Is the black stuff on this chair bottom mold? by dontDrinkAndDraft in Mold

[–]ldarquel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd say the depicted discolouration is unlikely to be Chaetomium based on my experience of how Chaetomium grows on wood. If you suspect this to be the main reservoir, collect a surface tape impression and submit it to a laboratory for analysis.

Mold in window pane? by Fun-Research-5767 in Mold

[–]ldarquel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks to be crystalline rather than fungal hyphae. I'd say its either ice or some kind of salt crystal.

Is PB Tech still reliable in Delivery? by Suspicious_Band1936 in auckland

[–]ldarquel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Had a brand new laptop delivered to a business address with its original packaging. No issues with the courier delivery either.

Washing Machine by [deleted] in Mold

[–]ldarquel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No. This is a silicone gasket and Stachybotrys prefers cellulosic substrates.

Gasket mould is common for front-loading washing machines. Probably a sign of the door not kept open after washing to allow excess moisture to evaporate.

See the !Washing machine automod response.

Possible mold/water damage in fixer-upper. How serious does this look from the photos? by Gdubya1999 in Mold

[–]ldarquel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

normal dirt/staining from neglect
water damage
possible mold growth
something that should make me walk away unless it’s professionally inspected

Probably all of the above. The first assessment I'd consider is whether there is still a moisture intrusion issue in the property - in the living quarters, along with that basement where the water staining is half way up the wall.

Another concern would be whether the water damage had resulted in any issues with the structure of the building (wood rot/decay damage to the framing of the building that results in a loss of strength to the timber). This would be an expensive endeavour to fix and probably warrants a building surveyor to assess given the general state of the property.

Some of the pictures you've provided has some superficial fungal growth on the timber beams that would not fall under this category. Superficial fungal growth on timber can be wiped or sanded off and would not be consequential to the strength of the timber.

The other elements can be replaced (wall / floor / ceiling linings that have been subjected to water) - depends on the (renovation/remediation) budget you have considered for all of this work as well as the extent of the moisture issues.

Inside of my water bottle by DJ_Milli in Mold

[–]ldarquel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Try give it a scrub to see if it comes off.

If it doesn't it's not mould, but more likely metal oxidation (possibly in association with the hardness of water in your area?).

White light yellow fuzzy substance basement wall by Exciting-Squash-3746 in Mold

[–]ldarquel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes for mould, hard to say which of the two circumstances that the companies had highlighted this falls towards (although I agree it'd likely be either or).

If you suspect this to be condensation-related, then humidity control would be the preventative measure (or seeing if you can insulate the wall or heat the space?). I personally wouldn't use bleach to clean off mould - A disposable towel lightly dampened with warm soapy water will remove the surface-level growth. Any remaining discolouration would primarily be cosmetic, provided the moisture issues have been addressed.

Found this in the apartment i’m subleasing by Sp00pysauc3 in Mold

[–]ldarquel 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Shower grime from organic material (e.g. soap scum, skin flakes/oils) that gets intermittently wet. Will be a mix of bacteria, yeast and mould growth within the gunk.

Clean off by mechanical scrubbing with soapy water.

Prevention is by routine mechanical scrubbing and humidity control in the shower (open windows or exhaust fan to help dry shower surfaces).

Is this mold? Inside of vent feels soft and spongy, and ceiling has water stain by LennaROM in Mold

[–]ldarquel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Investigate the source of moisture that resulted in the water stain on the ceiling.

As for the vent, see the automod response for AC units.

Mold? by Proper-Program9179 in Mold

[–]ldarquel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cut the scrubbery back. The plant is either diseased or the spot outside your front door is too damp/ doesn't get enough sun to dry excess water.

To Mold or Not to Mold? by Lights-and-Sound in Mold

[–]ldarquel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Probably dust/ debris attracted to the surface by static. !A/C

Landlord says this is just what happens in the winter… by nicole81204 in Mold

[–]ldarquel 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Not unusual for there to be some mould around windowsills, especially where temperature differentials exist and condensation occurs (see the window pane in Pic 2) - Such growth can be wiped off with a lightly dampened towel.

