Hidden Mold Invisible Mold You Can't See Mold Inside Walls Mold Under Carpet

"I've already looked and there's nothing to see!"

Every other person who calls AMI says, "I've looked around and I don't see any mold." A more candid statement would be, "I've looked around but I don't know what I'm looking for."

We’ve all seen mold; ugly stains of white, orange, green, brown and black spreading on walls, floors and other surfaces. But the most dangerous mold is the mold we don’t see.
Undetected mold can flourish uncontrollably simply because we don't know it's there. Something usually tips us off to its presence, such as musty odors, headaches or allergy-like symptoms. But without the proper tools and training, the average home owner really doesn't know what to look for. Even professional home inspectors are not trained or equipped to make mold assessments.

AMI Certified Mold Inspectors are trained and equipped with state-of-art technology for identifying mold and conditions that cause indoor mold problems.

The pictures below were taken in a home where the owner said, "I don't need an inspection. I've already looked around and I there's nothing to see." This is classic example of the destruction caused by hidden mold.

At the time of the inspection, this was a $750,000 home in an exclusive community in Escondido, CA (a commonly dry desert-like climate). The home was virtually new, only 18 months old. There was no visible signs of mold, however the client complained that she and her son were experiencing chronic clogged throat, headaches, and an unusual amount of hair loss. The inspector noticed an amateur caulk job and a small amount of mold growing on the bottom of the bathroom shower door.
Though no other visible traces of mold were seen, further investigation revealed that the baseboard near the shower tiles showed excessive moisture readings and the carpet had a slight musty smell. Visually speaking, both the carpet and the baseboard appeared to be in new condition, as was the rest of the house. In spite of being a meticulous housekeeper, the client was unaware that the shower door was leaking and a problem was developing.
The AMI Certified Mold Inspector carefully separated the baseboard from the drywall. As seen in this image, black mold was spreading across a section of the wall and under the carpet. Lab analysis of air samples revealed spore levels indoors over 600 time higher than outdoors, a high percentage of which was Stachybotrys, considered to be a toxic mold potential harmful to humans and animals.
Stachybotrys and other toxic mold spores can be inhaled, absorbed through the skin or ingested on our food. One person may become debilitated by exposure while another sharing the same environment is essentially unaffected. Particularly susceptible to serious illness following exposure to Stachybotrys is anyone with immune system deficiencies due to disease, chemotherapy, etc. The woman living in this home is a recovering cancer patient.
Once mold is discovered on a surface the next responsible step is to determine the total extent of the contamination and develop an abatement plan to remediate the mold. Mold is manageable. However, unless the problem is dealt with correctly and completely it will continue to come back, often times worse than before. For that reason, it is always best to have mold removal done by an experienced remediation professional.
AMI is not in the mold remediation business. We are strictly a mold inspection company. We believe it is a serious conflict of interest to do both. The potential for abuse of a mold inspector who benefits from subsequent mold removal is too great. See your local Yellow Pages under Mold Remediation Contractors or call AMI for a referral. In all situations, always ask for references and call them. Someone who is not properly trained and equipped for remediation, such as a handyman or remodeler, can cause far more problems than they can fix.
For more information on mold scams and abuse click here