Found A Type Of Mold I'm Unfamiliar With (pics)

wackman

We're doing some water damage work and found some mold that I've never seen before growing in the carpet right where it meets an exterior door. We find the normal dark mold all the time and abate it but this stuff is white and very hard. At first I thought maybe it was great stuff or some kind of glue sticking up from the carpet edge.

This is in the master bedroom and they have a newborn baby's crib about 4 feet away. I don't know what the dangers from this kind of mold are so I don't know if I should recommend they sleep in another room till it's gone, if we can remove it with normal methods of water/dish-soap to contain it and bleach water to kill it.

It could be harmless and I'd be over reacting or it could be deadly to the little one. I don't know for sure at this point.

Any of you guys seen this before? What's the best course of action?

Thanks,

Wack.

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platinumLLC

I don't see any pics?

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pcplumber

http://www.homemoldtestkit.com/store...its-facts.html

Home Depot used to sell a mold test kit, for about $10, and you send in about $35, to have the sample analyzed. Very simple to use.

If it is hard, and is growing, under the carpet, it may be a wood fungus. . If it is a light pink, it may be Penicilium, which is very common, and supposedly, very toxic.

You should not remove mold, by hand, nor use chlorine. Chlorine may kill the mold plant, but it does not remove the toxicity from the spores. The second you touch mold, millions of toxic spores go air-bound (if they are toxic), and they float in a room, with dead air, for up to 5 days.

I am certified for mold remediation. After going to several classes and seminars, I am afraid to charge a customer one penny to remove mold. A few weeks ago, a customer called me, regarding a structure-drying job we did in December 2007. She was crying, on the phone, and said her doctor told her she was dying, from mold, and she had lost 20 pounds. It turned out this woman is absolutely crazy, but the potential, to lose everything you own, is not worth any amount, you get for touching mold.

The risk issues, regarding mold, are very controversial.

When we remove a small patch of mold, we put sticky shelf paper over the mold very slowly. Then we cut out the drywall, or wood, and replace it. You have to identify the cause of the mold so it does not return. You have to throw the entire carpet and pad away. You cannot have a baby, dropping onto the carpet, the toys he puts in his mouth.

Bodger

I remember reading a few years ago about a mold that was actually capable of doing extreme structural damage to homes, and fast. Worse than termites.
The liability ramifications of mold and asbestos both spook me. I see it, or even think it's there, I stop and call in a pro. Document well, protect yourself.
This is a litigious society we live in and I for one don't want to be the next legal precedent set. All you need on a jury is one butt-head who feels he or she has been screwed by a contractor.

Snow Man

looks like mycotoxins from here.

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MALCO.New.York

ALL surface mold is easily abated with a mixture of Sodium Hypochlorite, H2O2 and H20.

There exists only one problem, the mold is most likely advancing in an OUTWARD direction meaning that what is in the wall, under the floor, around the corner is unspeakable and DOES pose a serious threat.




http://www.affordablehousinginstitut...mold_small.jpg



http://www.doityourself.com/scat/moldmildewc

http://www.moldtips.com/

http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...-8&sa=N&tab=wi

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MALCO.New.York

Hey most of that "do not do stuff" is INCORRECT. It was written by a company that wishes for you to purchase a test kit!

Chlorine, rubber gloves, adequate ventilation and REMOVAL and proper disposal of affected material is the way.

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pcplumber

There are some wood Fungae that can destroy a house as fast as termites. They dig channelsy through the woody 1/2 inch in diametery and make channels 50 feet long. The worse thing about mold, is the cost to remove it. It is over-played, just for the money. When you actually work for a mold remediation company, you will be surprised ,regarding how few controls they use, when removing it. You will see guys with no gloves, no masks, and they are eating their lunch in the supposedly contaminated work areas.

Asbestos is really scary and the health issues are real. When asbestos gets through the fibers, in your lounges, it never comes out, for the rest of your life.

We did a structure-drying, at a two story apartment building. How water was pouring, through the ceiling, for four hours as, the tenants upstairs were sleeping, and the downstairs tenants were not home. We removed some of the drywall ceiling, and almost got sued for $100,000, because we did not test for asbestos, before removing about 4 square feet of drywall ceiling. Later, they tested the ceiling and only the drywall mud contained asbestos. They called in expert testers and they said we contaminated two apartments, with asbestos. We got out of the suit, because we took about 50 pictures, before starting work, and the pictures showed the drywall mud and popcorn, was all over the furniture and carpets, before we arrived.

The law states that no contractor can make a hole, in any drywall, or plaster wall, in any house built before 1978, without testing for mold, first. This means every plumber should make their customer get an asbestos test before he opens a wall to repair a leak. Make sure to add this to every bill.

SLSTech

I think that should have read asbestos -

So if I understand you correctly, if there is an ongoing leak or pipe that bust - you can't fix it till you have a test report back???

