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MOLD INFORMATION CENTER
ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS
DO-IT-YOURSELF WARNINGS
FLOODS & MOLD CLEAN/PREVENT
MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO
MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION
HOW TO LOOK FOR MOLD
  CHOOSE SAMPLE POINT
  SAMPLING DRYWALL
  SAMPLING MISTAKES
  USE A FLASHLIGHT
WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE
  Black Mold
  Brown Mold
  Green Mold
  Red Mold
  Yellow Mold
  White Mold
  Invisible Mold
  Recognize Cosmetic Mold
  Recognize Harmless Black Mold
ATTIC MOLD
BASEMENT MOLD
CARPET TEST GUIDE
CRAWLSPACE MOLD
DRYWALL MOLD
HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND
  Photo Guide to Finding Hidden Mold
  Hidden Mold Behind Paneling
  Spotting Hard-to-See Mold
  Use of a flashlight to find mold
  Wall test cuts to spot hidden mold
  Light colored toxic molds
  Moisture Gradients and Mold
  Other Places to Look for Hidden Mold
INSULATION MOLD
ITCHY FABRICS
MOLD BY MICROSCOPE
MOLD ON DIRT FLOORS
MOLDY CARPETS
PHOTO GUIDE TO STAINS on Indoor Surfaces
STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD
  HARMLESS INDOOR PARTICLES
  THERMAL TRACKING STAINS
USING LIGHT TO FIND MOLD

More Information
  Allergens:
  How to Look For Mold
  Mold Test Kits

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Black Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens
What toxic black mold or other indoor mold looks like and stuff that's not mold but may be mistaken for mold
MoldAPedia ^©

Photos of black mold in buildings - how to find & recognize mold on building surfaces

Photographs of black mold & other molds of various colors and textures in buildings

Photographs of black and other dark colored mold on drywall

Photos of mold on plywood subflooring

Photographs of mold on or behind wallpaper

Photos of mold inside wall cavities and in insulation

Photos of house eating fungus mold

Links to photos of stuff that is not mold or is harmless mold

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, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at inspect-ny.com/appointment.htm.

What does mold look like? These mold spores and their photographs and examples of materials sometimes mistaken for mold have been collected in the U.S., Spain, Mexico, France, as well as in other countries where I've studied bioaerosols. These photos of mold on indoor building surfaces may help you recognize mold in buildings, recognize probably-cosmetic mold, and recognize stuff that is not mold and does not need to be tested. Also see Mold Related Illness: Index of Symptoms and for an atlas of building molds and for more microphotographs of building mold samples observed in our laboratory, see Mold Atlas of Indoor Clinical Mold, Pathogens, Allergens & Other Indoor Particles. © 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.

Photographs to Help Identify Mold in Buildings -
What mold looks like in a home or other buildings

Identification Photographs of Black Mold in Buildings

Mold on basement laundry room wall - Daniel Friedman 04-11-01
Black mold in the laundry room may look like this extensive case. In cases of large areas of visible mold, unless the mold proves to be only cosmetic mold, professional cleaning is probably needed.

Stachybotrys behind baseboard - Daniel Friedman 04-11-01

Tiny Stachybotrys toxic black mold colony on drywall behind a laundry room baseboard. If this is all that's present this is a trivial cleanup and does not need testing and remediation.

But if this is a "tip of iceberg" clue of a larger hidden problem in the wall, or if it might be, further investigation, at least exploring the wall cavity, would be appropriate.

T Scriptis in rotting subfloor - Daniel Friedman 04-11-01

Black mold on rotting subfloor below a leaky sliding glass door - this "black mold" was Taeoniella rudus for which no medical issues have been reported - a wood rotter though.

