 |
InspectAPedia® |
InspectAPedia
|
Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair | Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia |
 Mobile ViewENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE to TEST CLEAN PREVENT ACCEPTABLE MOLD LEVEL ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD ACTIVITY of MOLD in buildings AGE of MOLD - Old is the Mold? AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS AIR LEAK SEALING PROCEDURE AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR AIR SEALING STRATEGIES AIR TEST FOR MOLD: ACCURACY AIR TEST SAMPLING CASSETTE STUDY AIRBORNE MOLD SPORE COUNT ACCURACY AIRBORNE PARTICLE ANALYSIS METHODS ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS ALLERGENS in BUILDINGS, RECOGNIZING ALLERGY & MOLD IAQ PRODUCTS ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE ALLERGY TEST ACCURACY ANIMAL ENTRY POINTS in BUILDINGS ASBESTOS CLEANUP COMPANIES ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION ASBESTOS-FREE INSULATION MATERIALS ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS ASBESTOS ROOFING / SIDING DUST ATTORNEYS and EXPERT WITNESSES ATTIC MOLD BASEMENT MOLD BASEMENT MOLD WATER IMPACT BATHROOM MOLD Is Bathroom Mold a Health Risk Hidden Mold in Bathrooms Bathroom Vanity Cabinet Mold BROWN HAIRY BATHROOM MOLD Mold Behind Marble Walls Remove & Prevent Bathroom Mold Clean off mold on tile, grout, or caulk Renovating to Avoid Mold Growth BIBLIOGAPHY for ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, MOLD, IAQ BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS in the HOME - EPA Bisphenol-A, BPA BLACK MOLD, HARMLESS COSMETIC BLACK MOLD, TOXIC & ALLERGENIC BLEACHING MOLD, Advice about BOOK MOLD, Moldy Book Cleaning BOOKSTORE - ENVIRONMENTAL CACTUS FUNGI / MOLD CAR MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPET DUST IDENTIFICATION CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPET STAIN DIAGNOSIS CARPET & other STAIN TESTS CARPET TEST PROCEDURE CRAWLSPACE MOLD DIRT FLOOR MOLD CONTAMINATION MOLD CLEANUP - SAFETY WARNINGS DIRECTORY of MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS DIRT FLOOR MOLD CONTAMINATION Disinfectants Disinfecting Buildings with Bleach DO-IT-YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP WARNINGS DRYWALL MOLD DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS DUST ANALYSIS for FIBERGLASS DUST CONTAMINATION FROM HVAC? DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE EFFLORESCENCE, Salts & White / Brown Deposits EMERGENCY RESPONSE, IAQ, GAS, MOLD FEAR of MOLD - MYCOPHOBIA Fiberboard Insulation Sheathing Mold FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD FIND MOLD, ESSENTIAL STEPS FIND MOLD in buildings, HOW TO FIRE DAMAGE vs MOLD DAMAGE FLOODS & MOLD CLEAN/PREVENT FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FLOODS IN buildings-mold FUNGICIDAL SPRAY & SEALANT USE GUIDE GAS DETECTION & MEASUREMENT GAS EXPOSURE EFFECTS, TOXIC GAS EXPOSURE LIMITS & STANDARDS GAS TEST PROCEDURES HOUSE DUST ANALYSIS HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND HUMIDITY CONTROL TO PREVENT MOLD INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED INSULATION MOLD ITCHY FABRICS LABORATORY SERVICES LAB PROCEDURES MICROSCOPE TECHNIQUES LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE Legionella Legionnaires' Disease Legionella BACTERIA & HVAC Equipment LP & Natural Gas Safety Hazards MEDIA BLASTING for MOLD REMOVAL METHANE GAS SOURCES MICROSCOPE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY MILDEW in BUILDINGS ? MILDEW ERRORS - MOLD PHOTOS MILDEW REMOVAL & PREVENTION MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE MOLD CLEANERS - WHAT TO USE MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD MOLD CONSULTANTS/INSPECTORS MOLD CULTURE TEST KIT VALIDITY MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE MOLD or INDOOR AIR EMERGENCY RESPONSE MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE MOLD FAQ's MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE MOLD SAFETY WARNINGS MOLD SPRAYS, SEALANTS, PAINTS MOLD STANDARDS MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS MOLD TESTING METHOD VALIDITY MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS MYCOPHOBIA, STAINS MISTAKEN for MOLD MYCOTOXIN EFFECTS of MOLD EXPOSURE Nanomaterials Hazards NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST RENTERS & TENANTS GUIDE TO MOLD ROBIGUS & Wheat Rust Fungus ROT, TIMBER FRAME SLIDE PREPARATION, MICROSCOPE SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS STAIN & BIODETERIORATION AGENT CATALOG STAINS on BUILDINGS - QUICK GUIDE STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS STAINS on INDOOR SURFACES: PHOTO GUIDE STAINS & Thermal Tracking TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES THERMAL TRACKING Indicates Heat Loss TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS VENTILATION in buildings VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS in buildings VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO WALL SIDING TRIM & FINISHES WALL FINISHES INTERIOR WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR BUILDING WATER ENTRY in buildings WATER ODORS, CAUSE CURE World Trade Center Collapse Dust Photos More Information |