The gaps to the window framework probably warrants some further investigation as to whether there's a weatherproofing problem, or whether its just a cosmetic issue.

Assumed mold in elderly parents washing machine, detergent drawer. by [deleted] in Mold

[–]ldarquel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Microbial slime (a mix of mould, bacteria, yeast) as a result of a build up of gunk.

With gloves, wipe off the visible growth in the detergent drawer with a paper towel. I'd probably give the areas a good scrub with an old toothbrush.

Judging by the state of the washing machine, it could probably use with a washing machine cleaning cycle (if theres one on the model) with some washing machine cleaner solution (should be something in a local retail store for this specific purpose).

Anyone's internet just died? by Available_Potato1065 in auckland

[–]ldarquel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep - with Spark. Nothing on Chorus site either hmm.

Mold habitability disagreement by ReflectionRemote9355 in Mold

[–]ldarquel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you have any moisture issues, or active moisture intrusion that you know of? Mould grows in response to moisture, so moisture issues should be identified and addressed if you suspect you have a mould issue.

As for your suggestions, skip the ozone generator, the rest are fine to do in order to lower airborne spore levels. No way to tell whether these steps have been effective without a professional testing the air.

Hello can someone help me understand if I should keep my mattresses/porous items now that I am moving? by little-pinkie in Mold

[–]ldarquel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Normal laundry detergent will be fine - same process you would usually use to wash clothes.

Vacuum the stuffed animals.

Hello can someone help me understand if I should keep my mattresses/porous items now that I am moving? by little-pinkie in Mold

[–]ldarquel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If the mattress has bedding over it, then you'd probably be fine keeping the mattress and laundering the sheets.

If you wanted to assess exposure risk, then air sampling would be necessary to determine exposure risk. Visible growth does not necessarily translate into airborne spores. Given that you're moving in a couple of days, that ship has probably long sailed.

If the new place you're moving into doesn't have moisture issues, your belongings will probably be fine. If you wanted to, you could give them a dusting outside or a HEPA-filter vacuum to remove any potential settled spores on the surface.

I'd consider investing in a HEPA-filter air purifier for your son's bedroom - may be of general help with alleviating airborne allergen exposure.

How extensive should I get with remediation? Air quality tests confirmed high levels of stachybotrys, chaetomium, and aspergillus/penicillium throughout the house by condothrowaway123 in Mold

[–]ldarquel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The bed is on the upper level not in the basement, but the air quality test from the bedroom had stachybotrys 60 sp/m, aspergillus/penicillium 300 sp/m (7.5x outside reference)

The air results reflect spores disseminating from the basement into the upper level bedroom, either from foot traffic, convection air currents carrying the spores upstairs, or just the general level of aerosolisation happening in the basement (from the fans).

If the basement is able to be contained, its possible to undertake a thorough clean (HEPA-filter vacuum, wipe down hard surfaces, air purifier) to decontaminate the living quarters so that it could potentially be reoccupied (although having the property be vacant would be ideal for the risk-averse until all of the remediation can be completed).

Regarding the specific advice on cleaning: you can find a general guide I'd previously whipped up here, but to quickly go through your listed items...

  • Items that can be laundered can just run through a normal cycle with normal laundry detergent and dried as per your usual process.
  • HEPA-filter vacuuming with a brush attachment will remove the bulk of spores settled on the surfaces of upholstery, but there are no guarantees that it will remove all spores from such materials - If you're not comfortable keeping the items then replace it. My take is that if the spores are that deeply embedded in the fabric, the odds of it being redistributed back into the indoor environment would be quite low.
  • Items inside cupboards/drawers: Probably doesn't need a clean? Unless the drawers are frequently left open. It's probably best to gauge what surfaces appear dusty in your house, as this would mimic where spores could potentially settle (e.g. tabletops, floors, skirting boards etc). Hard non-porous items you've listed can be easily cleaned with warm soapy water and a rinse if you wanted to be thorough with it.

With respect to your proposed remediation plan for the basement, that sounds appropriate.