Stachybotrys black mold on wallpaper - Daniel Friedman
04-11-01

Black Stachybotrys chartarum black mold on wallpaper below a leaky window - my ex-wife's condominium

Memnoniella echinata black mold in wall cav - Daniel Friedman
04-11-01
Toxic black mold, Memnoniella echinata visible at a small test cut into the wall cavity and contaminating fiberglass insulation in a NY City high rise apartment after water leaked from an A/C condensate line into the metal track of the metal-stud wall.

Larger wall cuts to look for hidden mold and final demolition exposed a very extensive toxic mold colony in this building. Lab processing of a tape sample of this mold was necessary to identify it.

Notice the funny black mold growth pattern on the cavity side of the opposing drywall. This pattern maps the points of contact of the wall insulation kraft paper with the drywall surface, and the movement of moisture and spreading mold growth on the wall surface. It is characteristic of wall cavity mold and is different from the growth pattern of mold growing on a freely exposed-to-air drywall surface.

extensive mold hidden in fiberglass insulated wall cavity -
Daniel Friedman 04-11-01 Black and hidden mold in fiberglass wall insulation in a basement exposed to prolonged wet conditions from a wall leak at a water pipe entry point. This mold was almost hidden except for a small mold-suspect patch and larger water stains on the exposed side of the drywall.

The wall cut exposed a surprise point of water entry. Black mold was visible on the insulation kraft paper. The problematic mold in this case was not visible but was found by a special sampling technique we used to examine the building insulation for Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. (problem molds) in the fiberglass - it was found to be highly contaminated and was determined to be an active reservoir releasing high levels of airborne mold into the basement.

More Reading and photos to assist people looking for mold contamination in buildings:

MOLD INFORMATION CENTER
ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS
DO-IT-YOURSELF WARNINGS
FLOODS & MOLD CLEAN/PREVENT
MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO
MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION
HOW TO LOOK FOR MOLD
  CHOOSE SAMPLE POINT
  SAMPLING DRYWALL
  SAMPLING MISTAKES
  USE A FLASHLIGHT
WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE
  Black Mold
  Brown Mold
  Green Mold
  Red Mold
  Yellow Mold
  White Mold
  Invisible Mold
  Recognize Cosmetic Mold
  Recognize Harmless Black Mold
ATTIC MOLD
BASEMENT MOLD
CARPET TEST GUIDE
CRAWLSPACE MOLD
DRYWALL MOLD
HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND
  Photo Guide to Finding Hidden Mold
  Hidden Mold Behind Paneling
  Spotting Hard-to-See Mold
  Use of a flashlight to find mold
  Wall test cuts to spot hidden mold
  Light colored toxic molds
  Moisture Gradients and Mold
  Other Places to Look for Hidden Mold
INSULATION MOLD
ITCHY FABRICS
MOLD BY MICROSCOPE
MOLD ON DIRT FLOORS
MOLDY CARPETS
PHOTO GUIDE TO STAINS on Indoor Surfaces
STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD
USING LIGHT TO FIND MOLD

More Information
  Allergens:
  How to Look For Mold
  Mold Test Kits

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 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

GO TO MOLD TEST KITS: This expert-recommended mold test kit is cheap and yet top performing *IF* you use a competent analysis laboratory! Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab

GO TO IAQ/MOLD-TEST LAB SERVICES: Mold, Pollen, indoor air quality, field and laboratory services by an expert. 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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CONTACT Daniel Friedman - Dan is a senior ASHI home inspector, nationally recognized expert on building inspection, building failures, and sick building investigation Contact Daniel Friedman for website content suggestions or for fee-paid consulting

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Black Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergensWhat toxic black mold or other indoor mold looks like and stuff that's not mold but may be mistaken for moldMoldAPedia ©

Photographs to Help Identify Mold in Buildings -What mold looks like in a home or other buildings

Identification Photographs of Black Mold in Buildings

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

InspectAPedia ^TM

Black Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens
What toxic black mold or other indoor mold looks like and stuff that's not mold but may be mistaken for mold
MoldAPedia ^©

Photographs to Help Identify Mold in Buildings -
What mold looks like in a home or other buildings