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This is a 'how to' photo and text primer on finding and testing for mold in buildings using simple clear adhesive tape on suspect or visibly moldy surfaces. This document 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. Also see HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND for a discussion of important but non-visible mold reservoirs, see MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES for an index of what mold genera/species are frequently found on various building surfaces and materials and see TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES for a discussion of the question of need to remove mold from mated building surfaces.

This procedure 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.

© 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.

CHOOSE SAMPLE POINT: Choosing the Right Spot for Mold Testing - Where to Collect Tape Samples of Surfaces

People collect surface samples of visible mold or of settled dust to be screened for mold testing using clear adhesive tape to identify a visible mold on a surface, to screen settled dust for mold/allergens, or to test the cleanliness of a surface after mold cleanup.

Regardless of the reason, the adhesive tape mold test method can be very effective, in fact more reliable than spot checks of airborne particles (which vary widely minute by minute) and far more reliable than culture samples (which only grow a small percentage of all possible molds). But everything depends on the selection of the sample location - "where you stick the tape." This document explains where and where not to "stick the tape" when sampling for mold.

Random mold samples, tape sampling of arbitrary surfaces, or sampling the obvious "black mold" when investigating a building are practices which increase the risk of a serious error - missing what's important and finding what's not very important. The result of these errors is the waste of time and money as well as the possible failure to find and address the real problem, leaving a health or cost risk in a Building to be handled again, and again, until it's addressed properly.

Mold is everywhere. You can't eliminate it. If you could we'd all be in trouble as nothing would ever decay and we'd all be so buried in junk and debris that nothing could grow on the earth. But we don't much like to see mold indoors and certainly not on our walls, ceilings, or furniture.

There we remove it or clean it off. This paper describes the detection of mold in buildings by visual inspection of mold-suspect surfaces. A thorough building investigation for problematic mold needs to address hidden mold reservoirs, for which our approach is to complete a detailed inspection and building (leak) history as well as to record occupant observations and complaints.

Knowing what molds are likely to be present indoors on building surfaces or in building materials, what they look like, and what they like to eat, in other words, knowing some mycology, can make a significant difference in what a building inspection for mold actually turns up. See MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES for an index of what mold genera/species are frequently found on various building surfaces and materials.

Most common mold testing errors: the difference between what molds are found in buildings and what molds commonly grow on various building surfaces is that most mold tests and mold reports involve samples collected by people who are not expert at recognizing and sampling mold in buildings. So easy-to-see molds are over-reported and hard-to-see molds are under-reported in many consumer-generated mold tests and samples. This reporting error also confounds attempts to correlate mold related illness and sick building complaints with specific genera or species of indoor mold.

Simple "mold screening methods" which omit the inspection, and "test only" sampling methods, such as air and culture methods can produce very unreliable results when used quantitatively - as we discuss at IAQ Methods and at other articles at this website.

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FIND MOLD in BUILDINGS, HOW TO
  CHOOSE SAMPLE POINT
  SAMPLING DRYWALL
  SAMPLING MISTAKES
  USE A FLASHLIGHT
HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND
  Hidden Mold Behind Paneling
  Hidden Mold Between Framing & Sheathing
  Hidden Mold in Flooring & Subflooring
  Hidden Mold in Wall Cavities
  Light colored toxic molds
  Moisture Gradients and Mold
  Other Places to Look for Hidden Mold
  Photo Guide to Finding Hidden Mold
  Recognizing Cosmetic Mold
  Spotting Hard-to-See Mold
  Use a Flashlight to Find Mold
  Wall test cuts to spot hidden mold
  ATTIC MOLD
  BATHROOM MOLD
  BASEMENT MOLD
  BLACK MOLD, HARMLESS COSMETIC
  CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION
  CARPET TEST GUIDE
  CRAWLSPACE MOLD
  DRYWALL MOLD
  DIRT FLOOR MOLD CONTAMINATION
  ESSENTIAL STEPS IN FINDING MOLD
  FLASHLIGHT HELPS FIND MOLD
  INSULATION MOLD
  SAMPLE POINT CHOICES FOR MOLD TEST
  SAMPLING MISTAKES
  USING LIGHT TO FIND MOLD
INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS
INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE
INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED
LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE
MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS
MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD
MOLD AGE - Old is the 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
    Whit stuff that is not mold
    Wood sap
MOLD FREQUENCY in BUILDINGS
MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES
USING LIGHT TO FIND MOLD

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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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

Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab

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