Could it be mold? I need some opinions.

[Jonathan T. Hittle]

I am not certified in mold yet but I did a whole house insp. today and three rooms including a bathroom had little black spots bleeding through the fresh paint. the best way to explain it was dotting the wall with a sharpie then trying to painting over it. What do you think?

[James E. Braun, CMI]

If it is drywall and has at least a 12 percent moisture reading it could be. It would not be the first time I have seen something like that. You might want to suggest to have somebody who is certified in mold take a look at it just in case.

[Jonathan T. Hittle]

Thanks that is the path that I led them down I hope they follow through.
Thanks again

[msylvester]

Moisture readings will only tell you if there is active moisture not weather theres mold or not.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

But if conditions are present, it is more likely mold. I did not say anywhere in the post that it was mold or not.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

When you perform a mold inspection, you should look for any indications of moisture. More moisture, more of a chance for considered toxic mold.

[dplummer]

And don't forget High Relative Humidity (over 50%) . Moisture, high humidity & a food source = a prime breeding ground for mould.

Doug

[William R. DeVries, CMHI]

when using the moisture meter remember that flood restoration companies usually consider any reading under 15% to be considered normal and acceptable.
Also RH plays a part in the factor along with moisture intrusion or shower splash, heavy steam can factor in and exhaust fan or window, and do they use them.
justa few things to think about, If in doubt call it out as " possible mold like substance/stain present"
and leave it at theat with the get a mold inspection done to verify

[Joe Farsetta]

when using the moisture meter remember that flood restoration companies usually consider any reading under 15% to be considered normal and acceptable.

That is correct.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Too bad we are not talking about flood restoration. We are talking about mold. According to most major mold organization mold can start to grow if drywall has more than 12 percent moisture for 24-48 hours. This would explain why most of the the flood restoration companies in my area that I inspect behind, I find mold.

[Joe Farsetta]

12% ?

14% is considered conducive for WDI.

12% seems quite low.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

What does insects like termites have to do with mold?

[Joe Farsetta]

James,

I realize you have a bent toward mold and all that jazz. The comment regarding WDI is that building science ties into all of this. Bottom line is that if you poke a sheetrock wall with a moisture probe, it will show some percentage of moisture content. Around here, 6% to 8% is fairly normal. The folks who deal with mold remediation all the time (not the mold vultures, but flood restoration companies) have chimed in with their percentages. If there aint enough moisture at 12% to sustain a BUG, where are your own claims coming from?

[James E. Braun, CMI]

From the training of IESO, AmIAQ, and MICRO. Also a mold spore is smaller than a bug, thus less moisture is needed. If you see moisture above 4% without moisture intrusion than you have a high wet ball. 6 to 8% moisture are warning signs in my area. Even wall studs that are going to be resheet rocked need to be below 12%. I guess, you will need to get real mold training to understand.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

[quote=jfarsetta]James,
I realize you have a bent toward mold and all that jazz. quote]

Thanks for understanding about my mother who was on her death bed , my niece who got really ill, or several of my clients who are still trying to
cope because of mold. If more doctors would take their heads out of their *****es, instead of quoting the EPA (who have been wrong in the past and is wrong now), a lot more lives would be saved. If you have seen the things I have seen, you would be bent too