Brown hairy mold in bathrooms (and on OSB subfloors): this document gives advice on identification of and health risks of brown hairy mold found in bathrooms (and other building areas), including brown hairy Stemonitis sp. mold found on bath floor tiles, under carpeting, on wood subflooring. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Identifying & Removing Dense Brown Hairy Mold Found On Bathroom Floor & Under CarpetingHere we also discuss how to address the risk of further hidden bathroom mold, and we cite references on the toxicity of Stemonitis sp. - a brown hairy myxomycete mold found on OSB, wood subfloors, and in some bathrooms such as the bath floor shown in our page top photograph. This article series helps identify the presence of or locate the probable sources of mold reservoirs in buildings, and helps decide which of these need more invasive, exhaustive inspection and testing. This article series on evaluating, removing, and preventing types of mold on various bathroom surfaces begins at BATHROOM MOLD. FIND MOLD in buildings, HOW TO 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. (See MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS for details). Also see Brown Mold for more general questions and answers about brown mold found in buildings and an answer to "should I buy a home that has a mold problem?" Question: what is this hairy brown mold found in my bathroom? Is brown hairy mold dangerous? How do I get rid of it?I live in Melbourne Australia and I have a major issue with my bathroom floor. Please see my brown hairy mold photographs (below). The images are of brown mold growths on the bathroom floor, & afterwards when I had scraped them off the floor. I do understand that no competent expert would pretend to ID mold [or any other microscopic particle] from just a field photo. But I have no idea what I'm dealing with and of course am concerned for my health and my family's. Can you tell me please - is brown hairy mold dangerous? When I scraped the protrusions off the bathroom floor, it turned into a powder & hair like structures stood on end. I would be most grateful if you could please tell me what this could be and if it is dangerous. I'm wanting to send a specimen away for analysis & hope that I can locate a government organisation in Australia, such as the Agricultural Department, hopefully they can do this at no cost. - G. P., Melbourne, Australia
Reply: Examination of fungal material in an aerobiology lab is needed for sure identification of moldYour photos are blurry and no competent expert would pretend to identify a mold genera or species just from email photos. But with that caveat stated, the pattern and character of the mold in your photos resembles like a fungus Stemonitis sp. [1] - see Brown Mold and also at Rental Apartment Mold Safety Advice where we include photographs of Stemonitis sp. found on a bathroom floor and growing on oriented strand board (OSB) or "waferboard" in a basement. Enlarging your photos [click any image to see an enlarged version] we see the mold was thick under carpeting (above left) meaning that in at least this area of the building, mold growth, including in hidden cavities such as walls, floors, ceilings, is likely to be extensive. Watch out: And one would certainly expect other leak damage; that "wrinkled" looking floor baseboard trim board - if that's what it is in photo #1 at above left - means there have been leaks and probably rot. If the mold test lab or aerobiology lab technician who examines a mold test sample you provide is familiar with myxomycetes, s/he should easily recognize the fungus from an actual sample. - you can use the clear adhesive tape sampling procedure at MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS and send the sample to a qualified local lab of your choice [not to us].
Some Brown Hairy Molds are Probably HarmlessStemonitis sp. is a Myxomycete ( a class of fungus) that is not listed in our MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX nor in the authoritative Atlas of Clinical Fungi, deHoog et als. as a known toxic mold, though it is commonly described in mushroom field guides such as the National Audobon Society's Field Guide to Mushrooms [1] But as we warned you earlier, having so much fungal growth and leakage as we saw in that lifted-carpeting photo, you should expect that other genera/species are likely to be present even if you don't see them yourself from a superficial inspection. Watch out for Other Leaks & Hidden MoldWatch out: At a minimum you'd be smart to assume there are allergenic molds present and if there is more than about one square meter of moldy material, to use appropriate protection measures during cleanup as well as, of course, finding and correcting the leaks that led to these conditions. As we explain at BATHROOM MOLD, mold may be found growing on wood subfloors under bath floor tiles or sheet vinyl flooring if the bathroom floor has been wet or flooded. If a ceramic bath tile floor has become loose or if bathroom floor carpeting has been wet (as one would expect), we suggest exploring for damaged subfloors - otherwise simply repairing the tiles or replacing moldy carpeting may not be a durable fix. If the bathroom is not on a basement or slab, inspect the ceiling areas below the bathroom for leak stains. Stained areas of drywall ceiling below a leaky bathroom or bath fixture usually merit further investigation. You will want to study the building carefully to decide on the building points at most risk of having been wet from leaks due to construction details or other site observations. That's where one would make a test cut, remove carpeting, or otherwise explore further for hidden mold. You might want to review FIND MOLD in buildings, HOW TO and also HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND. See ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD on what to do about mold We frequently add text and photos to this series of articles. See MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE and also to avoid spending on harmless non-mold debris see MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD. Readers should also review Mold in Fiberglass Insulation in buildings at our The Mold Information Center - What to Do About Mold in buildings. See Renovating to Avoid Mold Growth for specific tips that will mold-proof your bathroom, and see CONSTRUCTION DETAILS TO AVOID MOLD for a more broad list of details about mold-resistant construction in buildings. Questions & Answers regarding this articleQuestions & answers about the identification, cause, & cure of brown hairy mold and other brown bathroom molds. . Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
Recommend / Share this Article
... Technical Reviewers & References
Use links just below or 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. BATHROOM MOLD
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
|
