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This document describes how to avoid common mistakes people make when trying to find mold and test for mold in buildings, such as testing only the "black mold" on surfaces or relying only on air tests to screen buildings for problem mold. © Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. 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.

SAMPLING MISTAKES - Common Mold Surface Sampling and Other Mold Testing Errors

These mistakes amount to collecting mold test samples in the wrong place, or failing to collect mold test samples in other important places.

• Looking just for "black mold": Sampling the "scary toxic black mold" on drywall low on the wall while failing to observe the light-colored but more airborne and thus harmful molds such as Aspergillus sp. or Penicillium sp. growing higher and less visibly on the surface. See What mold looks like in a home
• Using bad lighting: Sampling the "easy to see" mold and missing the "hard to see" mold without first looking carefully with a flashlight. See Using proper lighting to see important mold contamination in buildings
• Bad choice of test surface: Sampling inorganic surfaces like concrete when nearby organic surfaces like drywall paper or wood paneling are present.
• Testing Harmless Particles: Sampling things that are obviously not mold and not harmful particles. See Stuff that is Not Mold

Other Common Mold Inspection Mistakes to be Avoided

• Wrong mold test methods: Relying on screening "mold tests" such as "air tests", mold swabs, or mold cultures, to alone indicate the presence or absence of a mold problem in a building. None of these is reliable when used in place of or without a careful and expert visual inspection and each of which has severe methodological errors and variability in results.
  
  
• Inspecting Easy Areas: Looking only in the easy to inspect areas - such as the living space or attic, and ignoring the crawl space.
  
  
• Overemphasis of Attics Overemphasizing attic mold - where conditions such as condensation often produce less-problematic Cladosporium sp. molds which do not as easily move down into the living area. But do not ignore attics completely and especially do not ignore attic knee wall areas outside bedrooms such as in a cape cod style home.
  
  
• Under-Inspecting Crawl Spaces: Failing to inspect crawl spaces - where conditions are often conducive to problem mold growth, especially when people are concerned about or may have found problem mold in other building areas
  
  
• Ignoring Wall & Ceiling Cavities: Ignoring building cavities - which can, depending on wall or ceiling penetrations and the nature of air movement in a particular building, contain significant reservoirs of problem mold. Some experts opine that mold in cavities never affects building occupants. Our own field investigation has traced high levels of indoor airborne Aspergillus sp. to non-visible reservoirs in fiberglass insulation, so I would not ignore this possibility.
  
  
• Omitting Insulation Ignoring non-visible but significant mold contamination in building insulation. Tape sampling is not useful for porous materials like insulation. We have devised special methods for screening such substances.

There are lots of other errors and inaccuracies that can confound "testing" buildings for mold, such as relying on air sampling or cultures alone, i.e. "testing" rather than performing a thorough visual inspection (by an expert who knows where to look), and obtaining a building leak history.

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More Reading:
Fiberglass in Indoor Air, HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
How to Test For Mold Sampling techniques (air, surface, culture, etc) and errors
USING LIGHT TO FIND MOLD - Using proper lighting to see important mold contamination in building
Stuff that is Not Mold
Toxic Mold and Toxic Gas Testing Methods Compared

About the Author

Daniel Friedmaninspect-ny.com/sickhouse.htm

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• How to Find and Test For Mold in Buildings - Looking for Mold - A 'how to' photo and text primer on finding and testing for mold in buildings
• Recognizing Mold: What mold looks like mold identification photos to help identify mold - choosing what to sample in buildings
• 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.
• Mold Action Guide: an easy step by step outline of what to do about mold
• How to find mold without hiring anyone, for do-it-yourself'ers
• Associations: Sick House, Sick Building, SBS - Air Quality, Government, Private Associations and Information Resources
• Mold Test Kits - How to Collect and Send Your Own Mold Sample to our mold testing lab
• How to find a mold inspector or test consultant: Directory of IAQ,Sick Building, Mold Allergen Testing, Building Investigation Service Providers
• Meruliporia: the house eating fungus or "poria"
• 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 Risk Levels in Buildings Based on Visual Inspection - simple visual clues help decide on action
• Mold in Fiberglass Insulation© 2005 comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation - DJF
• 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
• When to hire a professional to inspect for toxic mold or other allergens
• Contact Us to arrange mold/IAQ building on site inspection and testing.

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