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How to Use Lighting to Find Mold in Buildings MoldAPedia © Enter your search terms Submit search form   Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com How to use and aim light to spot hard-to-see mold in buildings How to find light colored mold "Hidden mold" is easy to find with proper light Links to photos of mold & stuff that is not but is mistaken for mold

Proper use of and aiming of light or a flashlight when looking for mold in buildings can make the difference between seeing and missing what might be the most important mold reservoirs in a given structure. Like the Purloined letter problem mold may be in plain sight but may be hard to see, until you know how to look. One result is that people who are testing mold often collect the "easy to see" mold but perhaps not the most important mold in a building. Here's how to do it right - in this brief article. For our longer article with more photos and advice on how to use lighting and how to aim a flashlight to spot hard to see mold, read Mold Detection - using a flashlight to find mold. In most cases, proper use of a flashlight can help spot mold on paneling and other building surfaces. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.

USING LIGHT to FIND MOLD - Using proper lighting to see important mold contamination in buildings How and where you shine light is of crucial importance when looking for mold in buildings. Light-colored mold such as some members of the Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. groups are often the dominant problem-mold in buildings but these offenders are often missed by a casual inspection because they can be hard to see on surfaces. You need a bright flashlight and you need to know how to use it. Shine the light along the surface being examined, not straight at it. As you'll see in the mold photographs below, using your light carefully can make a big difference in what mold you find and where you find it. Just looking for "black mold" risks missing the important mold in a building.

• Light colored mold next to obvious black mold - Aiming a bright flashlight along this wall surface where dark mold was obvious shows a light gray/green fungal colony which in fact was far more toxic and thus important to select as an additional source for surface sampling using adhesive tape.
  
  
  
  
• Light colored toxic mold on paneling can be hard to see in ordinary lighting and requires careful inspection. But notice how the lighting shows that this paneling is buckled. I'd suspect that it has been exposed to high moisture if not water, and that there is risk of hidden mold on the cavity side of this material. Further inspection was needed.

For our longer article with more photos and advice on how to use lighting and how to aim a flashlight to spot hard to see mold, read Mold Detection - using a flashlight to find mold - proper use of a flashlight can help spot mold on paneling and other building surfaces.

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.

More expert information on this topic

More Information on Finding and Identifying Mold in Buildings and Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• Looking for Mold Procedure: what mold is often found where in buildings - simple technical presentation
• How to Look For Mold, List of Articles: Hiring a Mold or IAQ Consultant, Getting a Remediation Plan
• Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens
• 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.
• Allergens: what they look like in buildings
• Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality.
• Mold in Fiberglass Insulation© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation - DJF
• 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 Test Kits - How to Collect and Send Your Own Mold Sample to our mold testing lab
• Meruliporia: the house eating fungus or "poria"
• Mold Central: indoor air quality investigation case histories, key links what to do about mold and indoor allergens - our Fear of Mold "Mycophobia" WebLog-Blog.
• Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold" remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
• Rot concerns in buildings-some building mold such as Meruliporia incrassata "Poria" risks serious rot and hidden structural damage
• 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

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

Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab

Environmental Inspection, Testing, & Diagnosis On-Site IAQ, Gas, Air Testing, Mold Investigation, Sick Building Diagnosis, Lab Services, & Remediation Plan Preparation - indoor air quality testing, problem source determination, supporting lab work, written remediation plan addressing removal of environmental and other hazards and prevention of their recurrence.

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