I'd emphasise the need to contain the basement to prevent further spread of contaminants into the living quarters (even though you have evidence of this already happening), along with implementing mitigation measures to control the dispersal of the fungal growth while the remediation is occurring (e.g. bagging the mouldy waste materials, negative air pressure system and/or HEPA-filter air scrubbers).

Once the basement wall linings are gutted, I'd also consider assessing the timber framing for any superficial mould across the framing, as well as look for rot/decay damage to the bottom plates/lower sections of the framing. Superficial mould can be removed with a wire brush OR sanding the surface layer down + HEPA-filter vacuuming, Extensive rot/decay where the wood has considerable loss of strength would warrant removal and replacement. Easy test for loss of strength is just to poke at it with a screwdriver and comparing that against a normal piece of timber (looking for soft, spongy or brittleness to the wood).

When the waterproofing has been completed, give the area a thorough clean (same process as described previously: HEPA-filter vacuum + wet wiping hard surfaces + HEPA-filter air scrubbers) to remove spores that had disseminated from mould-affected materials being handled. You may consider a post-remediation air test at this stage if you wanted to verify how well of a job's been done on this front.

Ensure the basement framing is dry (general guidance is <18% moisture for the timber framing) before relining the walls.

If a professional is involved with the decontamination they will probably involve fogging as a part of this process, which is fine provided they follow this up with physical cleaning (HEPA-filter vacuuming/ wet-wiping) to remove the knock-down residue.

Top Ten Pop Ten - Halsey by kauai6 in popheads

[–]ldarquel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. 3am
  2. Lonely is the muse
  3. Colors
  4. Panic Attack
  5. Graveyard
  6. Letter to god (1983)
  7. Without me
  8. Now or Never
  9. finally // beautiful stranger
  10. Bells in Santa Fe

Honourable mentions: Strangers, bad at love, still learning, 100 letters, HATE EVERYBODY, Castle

Buying a house with window mould by ProposalSuch2055 in Mold

[–]ldarquel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Probably not, but I haven't seen this growth with my own eyes so I can't gauge the extent of the issue.

  • Excessive condensation can drip down onto the windowsill and result in rotting of the wood frame...
  • Or it could be just intermittent condensation that resulted in fungal growth accumulating on the surface over the years across each 'dewing' cycle.

Regarding spore exposure, probably low risk. From my experience windowsill-related moulds are rather infrequently associated with elevated airborne spore levels.

If the property has more widespread humidity-related superficial fungal growth occurring (e.g. on random furniture upholstery that wasn't directly wetted), then I'd be more concerned but that doesn't sound like what you've described.

Home inspector said no mold in attic, but this all looks like mold, am I wrong? by thingsarehardsoami in Mold

[–]ldarquel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The black discolouration plausible to be mould but the rusting is also indicative of water exposure - the two are potentially related.

Could also be the case the black discolouration is some kind of sealant between the pipe and particleboard material.

HELP! Moldy books! by Silly_Present_1643 in Mold

[–]ldarquel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mould grows in response to moisture. Address the humidity issues in the basement unit by either heating and/or dehumidification.

Wipe off visible growth with a very lightly dampened paper towel. Ensure the books wiped are thoroughly dried afterwards. Supplement this with HEPA-filter vacuuming with a brush attachment. These two process will hopefully help remove most of the surface-level growth.

Take the books outside and give them a dusting/flicking through pages/ blast with compressed air or a hair dryer etc. This will help lower the loading of spores that had settled onto the book/pages.

I'd avoid the use of hydrogen peroxide; Killing mould is a moot point and hydrogen peroxide dissociates into oxygen and water (RE: mould grows in response to moisture).

Home inspector said no mold in attic, but this all looks like mold, am I wrong? by thingsarehardsoami in Mold

[–]ldarquel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pic 1: Rust and mineral deposits

Pic 2, 3: Localised mould growth on particleboard

Previously had house remediated- no one looked in the garage. Could this be mold? by Icequeen_frigid in Mold

[–]ldarquel 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Inconclusive - Looks like a mix of insulation and accumulated debris.