Mold Key Terms

Allergen: Any substance, such as pollen, mold or animal dander that can trigger allergic response in humans and pets.

Antimicrobial Coating: After all moldy building materials have been removed & the area has been cleaned and disinfected with a fungicide, an antimicrobial coating is sprayed onto the mold-free surfaces & new replacement building materials to protect them against future mold growth. The best and safest is BBJ Micro Biocide.

Chain of Custody: A mold laboratory form which is completed by the Certified Mold Inspector who collects the mold samples to record the details of the mold sampling work done, and to document both the transfer of custody of the mold samplings directly from the inspector to the mold lab, and their receipt by the analysis lab.

Dormant Mold: Mold that is inactive & awaiting future moisture and food to begin again mold reproduction & growth.

Fungicide: An effective, safe, and quick indoor mold killer that is approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Fungus: A parasitic plant lacking chlorophyll, a rigid cell wall, leaves, true stems & roots. Multi-cellular. Composed of thread-like hyphae. Reproduces by spores.

Hyphae: Fungi usually are filamentous, with the single filaments being termed hyphae. Fungal hyphae grow and branch to make a filament network [mycelium].

Mold: A fungus that eats and grows on and in damp or high moisture or decaying organic matter. Synonym: mould.

Mold Allergy: Human allergic reaction [such as skin rashes, open sores, and respiratory problems] from exposure to airborne mold spores & indoor mold growth.

Mold Analysis Laboratory: A scientific mold lab that specializes in the analysis and identification and quantification of various mold species from mold samples.

Mold Decontamination and Detoxification: Safe, effective & total removal of mold spores & growth from buildings and personal possessions.

Mold Inspection: The thorough physical examination of a building by a Certified Mold Inspector to find & locate visual & hidden mold growth & water problems that enables mold spores to grow into mold colony infestations. Includes mold testing & mold laboratory analysis of collected mold samples and samplings. Certified inspection & testing are often necessary to file a mold-related insurance claim.

Mold Inspector: A mold professional who has been specially trained in the detection of toxic mold contamination in homes, condos, apartments, offices, & commercial buildings. The mold expert inspector utilizes high-tech inspection devices such as moisture meter [to find water problems hidden inside walls, ceilings, and floors], fiber optics [to look inside walls & ceilings for mold infestation], timed mold culture plate impactor, air sampling pump & cassettes, & hygrometer [to check for the high humidity that mold can grow in].

Mold Investigation: Advanced, in depth mold inspection and mold tests to find all mold infestation inside a building. See Certified Mold Investigator above.

Mold Lawyer/Attorney: An environmental attorney or environmental lawyer who specializes in prosecuting or defending mold-related legal problems & lawsuits.

Mold Maintenance: Mold prevention requires effective building mold maintenance to prevent roof leaks, water leaks, water problems, and toxic mold growth.

Mold Remediation: The safe & complete killing & removal of mold spores & mold colony growth from mold-contaminated homes and other buildings. Effective mold remediation usually requires the removal of mold-damaged building materials and the use of a fungicide to kill mold and an antimicrobial coating to prevent future mold growth & danger. Usually done by a Certified Mold Remediation Contractor.

Mold Remediator: A mold professional who has been specially trained as a mold remediation specialist for toxic mold detection, inspection, testing, sampling, prevention, remediation, and removal.

Mold Report: A written presentation from a Certified Mold Inspector to his client of his physical building inspection findings & mold sampling mold lab results, detailed analysis thereof, and recommendations for specific mold remediation & removal steps that are required to remove any mold problem documented in the report.

Mold Spore: A small reproductive cell that is resistant to unfavorable environmental conditions such as no water, & is capable of mold reproduction fungal growth when water & organic materials to eat exist.

Mold Testing: Collection by a Certified Mold Inspector of direct physical samples of visible mold and of indoor air samples in rooms, attic, crawl space, basement, & heating & air conditioning equipment & ducts, so that the mold samplings can be grown by a mold lab in mold culture plates [viable mold testing] to produce full-grown mold colonies for mold analysis & identification by the mold laboratory.

Mold Test Kit: Do-it-yourself sampling of room & HVAC air, & physical sampling of visible mold growth into easy-to-use mold culture plates for lab identification.

Mold Training and Mold Education: Mold instruction and certification at a professional toxic mold school, class, seminar, or course on mold inspection, testing, remediation, removal, prevention, & mold business practices.

Sick Building Syndrome: An environmentally unhealthy house or other building containing mold infestation, biological contamination, or lead paint, asbestos, radon, etc., resulting in serious health problems for its occupants.

Toxic Black Mold: A fungus that emits chemical mycotoxin poisons that become airborne & cause serious human health diseases. Toxic mold & black mold are also slang terms for brain-damaging Stachybotrys toxic mold [misspelled as Stachybotris].

Viable Mold Test: Immediate microscopic examination of the collected substance to determine: (1) whether it is mold or not; (2) if mold, how many mold spores are present in sample; & (3) where possible, to identify the few mold species that can be visually identified without the highly accurate viable mold lab analysis done after 5-7 days' mold culture plate growth.