Using Light to Detect Mold

Did you know that not all the mold on your walls is as visible as you would like it to be? If all mold was visible, then we probably would not need to conduct mold tests to determine if it exists or not, but there is a way to detect the lightly colored molds that can exist in our homes. Different members of the Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. groups can be next to invisible on some surfaces and are missed a lot of times when you do a casual inspection. You can detect these molds, but it involves the use of a bright flashlight and the knowledge of how to use it to your advantage.

The trick to using a flashlight to detect mold growth on a surface is that you shine the light along the surface you are looking at instead of straight at it. Shining the light directly onto the surface may reveal absolutely nothing. Using your flashlight carefully can make pretty large difference in whether you find the mold you are looking for or not.

Mold activity can also be hidden by wooden paneling that has been exposed to water or high amounts of moisture over time. Shining light along wood paneling can show that the paneling is buckled and possibly in need of removal. There may be drywall or a simple cavity behind the drywall, since sometimes people replace water damaged drywall with paneling to save money. Moisture does not always mean that there is a mold problem, but it does mean that you should at least look.

The point of this is to cause you to realize that not all incidents of hidden mold are actually inside the walls in places where we cannot see them without tearing out part of it. Realizing that mold can grow on surfaces such as wood paneling and we just cannot see them without looking for them properly can mean the difference between a clean house and an infested one. Some species that are lightly colored like this can be quite harmful and missing them simply because you do not know how to look for them can be pretty aggravating.

You should not only look for the black mold that you hear about on the news and in other media, since not all black molds are harmful to people or the buildings that they grow in. Ceratocystis is a black mold that is merely cosmetic, but mistaking it for Stachybotrys atra and calling in a removal service for thousands of dollars can be a tragedy.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.

Using Light to Detect Mold

Did you know that not all the mold on your walls is as visible as you would like it to be? If all mold was visible, then we probably would not need to conduct mold tests to determine if it exists or not, but there is a way to detect the lightly colored molds that can exist in our homes. Different members of the Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. groups can be next to invisible on some surfaces and are missed a lot of times when you do a casual inspection. You can detect these molds, but it involves the use of a bright flashlight and the knowledge of how to use it to your advantage.

The trick to using a flashlight to detect mold growth on a surface is that you shine the light along the surface you are looking at instead of straight at it. Shining the light directly onto the surface may reveal absolutely nothing. Using your flashlight carefully can make pretty large difference in whether you find the mold you are looking for or not.

Mold activity can also be hidden by wooden paneling that has been exposed to water or high amounts of moisture over time. Shining light along wood paneling can show that the paneling is buckled and possibly in need of removal. There may be drywall or a simple cavity behind the drywall, since sometimes people replace water damaged drywall with paneling to save money. Moisture does not always mean that there is a mold problem, but it does mean that you should at least look.

The point of this is to cause you to realize that not all incidents of hidden mold are actually inside the walls in places where we cannot see them without tearing out part of it. Realizing that mold can grow on surfaces such as wood paneling and we just cannot see them without looking for them properly can mean the difference between a clean house and an infested one. Some species that are lightly colored like this can be quite harmful and missing them simply because you do not know how to look for them can be pretty aggravating.

You should not only look for the black mold that you hear about on the news and in other media, since not all black molds are harmful to people or the buildings that they grow in. Ceratocystis is a black mold that is merely cosmetic, but mistaking it for Stachybotrys atra and calling in a removal service for thousands of dollars can be a tragedy.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Dallas Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.

Smoke, Fire, and Water Damage Go Hand in Hand

The smoke, fire, and water damage that typically follow a fire are not very fun to have to deal with, but since the majority of us cannot afford a professional remediation service to come in and take care of these things for us, we tend to have to do it ourselves. Many of us who have to deal with this at some point in our lives simply “wing it”, but if you do a little research before you start trying to take on this necessary home improvement project, you should make it just fine.

The first thing that you need to do is make sure that it is okay to re-enter your home after the fire is over with. Talk to your fire marshal and ask him or her if the property is safe. If there is standing water left in your home after the fire truck has gone away, turn the electricity to the entire house off to avoid the risk of electrocution.

Any standing water should be swept out immediately, since mold can start to grow as little as 48 hours after the fire is over. It is important to get started as quickly as possible where standing water is concerned. The windows and doors of the house need to be opened to allow the air and remaining smoke in the house to get escape. Removing the smell of smoke from the house is not easy, but this can really help. If there is no wind that day, using fans to help blow the air outside can assist.

Pets should not be let back in the home. Any birds exposed to the event need to be taken to the vet, since they are particularly sensitive to changes in their living conditions.

Anything in the home that was wet from the fire hose should be taken out and let to dry, but try to keep them out of direct sunlight, since this can bleach certain items.

Any foods that were open when the fire started need to be thrown away, since they might be contaminated.

Wash down the leaves of any plants you own and remove the soot. Soot and ash on plant leaves can kill them.

Your walls and ceilings will probably need to be repainted, since the vast majority of smoke damage cannot be washed away.

Any furniture in the house that was not soaked by the fire hose will probably have soot and ash on it and you do not want to sit down on or rub up against these. Vacuum them with a vacuum cleaner attachment without any bristles, since bristles and brushes will only drive it further into the fibers. This also applies to carpet.

Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.