Dirt or Mold

[lakoma]

Hi there, I was curious if I could get opinions on this. Moved into these apartments quite sometime ago, but now that the weather is getting cold, we've decided to open up our windows for the last few weeks. I noticed these spots in summer but brushed it off as it was probably dirt. There are 3 levels to these apartments and 5 different buildings, each 3 levels. I'm assuming they do testing on these every year? Maybe not. It's all over the stairs and railings as well. Does this look like black mold or just dirt. It does look pretty dark but I don't know if it is completely black. I got up close to some of the spots and they are pretty large in size, the girth being like the size of little pebbles (quite a bit bigger than sand), I don't remember mold ever forming in these bigger pebble sizes, I always thought they were more velvety and flat, and grew in corners and stuff. I could be wrong. The hangers of wood above is because we are on the 2nd floor (middle floor) and there is people above us and below us. I'm concerned because we had the windows open, and my girlfriend is pregnant. What should I do? I feel like if I reach out to the landlord then nothing will be done, and something should have already been done about it. The black spots seem to form near the cracks of the wood. My only other thought is that since there are people above us the dirt from the floor is draining down when we get rain and forming this after drying. We are in the midwest.

 

Thank you all!

Edited October 13, 2019 by lakoma
mispell

[Trent Tarter]

Fungi Growth, the beginning of fungal wood rot. 

[lakoma]

So do you think this is black mold? I went to home depot and got a mold test kit and have to wait 24 to 48 hours. I guess we will see. Hopefully more people will comment. It's odd because the black specs dont seem to follow any sort of pattern, it's appearing on brand new wood as well if you look at the photos. When I try to wipe it off it's very resistant. Like it's dried up. The size and shape are smaller, dark brown/black, and sharp. They don't wipe easy.

[Marc]

As long as it's not inside the house, I wouldn't worry.

[lakoma]

Does that look like black mold or dirt? My concern is that we've had the windows open for several days last week. Marc, do you think this looks like mold?

[Jim Katen]

Good grief! 

Of course it's mold. So what? 

[Bill Kibbel]

There's mold spores everywhere on the planet.  Always was, always will be  They're on your skin. They're on your eyeballs. Stop reading bs mold hype from the media, lawyers and mold-is-gold con artists. Worry about real problems or live in a plastic bubble.

Sorry, but this mold crap has gone too far.

 

[inspector57]

15 hours ago, lakoma said:

Does that look like black mold or dirt? My concern is that we've had the windows open for several days last week. Marc, do you think this looks like mold?

There is no such thing as toxic "Black Mold". This is a term designed to sell newspaper, TV, and internet advertising; along with mold testing. Yes, there is mold, black mold, green mold, yellow mold, etc. everywhere on the planet. If you are going to worry about cleaning the deck, what about the fence, and the soil, the plants, etc. If you have a moisture problem inside your home, you might have a problem with mold. Fix the moisture problem, clean up the mold and move on with life. DO NOT WORRY about outdoor mold. You can't do anything worthwhile about it even if you tried.

Edited October 14, 2019 by inspector57

[Jim Baird]

"Stachybotris'll get you if you don't watch out!"

[lakoma]

Well, thanks for all the feedback! Cladosporium is the results that came back. And yes, agreed. There is a lot of information on mold out there but what amazes me is the LACK of knowledge about the affects. I guess, just a work in progress.

[Marc]

7 hours ago, lakoma said:

Well, thanks for all the feedback! Cladosporium is the results that came back. And yes, agreed. There is a lot of information on mold out there but what amazes me is the LACK of knowledge about the affects. I guess, just a work in progress.

Even the feds have yet to lock down a relationship between mold exposure and health consequences.  It's on account of the consequences being also dependent on the condition of the individual.  Generalizations are all that can be said.

[Les]

9 hours ago, lakoma said:

Well, thanks for all the feedback! Cladosporium is the results that came back. And yes, agreed. There is a lot of information on mold out there but what amazes me is the LACK of knowledge about the affects. I guess, just a work in progress.

I am curious about what your opinion on the test results report.  Was it clear?  Were there any clear convincing statements regarding what mold was present and in what amounts?  

I am a moderately experienced home inspector and have yet to read a consumer mold sample report that is clear. 

I have read some from real environmental labs that are quite good. 

 

[Jim Katen]

On 10/29/2019 at 8:44 PM, lakoma said:

Well, thanks for all the feedback! Cladosporium is the results that came back. And yes, agreed. There is a lot of information on mold out there but what amazes me is the LACK of knowledge about the affects. I guess, just a work in progress.

If the test came back with only one type of mold, either the collection procedure or the test was poor. There are always multiple crops growing in places like this. Don't worry about it, though, really. 

I presume you mean "effects." There really isn't a lack of knowledge, its just that in the real world there aren't many effects. If you're allergic, sure. If you're immune-compromised, probably. If you're a healthy human - just don't eat the stuff. 99% of the hype that you hear about in news reports is pure, unadulterated bullshit. 

Have a Coke and a smile and get back to dealing with things that matter. 

[Tom Raymond]

Don't eat mold? There goes most of my diet. Dry cured meats, cave ripened cheeses, fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, bread, beer.

[Jim Katen]

37 minutes ago, Tom Raymond said:

Don't eat mold? There goes most of my diet. Dry cured meats, cave ripened cheeses, fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, bread, beer.

Aside from the cheese, those are generally bacteria & yeasts. Sure, some molds are good to eat, but if a mold is going to harm you, it's going to happen when you ingest it, not when you breathe it. 

[Les]

24 minutes ago, Jim Katen said:

Aside from the cheese, those are generally bacteria & yeasts. Sure, some molds are good to eat, but if a mold is going to harm you, it's going to happen when you ingest it, not when you breathe it. 

What about Ed McMahon?

 

[Jerry Simon]

Ed McMahon?   What about Ellen and the Pakistani?

[Les]

all I know is that every person that breathed air in Michigan died, eventually!