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ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS GUIDE
ASBESTOS in Buildings
Carpet Dust
Carpeting and Indoor Air Quality
MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD INSPECTION,
  TESTING, CLEANUP & PREVENTION
BASICS YOU NEED to FIND, TEST, REMOVE MOLD
BOOKSTORE - ENVIRONMENTAL
BUYERS GUIDE - home inspections for mold
CAT DANDER in BUILDINGS
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DO IT YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP
FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD
FLOODS & MOLD CLEAN/PREVENT
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INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS
INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE
INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED
INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
INSULATION MOLD
ITCHY FABRICS
MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD
MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE
  Black Mold  Brown Mold
  Green Mold  Red Mold
  Yellow Mold  White Mold
  Invisible Mold
  Meruliporia Mold Photographs
  Recognize Cosmetic Mold
  Recognize Harmless Black Mold
  Stuff that is Mistaken for Mold
  White stuff that is not mold
MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD
  HARMLESS INDOOR PARTICLES
    Basketball Mold Syndrome - BBMS
    Black stains from soot/thermal tracking
    Black stains from animals
    Black cosmetic mold
    Efflorescence & brown deposits
    Efflorescence & white or brown deposits
    House dust
    Pollen
    Sprayed foam insulation
    White stuff that is not mold
    Wood sap
MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX
MOLD BY MICROSCOPE
MOLD CLASSES, HAZARD LEVELS
MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD
MOLD CLEANUP with BLEACH
MOLD CLEANUP - WOOD FRAMING & PLYWOOD
MOLD CLEANUP HEALTH RISKS
MOLD CLEANUP MISTAKES to AVOID
MOLD REMEDIATION CLEARANCE INSPECTION
MOLD CULTURES
MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE
MOLD DOCTOR NEEDED?
MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE
MOLD EXPOSURE RISK LEVELS
MOLD EXPOSURE STANDARDS
MOLD ON or IN CARPETS
MOLD ON DIRT FLOORS
MOLD FREQUENCY in BUILDINGS
MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, GUIDE TO
MOLD INSPECTORS & MOLD TESTERS
MOLD INSPECTION SERVICES
MOLD KILLING GUIDE
MOLD LEVEL REPORTS
MOLD LEVELS IN BUILDINGS
MOLD by MICROSCOPE
MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS
MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE
MOLD RELATED ILLNESS
MOLD SPRAYS, SEALANTS, PAINTS
MOLD TEST KITS
MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS
MOLD TEST PROCEDURES
MOLD TEST REASONS
MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS
ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE
RENTERS & TENANTS GUIDE TO MOLD
SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP
STAIN DIAGNOSIS & GUIDE
TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES
THERMAL TRACKING
TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES
USING LIGHT TO FIND MOLD

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Photograph of thermal tracking or soot tracking - cool surface, moisture condenses, soot is deposited - Daniel Friedman 02-12-16 Photographs of Stuff that is Not Mold: white fluffy crystalline deposits, black stains, yellow stains, & other diagnostic photographs
InspectAPedia®  -    

  • Photos & text aid identifying indoor stains mistaken for toxic mold
  • How to identify white stains, white fluffy material, white crystalline material on building walls & in basements and crawl spaces -mineral efflorescence is not mold
  • How to identify amber material in attics as Wood sap; identify foam insulation in buildings
  • How to recognize black stains as thermal tracking or soot
  • BBMS: BasketBall Mold Syndrome: why do we think old conditions are "new" on buildings?
  • How to identify stains on soiled walls/trim caused by animals
  • How to recognize cosmetic or harmless black (or other color) mold & Links to photos of stuff that is bad 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 InspectAPedia.com/appointment.htm.

When investigating a building for a mold problem, you can save mold test costs by learning how to recognize Stuff that is Not Mold or is only Harmless Mold but may be mistaken for more serious contamination - save your money. Because some clients have on occasion sent samples to our lab that really should not have been collected, much less looked-at, I provide this library of photographs of things that are "not mold" and don't need to be tested. These are substances that you can easily learn to recognize in buildings.

Save your mold test money, and increase the accuracy of your mold contamination inspection or test for toxic or allergenic mold in buildings: review these items to learn recognize non-fungal materials or even possibly harmless cosmetic "black mold" often mistaken for "toxic fungal growth."

© 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.

HARMLESS INDOOR PARTICLES - Examples of scary-looking, usually harmless indoor stuff that is sometimes mistaken for mold

So many people have called me to look at things that are not mold that I'm offering some photo tips below. Don't hire an environmental consultant if your only concern is the stuff you see here and if there are no health or air quality complaints. Save your money, don't bother testing the things you see below.

