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What does white mold look like on building surfaces and how hard is this mold to see? These mold spores and their photographs and examples of materials sometimes mistaken for mold have been collected in the U.S., Spain, Mexico, France, as well as in other countries where I've studied bioaerosols.

These photos of mold on indoor building surfaces may help you recognize mold in buildings, recognize probably-cosmetic mold, and recognize stuff that is not mold and does not need to be tested. For photos and an explanation of white fluffy stuff or white crystalline material often found on building walls, especially on masonry surfaces, but that is not mold, see Efflorescence & white stuff.

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Photographs to Help Identify Mold in Buildings -
What white or light colored mold looks like in a home or other buildings

A great many white and light-colored grayish molds can be easily seen on building surfaces, especially on the exposed or inner wall-cavity side of drywall in buildings that have been exposed to wet or flooding. Some of these include members of the Aspergillus or Penicillium genera as well as some basidiomycetes. But white molds cannot be reliably identified to genera/species without analysis by a qualified aerobiologist/microscopist in a test lab.

See Mold Atlas & Particles List for an atlas of building molds and for more microphotographs of building mold samples observed in our laboratory. See our Atlas of Mold Related Illness Symptoms & Complaints for details about specific mold genera/species and their health effects. Also see Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens on indoor building surfaces.

Identification Photographs of White & Light-Colored Mold Growth in Buildings

Here are photographs of often hard-to see white or light gray mold growth on building surfaces.

Light colored molds, depending on the genera species, may be more of a health risk than the infamous "toxic black mold" that people look for in buildings. Groups such as Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. can be light in color and difficult to spot on building surfaces, but these molds may produce small, easily-airborne toxic or pathogenic mold spores that present a health risk to building occupants.

White stuff that is not mold: Beware: many people mistake mineral salts or efflorescence for white mold. Efflorescence is a white crystalline salt left on masonry surfaces where water or moisture have been evaporating. See STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD for photos of white fluffy material or white crystalline material that is often mistaken for mold.

Below we show photos of white and light colored molds found in buildings.

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MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD INSPECTION,
  TESTING, CLEANUP & PREVENTION
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
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

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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• Looking for Mold Procedure: what mold is often found where in buildings - simple technical presentation
• How to Look For Mold, List of Articles: Hiring a Mold or IAQ Consultant, Getting a Remediation Plan
• 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.
• Allergens: what they look like in buildings
• 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
• Mold Test Kits - How to Collect and Send Your Own Mold Sample to our mold testing lab
• Meruliporia: 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.
• 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
• 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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