Black Mold Appearance
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 here. To collect samples of visible black mold growth on walls or other surfaces, click here.
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 here. If you see visible black mold and you want to know whether it is the toxic type click here.