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Insulation Mold: How to Find and Test for Mold in Insulation
MoldAPedia ©
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- How to inspect & test building insulation for toxic or allergenic mold contamination
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest.
We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices,
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This document gives advice on how to find and deal with mold in building insulation. This is a chapter of
"How to Look for Mold" which describes how to find mold and test for mold in buildings, including how and where to collect mold samples using adhesive tape - an easy,
inexpensive, low-tech but very effective mold testing method.
© Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left.
Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.
How to Inspect & Test for Mold contamination in building insulation
|  Even when there is no visible mold on building surfaces or on visible areas of building insulation, don't ignore
fiberglass insulation as a possible mold reservoir.
A basement which was previously moldy or wet, or a basement which stored a collection of moldy boxes or cartons of moldy papers and files may have been
may have left behind a large mold reservoir in the basement fiberglass insulation and in settled dust.
In the first photo shown here the basement insulation looked clean to the naked eye, but a history of basement
flooding led us to test the insulation.
We often find very high levels of Aspergillus mold spore contamination in this
fiberglass insulation (such as in this photo) even though to the naked eye, the insulation looked quite clean. |
|
 If there is visible mold on other basement surfaces, don't forget to also check the condition of basement insulation that
your insurance company, mold consultant, or mold remediator may want to leave in place because it "looks clean".
In the photograph shown
here, not only was there extensive Stachybotrys chartarum contamination visible as "black mold" on the
basement drywall, a special vacuum test of the fiberglass insulation in this basement ceiling disclosed high levels of Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus sp., & Penicillium sp.. |
| |
These three photos of fiberglass insulation, drywall, and a wall cavity which was cut open
show the value of exploring building cavities where there may have been leaks from above, regardless
of whether we're exploring in above-grade level living space or below-grade level basements.
A roof leak had wet
these wall cavities, leading us to test the insulation for mold and to inspect further for moldy drywall. The photos
also illustrate that luckily not every building leak into every building cavity is going to cause visible mold
growth on the hidden surfaces of drywall. |
More Reading
Use the specific article links above or on any of our web pages use the links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.
More expert information on this topic
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ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS
MOLD INFORMATION CENTER
FLOODS & MOLD CLEAN/PREVENT
MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO
MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION
HOW TO LOOK FOR MOLD
WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE
ATTIC MOLD
BASEMENT MOLD
CRAWLSPACE MOLD
DRYWALL MOLD
MOLDY CARPETS
ITCHY FABRICS
HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND
INSULATION MOLD
More Information
What Mold Looks Like
Stuff That is Not Mold
Allergens, Finding
Mold Test Kits
InspectAPedia Home & Site Map
Air Conditioning
InspectAPedia Bookstore
Electrical
Environment
Exteriors
Heating
Home Inspection
Insulate Ventilate
Interiors
Mold Inspect/Test
Plumbing
Water
Septic
Roofing
Structure
Accuracy & Bias Pledge
Contact Us
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More Information on Finding, Recognizing, and Proper Testing for Mold, More on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs
Mold and Allergen Recognition and Identification - Not All "Black Mold" is Harmful; Some Suspect Stuff is Not Mold
- How to Find and Test For Mold in Buildings - Looking for Mold - A 'how to' photo and text primer on finding and testing for mold in buildings
- Recognizing Mold What mold looks like mold identification photos to help identify mold - choosing what to sample in buildings
- Recognizing Allergens What various indoor allergens look like - identification photos to help identify pollen, dust mites, animal dander, toxic or allergenic mold - Common Mold and other Allergens, Irritants, Remedies & Advice
- Stuff that is not mold but is often mistaken for it - things you may not want to test. Also, not all "black mold" is toxic - here are examples of harmless black mold.
- Mold Action Guide: an easy step by step outline of what to do about mold
- How to find mold without hiring anyone, for do-it-yourself'ers
- Associations: Sick House, Sick Building, SBS - Air Quality, Government, Private Associations and Information Resources
- Mold Test Kits - How to Collect and Send Your Own Mold Sample to our mold testing lab
- How to find a mold inspector or test consultant: Directory of IAQ,Sick Building, Mold Allergen Testing, Building Investigation Service Providers
- Meruliporia: the house eating fungus or "poria"
- Mold Investigation Tips for Home Inspectors how to find mold, where to look, what is likely to be important. Advice to building inspectors intending to inspect or test for toxic or problematic mold indoors, mold inspection methods, and mold test methods which are valid or invalid
- Mold Risk Levels in Buildings Based on Visual Inspection - simple visual clues help decide on action
- Mold in Fiberglass Insulation© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation - DJF
- Frequently Asked Questions About Mold -- check this FAQ list & IAQ Site Map to see if you can find a quick answer to your mold concern
- When to hire a professional to inspect for toxic mold or other allergens
- Contact Us to arrange mold/IAQ building on site inspection and testing.
 InspectAPedia.com - Home Page - Building Inspection, Diagnosis, & Repair, Environmental Inspection & Testing - Research Website
 The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How
to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems
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 Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following
our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab
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Lab Services, & Remediation Plan Preparation - indoor air quality testing, problem source determination, supporting lab work, written remediation plan addressing
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