Don't also forget about all the new lead rules coming out for area's over 2 SF

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pcplumber

I am not familiar with the new lead laws. I had some Los Angeles city department, calling me, last year, asking me to get certified for lead. The agent promised us a lot of work, but we were swamped at the time. There may be some big money, in lead removal, and the certification courses take only a few days.

You are right. It was supposed to be asbestos. Nope! According to the law, we are not supposed to touch a wall, if the wall was built before 1978, until after testing, for asbestos. Of course, every contractor, doing residential work, is going to make holes in walls, for repairs, and remove walls, for remodeling, without testing for asbestos. Otherwise, our customers will get someone else, and we would never get one job.

I'm waiting for some of my employees to get to their 50's. After smoking for about 40 years, will they blame their cigarettes, or sue my company. This is a real problem. "My boss made me make holes in walls when he knew we were supposed to test, EVERY WALL, first."

wyoming 1

Sounds like leverite mold leaverite there and head for the truck and call a mold remediator.

wackman

For some reason the pics aren't working right now. I put them on and then re did it but I still can't see them. I'll keep working on it.

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MALCO.New.York

Create a free photobucket account then use the "Direclt Link" URL. The Postcard looking Icon in the options bar is what you use to paste the link into.

http://photobucket.com/

Like a charm!

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wackman

Ok, figured it out. Now you can see what I'm working with here.

I've done quite a bit of mold abatement myself and used to be certified. I've never seen this kind before though.

I live in Portland Oregon. We get a good deal of drizzly rain and this house is on a hill where it gets a LOT of wind blown rain. Right at this door. The mold is growing through the carpet underside and pad. It's also taken to growing on the surface of the particle board.

We haven't pulled up the bad underlayment yet so I don't know if it's also down in the sub floor.

I'm familiar with the liability and have been an expert witness in insurance jobs before for mold and water damage cases. This is all very well documented and everything is ok'd in writing.

Let me know if you guys have any ideas.

Thanks,

Wack

__________________
"I only bother remembering things that I can't easily look up." Albert Einstein

MALCO.New.York

.............

__________________
Something to One may be Nothing to another!

Ultimate Wisdom---------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW-cnizLDEE

orange Garrison

I want to know what is below that floor?is the wood on dirt or slab ?something is fueling the fungi you got growing there find it and the problem will go !patch over and it will be back !please test air quality for your own protection!I have a friend that did 1 and only 1 job like that .He now wears a mask hook up to oxygen, very serious stuff!RESPIRATOR and get the appropriate cartrage!!!please let me know what you find!

wackman

Wack

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AtlRemodeling

Wack,

I ran across a couple of links that may point you in the right direction:

http://www.inspect-ny.com/sickhouse.htm

http://www.mouldfacts.ca/common-house-molds.html

Quote from the bottom of the second link:

"Effluorescence
An important side note is that sometimes what you're looking at is actually effluorescence rather than mold. This is a deposit of white salts, especially on concrete, where water has penetrated and left a salt deposit on the surface. It can be difficult to tell the difference."

I realize this is not concrete/brick but it does sound similar to what you described. Anyway, check out these sites, they have a lot of photos of different types of mold that may help get your mold's name.

Frankawitz

when I was taking my builders classes I was talking to a guy about mold in my attic, I told him I had used bleach and he was say that bleach doesn't work, but he gave me som info on a product called Mold Control. the company has a website you might want to check out. www.concrobium.com I haven't gone to the site but hope this helps you out. Here's something from their site

Typically mold needs three conditions to grow:
1. Moisture – generated by excess indoor humidity, leaks or flooding
2. Food – organic, porous materials such as drywall, wood, grout and wallpaper
3. Optimal temperatures – 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit is the sweet spot for mold growth

To reproduce, colonized mold releases tiny mold spores which float through the air until they attach to a moist indoor surface and multiply.

That’s where the health effects enter the picture. Moldy homes have abnormally high airborne mold spore counts, which reduces indoor air quality and can cause a range of health issues including:

• Watery or itchy eyes
• Sore throat
• Congestion
• Coughing
• Skin irritation
• Asthma
• Respiratory ailments

Most at risk are infants and young children, pregnant women, individuals who have lowered immunities, the elderly and asthma sufferers

bdoles

I'd be curious as to the extent of damage below that threshold. If it's been leaking for quite some time, chances are it's all to hell. To be done properly that's a good size job.

A mold remediation co. would come in and empty the room, seal it off from the rest of the home and remove the carpeting and padding. Then do a complete scrub down of the area (floors, walls, ceilings). If the subfloor and joists don't have any signs of rot, they will most likely keep a HEPA going for at least 48 hours and treat the affected area with a commercial anti microbial solution. If there is rot and extensive damage, they will recommend removal and repairs to the subfloor and underlying joists.

I work frequently with a mold guy here, and he says bleach is very ineffective, it doesn't kill it and it ends up coming right back. The best way to figure out if that is a toxic mold, is to sample it.

This is a picture from a recent job where mold was between the sheetrock and the wallpaper.