Finding "not mold" material in a building does not mean that there is no mold or allergen problem. Even relatively harmless house dust collected on a surface and sent to our lab as a mold screening test can contain a surprising amount of problematic mold spores if the building has a mold problem.

More important for mold testing, right in among an old colony of harmless cosmetic black mold I've on often found hard-to-see Aspergillus sp. or Penicillium sp. mold that grew there much after the original black mold deposit. Judgment and common sense are needed. Nonetheless, the examples below are unambiguous and should not be sampled for mold testing.

Review This List & These Photographs of Stains or Stuff in Buildings that Are Not Mold or Are Harmless Cosmetic Indoor Mold

In this article on things that are not mold, do not require mold testing, but which may still help diagnose building conditions and history, we'll discuss, describe, and provide photographs of some common items that are sometimes mistaken for mold in buildings:

  • Basketball Mold Syndrome - BBMS why dirt and stains may be mistaken for toxic harmful mold
  • Black mold on building surfaces that is harmless cosmetic material, not "toxic black mold" indoors
  • Black stains from soot/thermal tracking or marks on building interior walls caused by thermal tracking, this is not mold
  • Animal Stains or marks on building interior walls caused by dogs, cats or other animal stains on building carpets, floors, walls, doors, trim: how to diagnose and remove pet stains and odors.
  • Black cosmetic mold - such as black stains due to Ceratocystis or Ophistoma fungi that were on framing lumber at the time of construction may be completely harmless, cosmetic only. At Black cosmetic mold we discuss some simple but reliable ways to identify cosmetic molds that have been present since time of building construction. In our companion article, Recognize Harmless Black Mold, we discuss two specific harmless, cosmetic black molds commonly found on framing lumber.
  • Efflorescence & White or Brown Stuff white, tan, crystalline or bubbly, tan, or other-colored mineral salts on foundations and masonry walls - white fluffy stuff or white crystalline stuff often found on building walls may not be mold at all, though it is an indicator of problem leaks, moisture, dampness. Efflorescence describes white fluffy crystalline material that is not mold. White Mold describes actual white or light colored mold in buildings.
  • House dust which may or may not contain mold, allergens, or other problems
  • Pollen may contaminate indoor dust
  • Sprayed foam insulation- that looks a little like certain fungal growths in crawl spaces or other building areas, usually yellow or white in color
  • Wood sap- clear or crystalline tan or yellow droplets found on wood framing, often in attics

Look for Efflorescence - Mineral Deposits (not mold) on Building Foundations and Masonry Walls

What about white fluffy "growth" or stuff on walls, particularly masonry walls? You may be looking at efflorescence - which is not mold.

What about brown or even reddish or darker bubbly stuff that seems to be "growing" on masonry or plaster walls? You may be looking at efflorescence - which is not mold.

Be sure to go to Efflorescence & white or brown deposits to review our photos and text on how to recognize mineral efflorescence that is likely to be found on concrete block, stone, brick walls, foundations, and chimneys.

This white fluffy material is efflorescence, a crystalline mineral salt left behind as moisture comes through the wall and evaporates into the building interior.

Brownish or reddish bubbly efflorescence and dirt deposits on walls may be a mix of mineral efflorescence and other salts and debris left behind as water or moisture pass through building ceilings or walls.

Efflorescence is not mold, though it is an indicator of wet conditions that could contribute to a mold problem somewhere in the building.

In sum, although efflorescence is not mold, it often indicates wet conditions that cause problem mold growth elsewhere in the same building. You'll need to identify the sources of moisture or leaks and correct them, and depending on other building air quality complaints or health concerns it may be appropriate to inspect and screen the building for problem mold or other moisture or water-related problems.

How to Identify Wood Sap Crystals on Building Framing

Wood sap on an attic rafter - this is not mold - Daniel Friedman 04-11-01

What about those clear or opaque spherical brown blobs we see on rafters in attics? Is that toxic brown mold? Probably not. Take a look at this photograph.

Wood sap on rafters in a hot attic forms hard shiny brown or tan spheres that some people think is mold. It's not. Here's a closer look at sap.

This is not mold, it's sap crystals that have been extruded from the wood due to high attic temperatures. We see more of this sap staining when the wood used for framing was not kiln dried before construction.


Mistaking sprayed foam for mold growth in buildings

Foam insulation sprayed in a crawl space - this is not mold - Daniel Friedman 04-11-01
Some mold-suspect material in buildings is easily determined to be spray foam insulation.

