the moisture problem has been resolved. If you choose to use disinfectants or biocides, always ventilate the area and exhaust the air to the outdoors. Never mix chlorine bleach solution with other cleaning solutions or detergents that contain ammonia because toxic fumes could be produced. Click on the image below for a larger 300dpi JPG file.
Please note: Dead mold may still cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is not enough to simply kill the mold, it must also be removed.
A Mold Inspection regularly reveals hidden mold conditions.
The worst mold is the mold you don't see, lurking under carpets, spreading unnoticed inside walls and deep in heating and air conditioning vents
| After experiencing several physical symptoms commonly associated with toxic mold exposure, one Escondido, California family called Airspector to inspect their one year old upscale home. Even though there was no visible evidence of mold, using industry specific moisture detection equipment the inspector was able to determine that the drywall next to the tub was holding an excessive amount of moisture. |
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| Closer examination of the immediate area revealed that the shower door frame had been caulked with silicone. In spite of a valiant effort to prevent water from leaking through, caulking the areas where the shower door frame meets the wall would not have prevented this particular problem because the water was actually leaking through a defective rubber door seal. |
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| Prying back the base board and lifting the carpet revealed extensive water damage and a significant amount of mold growth on the wall, inside the wall and under the sub-flooring. It was determined that water had been leaking through the door seal and under the carpet where it soaked into the sub-flooring and into the walls. |
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| A surface sample confirmed that the mold growing on and in the wall was Stachybotrys, a confirmed toxic mold associated with many adverse health effects (see below). Air samples further revealed that the total indoor spore count 72,000 spores per cubic meter of air. The outdoor count was 780. The family of five spent six weeks in a hotel while the builder remediated the mold and reconstructed the entire master bath area.
[ RETURN TO INSPECTIONS & TESTING ] |
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STACHYBOTRYS :
THIS FUNGUS MAY PRODUCE A TRICHOTHECENE MYCOTOXIN- SATRATOXIN H - WHICH IS POISONOUS BY INHALATION. THE TOXINS ARE PRESENT ON THE FUNGAL SPORES. THIS IS A SLOW GROWING FUNGUS ON MEDIA. IT DOES NOT COMPETE WELL WITH OTHER RAPIDLY GROWING FUNGI. THE DARK COLORED FUNGI GROWS ON BUILDING MATERIAL WITH A HIGH CELLULOSE CONTENT AND A LOW NITROGEN CONTENT. INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO THE TOXIN PRODUCED BY THIS FUNGUS REPORTED COLD AND FLU SYMPTOMS, SORE THROATS, DIARRHEA, HEADACHES, FATIGUE, DERMATITIS, INTERMITTENT LOCAL HAIR LOSS, AND GENERALIZED MALAISE.
For a complete Mold Glossary click here . |
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