Mold Issue

[Sophia Wang]

I went to look at a potential flip this afternoon. The house is in great shape other than the fact that the whole house is covered in a layer of mold! At first when I step in, I thought it was just dirty, so the floor is covered by dust. Upon further examination, the 'dust' is actually a light layer of mold, and the same mold is on literally every surface, from door, to furniture, to floor...

I am thinking of getting a professional mold mediation company to come by and give a quote. But just want to see if any rehabber here has experience dealing with this kind of mold issue. It doesn't look like it has reached behind the walls, rather, just growing on the surface.

A picture of the door and jamb to show the mold:

[Travis West]

Hi Sophia.

What you're looking at is likely Aspergillus/Penicillium or Cladosporium type molds. The first two can be allergenic, the third not so much. All three can grow when the relative humidity in a space remains too high for too long.

Your photograph is very familiar to me as I see this on furniture in humid environments, and in empty spaces - those not receiving conditioned air - regularly.

I won't say that you shouldn't worry, but I will make these claims:

1. It can be easily cleaned/wiped, and vacuumed from every surface. It should be done professionally though to make sure that the pros remove all stains from all surfaces.
2. When you find this on numerous surfaces, that's a clue that air conditioning (dehumidification) hasn't been occurring lately.
3. A small amount of the first two molds mentioned can grow and bloom very quickly in a humid environment. Those will then release spores which will occupy a much larger area, and on and on. That's how a home can be filled with it in a relatively short period of time.
4. This type of growth is often found in closets of homes that are occupied. That's because smaller closets usually don't receive conditioned air, and the doors are usually kept closed. If the closet is on an exterior wall then it has two strikes against it and will very likely grow the light grey/light green stuff you're seeing on doors, clothes, and especially leather shoes or boots.

I wouldn't discount that there "might" be a leak somewhere. Leaks however, will only support these types of mold early on (shortly following the leak). A continual leak or one that became very wet (heavily wetted) will see other spores growing and competing with the molds you photographed. What I'm saying is that other molds will enjoy lots of water and will start producing their own toxins to kill the molds you photographed. If you're still seeing these molds (light grey/light green) then you probably don't have the other molds around. Hence, you likely don't have any major leaks around.

I'd still say that you need to check for areas on the ceiling, walls or carpet that might be wet. Not finding wet or water stained surfaces however would not surprise me though. As I said originally, these types of spores can proliferate with excess humidity (you're in Virginia right?) and don't need "liquid live water!"

For your future reference, water comes in three phases. They include:

1. Solid phase
2. Liquid phase
3. Gas phase

Think of them as ICE, Water, and Water Vapor. Each phase of water will support different types (genus) of molds when present.

Good luck. Post any follow-up questions and I will try to respond.

Travis West

State-licensed Mold Assessment Consultant (Texas License MAC0325); Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC 0306009) American Council for Accredited Certification