Sprayed icynene foam insulation is not mold either. Though we sometimes find fungal growth in buildings that looks a lot like this substance, it would be very odd for it to appear so extensively and so uniformly as the foam insulation shown in this photo. For more information about foam spray insulation such as Icynene foam, see How to Identify Icynene Foam Insulation and for an older foam insulating product see How to Identify UFFI Foam Insulation.

To compare actual mold growth with crawlspace foam insulation see this photograph of yellow mold growth taken from a rotting wood truss in a wet crawl space.

You'll see it looks a bit like the sprayed foam insulation shown on this page. But actual yellow mold growth on wood won't be found in a continuous blanket such as shown in our photograph of icynene foam on this page.

See INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT for details about foam and other building insulation types; see FIBERGLASS HAZARDS for a discussion of mold problems in fiberglass insulation; see Mold On Foam Insulation for a discussion of when and why we find mold growth on foam insulating materials like foam board and air handler foam insulating board.

 

How to recognize black stains that are thermal tracking or soot marks, not mold in buildings

Photograph of thermal tracking or soot tracking - cool surface, moisture condenses, soot is deposited - Daniel Friedman 02-12-16
Thermal tracking or soot tracking may be found where moisture condenses on cool building surfaces. Warm moisture-laden air touches the cooler surface of a building wall or ceiling, giving up some of its moisture to the surface as condensation.

As air moves through the building, typically up walls and across ceilings, debris in the air, particularly soot such as that left by burning scented candles, adheres more to the damp surfaces than to others, leaving black marks or "tracks."

In a conventionally-framed wood structure, wall and ceiling framing is typically on 16" or 24" centers. The wall or ceiling will be cooler where the framing is located than will be the spaces which are not touched by framing and which, perhaps, are insulated. So if you see black streaks up the building wall in a regular 16" or 24" pattern, particularly on cooler exterior walls but potentially anywhere, it may be thermal tracking.

If you have frequent fireplace fires, cooking, or if you burn scented candles, if people smoke in your home, or if your oil-fired or gas-fired heating system is not working properly, the added soot particle load in the building air is not only a health concern (soot and potentially lead), it also will mark the building surfaces in this characteristic pattern.

See our complete article on Thermal tracking or soot tracking .

Basketball Mold Syndrome (BBMS): How Old, Pre-Existing Building Conditions Can Be Perceived as Brand New and Threatening

BBMS is a term we coined for the phenomenon which describes an observer who is certain that a condition s/he has recently seen is a new condition even though solid forensic evidence shows that the condition is long-standing.

BBMS occurs when a person who has (other) reasons to be anxious about health or structural or safety conditions in a building (or any other condition where BBMS may apply) observes some mark, material, or substance for the first time. In other words, the condition or clue, mark, or substance was there before, but the person had no reason to attend, recognize, and consider it.

What Conditions Lead to BasketBall Mold Syndrome?

BBMS occurs most often (in our experience) where health concerns are present and people have become worried about mold contamination, or where structural concerns are present and people have become worried about cracks, stains, or possible indications of building damage.

Basketball print mold: A client was certain that a large collection of round black speckled marks on his garage ceiling were toxic mold, that the marks were growing in size, and that they had not been there when he purchased the home a few years before.

During a mold investigation we had seen and rapidly discounted the significance of these marks, preferring to follow water leaks and moisture to an actual building problem. To an experienced eye it was immediately obvious that the marks had been made by a basketball which someone had bounced against walls and ceilings.

It is important to realize that a stain or mark may have been in place but un-noticed for a long time on a building surface.

In its form of black on white on the garage ceiling the stain pattern was a bit hard to see. We used this trick of reversing black and white in the lab computer, making the basketball characteristic surface pattern of the ceiling marks which we sampled quite obvious.

We explain why this confusion about building clues and mold risk happens in a separate page: please see Basketball Mold Syndrome - BBMS

  • THERMAL TRACKING STAINS for a more detailed discussion of recognizing and diagnosing indoor stains on walls and ceilings, and for tips for using indoor stains to diagnose a variety of building problems and safety concerns.

  • Black stains from animals for examples of animal stains that are sometimes mistaken for mold in buildings.

  • FOUNDATION DIAGNOSIS for examples of procedures used to diagnose and evaluate foundation wall and slab cracks and movement.

