Do You See Black Mold Growing on Bathroom Walls? Collect Samples Yourself and Save Money!
It’s difficult to tell if you are having the “toxic black mold” by color. There several types of molds that appear black. Collecting a sample and sending it to the lab yourself is the most inexpensive way to determine if you have the toxic black mold or not.
Black Mold In The House
Black mold in the house can appear in various places such as the bathroom, on windows around the windowsills, on ceiling tiles, in the basement and on wood. Not every mold that appears black is the “toxic black mold” that is scientifically referred to as Stachybotrys chartarum. The mold Stachybotrys chartarum is a well recognized health hazard. How do you know if you have black mold? Continue reading…
How To Tell If You Have Black Mold In Your House
Visible black mold around windows, on the walls, on wood or ceiling does not mean the type of mold referred to as “black mold” or Stachybotrys chartarum is present. As mentioned above majority of molds in the house may appear black but they are not Stachybotrys chartarum. The only way to tell if you have the toxic type of black mold or not is to send a sample to a laboratory for testing. If you can see visible mold you can take a sample using clear scotch tape (as most professionals do) and send to a laboratory for testing.
If you cannot see visible mold in your house but you detect musty odor especially in the basement or bathroom, then you could test the air in your house for mold. Air testing for mold can be performed by professionals for you or you can do it yourself using the same mold test kits and laboratories used by the professionals. The advantage of air testing is that it helps to determine whether there is hidden mold growth and also whether your family is exposed to airborne black mold spores. The only difference between hiring a professional and collecting samples and sending them directly to the laboratory yourself is that you save a lot of money. If you would consider collecting your own air samples click air samples. To collect samples of visible black mold growth on walls or other surfaces, click visible mold.
Black mold in bathroom
Due to persistent damp conditions in the bathroom, black mold may be found growing on bathroom tiles, ceiling, bathtub, and shower curtains.
Black Mold On Windows
Black mold on windows is caused by condensation or leaking windows. Most often the black mold on windowsills is either Cladosporium or Ulocladium though it could be other types of mold.
Black mold in the Basement
Basements are known for musty odor and dampness usually due to poor ventilation. In a finished basement black mold may be found growing on damp surfaces, for example on drywall, wooden building frames, under the carpet, on wallpaper, on baseboard, furniture or cardboard boxes stored in the basement.
How to Detect Black Mold in Houses
As mentioned earlier, it’s difficult to tell if you are having the “toxic black mold” by color. There several types of molds that appear black. Collecting a sample and sending it to the lab yourself is the most inexpensive way to determine if you have the toxic black mold or not. If you would like to collect a mold sample and send it to the lab, click here.
How to Determine if You are Exposed to Black Mold Spores
The only way to determine if you are exposed to black mold spores is to collect air samples and send them to a reputable laboratory for analysis. To collect air samples yourself is easy and saves you money. To collect air samples yourself click air samples. If you see visible black mold and you want to know whether it is the toxic type click visible mold.
Instructions on testing for visible mold
No special mold test kit required to collect a sample of mold. All you need is clear scotch tape.
- Cut off approximately 2-3 inches long of clear scotch tape.
- Hold tape at one end and place sticky side down onto the surface with visible mold growth and press gently.
- Remove tape and stick it onto a ziplock bag (Do not fold the tape).
- Number each tape and identify the sites sampled. For example:
- Tape 1: Basement, east wall.
- Tape 2: Window sill, master bedroom.
- Tape 3: Ceiling tile, kitchen.
- Enclose samples in an envelope or bag
Tip: If you see mold growth in more than one place (say kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and basement), we recommend taking a minimum of 3 samples. This because the black mold in the bathroom is highly likely to be different from that in the basement or kitchen or ceiling.
Submit the samples together with the following information:
- Name
- Address
- Phone
- Fax (if available)
- Email address
- The date the sample was collected
Mail or deliver samples to:
Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories (MBL) Inc.
1020 Brevik Place, Unit 1A
Mississauga, ON L4W 4N7
Canada
Sample Analysis Cost…..$50 per sample
What you get:
- Complete lab report with names of molds identified
- Results interpretation
- 15-minute free consultation (if requested) with one of our microbiologists
- Turnaround Time: 2-3 working days
Tip: If you see mold growth in more than one place (say kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and basement), we recommend taking a minimum of 3 samples. This because the black mold in the bathroom is highly likely to be different from that in the basement or kitchen or ceiling.
How to test for mold in the air
If you cannot see visible mold in your house but you detect musty odor especially in the basement or bathroom, then you could test the air in your house for mold. Air testing for mold can be performed by professionals for you or you can do it yourself using the same mold test kits and laboratories used by the professionals. The advantage of air testing is that it helps to determine whether there is hidden mold growth and also whether your family is exposed to airborne black mold spores. The only difference between hiring a professional and collecting samples and sending them directly to the laboratory yourself is that you save a lot of money.
Order for Black Mold in Air Test Kit…..$116 + Shipping
The Package Fee Includes:
- RENTAL of a professional Air-Sampling Equipment and sampling Instructions (24 Hours rental only),
- One air sampling cartridge,
- Analysis of one Air Sample (see the “tip” below),
- Lab report,
- Results interpretation,
- 15-minute free consultation (if requested) with one of our microbiologists,
- Turnaround Time: 2-3 working days.
Tip: To be sure whether your family is exposed to airborne toxic black mold spores or not, we recommend taking a minimum of 3 air samples. One from the outdoor (control sample) and 2 from indoors (for example living room and one of the bedrooms). Each additional sample is $66.
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