  • MOLD INFORMATION CENTER for guidance on what to do about mold and other indoor air quality issues

  • Cosmetic vs. Harmful Mold: Can Mold Make You Sick? Fear of Mold - Mycophobia - Can Lead to Unnecessary Expense

How to recognize black stains on indoor walls and trim caused by pets, not mold

Black indoor stain is dog dirt not mold

With a little thought we can easily distinguish pet stains on drywall from thermal tracking by the stain pattern and location as well as other details such as the absence of a heat source, or the identification of a location where we'd expect a pet to rest.

Similarly we can identify black stains on walls where people's heads rested while sitting on furniture or in bed (see photo link just below).

Black marks on interior walls such as the black "mold suspect stains" shown on the white painted drywall in this photo might be just be where the dog lay on the floor against the wall (stain at floor level in this picture) or in this photograph of black stains higher on a wall where people rested their heads in bed.

 

 

Indoor House Dust Analysis Distinguishes Common from Problematic Mold and Other Particles

Killer House Dust from an HVAC system which turned out to be cotton and other carpet fibers having nothing to do with the Heating or Cooling equipment was discussed at our Fear of Mold WebLog or "Blog" where we periodically post results of interesting forensic investigations.

House dust might be a contributor to building air quality complaints IF the dust has high levels of problem particles such as mold, dust mite fecals, pollen, sub-micron particulate debris, bacterial contaminants, pet hair, mouse dander or fecal dust, and similar particles.

The most common ingredients in house-dust in a healthy home are:

  • fabric fibers
  • human skin cells
  • starch granules, often from cooking and from bath products
  • pet dander and pet hair, especially if pets live in the home
  • non-fungal granular debris such as road dirt or soil particles
  • at lower levels: common outdoor biological particles such as pollen and mold spores are present but generally at a lower level than outdoors (except when the windows are open), and the mix of these particles will be more heterogeneous than when mold spores appear indoors from an indoor mold reservoir; we also may find certain outdoor mold spores only as individuals (such as Penicillium sp.) while if that same mold were growing indoors we may find it occurring as spore chains.

Pollen may be present in indoor dust reservoirs

Pollen Allergens: identification, advice including a pollen identification photo library - pollen may be allergenic, but it's not mold and requires a different approach to detection and cleaning indoor spaces.

Photograph: typical cosmetic bluestain mold on new framing lumber, floor joists - © Daniel Friedman

Cosmetic, Harmless Black Mold?

Some black mold in buildings arrived on the framing lumber and is harmless both to humans and to the building materials on which it is found.

Often a visual inspection for certain clues (discussed below) can make you very confident of when mold appeared on lumber and what sort it probably is.

We discuss how to recognize and what to do about harmless mold, harmless black mold, and cosmetic molds in our article: HARMLESS COSMETIC MOLD

Make sure that the obvious harmless "black mold" you see (such as shown in the photograph at left) is the only mold growth found.

So what does mold look like on or in a building?

Mold on laundry room wall

Be sure to see our full article: WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE that has photographs and descriptions of what real mold looks like inside a building.

But be careful, some of the most problematic common indoor molds, the Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium group can be very light in color and hard to see on building surfaces.

We offer tips on how to look for mold for these hard-to-see molds too.

If you need to see what other indoor allergens look like in a building contact us (our contact information is below and at page left).

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MOLD INFORMATION CENTER
MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE
  Black Mold  Brown Mold
  Green Mold  Red Mold
  Yellow Mold  White Mold
  Invisible Mold
  Meruliporia Mold Photographs
  Recognize Cosmetic Mold
  Recognize Harmless Black Mold
  Stuff that is Mistaken for Mold
MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD
  HARMLESS INDOOR PARTICLES
    Basketball Mold Syndrome - BBMS
    Black stains from soot/thermal tracking
    Black stains from animals
    Black cosmetic mold
    Efflorescence & brown deposits
    Efflorescence & white or brown deposits
    House dust
    Pollen
    Sprayed foam insulation
    White stuff that is not mold
    Wood sap

Online Mold & Particle Identification Aids at InspectAPedia.com

 

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

MOLD INFORMATION CENTER
ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD

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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

  • How to Look For Mold, Hiring a Mold or IAQ Consultant, Getting a Remediation Plan
  • Looking for Mold what mold is often found where in buildings - simple technical presentation
  • 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 .
  • 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: 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.
  • New 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
  • Basketball Mold Syndrome - BBMS- sudden attention to old clues in buildings makes them seem brand new to some observers
  • 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
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GO TO the MOLD and INDOOR ENVIRONMENT INFORMATION CENTER for in-depth advice on avoiding testing for or cleaning up mold and other indoor environmental hazards, odors, gases, contaminants
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
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