12 Different Types of Mold and What They Mean: When To Schedule a Mold Remediation Service
If you see mold in your crawlspace, basement, kitchen, or another area in your home, it may be time to schedule a mold remediation service. In this article, we’ll discuss the common 12 different types of mold that you may find lurking in your home, what they mean, and how to remove.
Mold spores are everywhere. However, once they locate moisture and moderate temperatures, this allows the perfect conditions for them to thrive in.
There are 3 major categories of mold that you’ll find, some of which, if they get out of hand, can cause health issues:
3 Categories of Different Types of Mold:
- Allergenic molds – These may need an experienced technician to remove, however, many allergenic types of mold can be removed just using home disinfectants.
- Pathogenic molds – These, while they can be kept at bay using home disinfecting products, if large colonies of pathogenic mold gets out of control, they will need to be removed by a professional.
- Toxic molds – These are the most harmful types of mold. If you have any of these molds in your home, you will need to call a professional to kill the mold and dispose of anything that has become tainted by it.
Once you have found mold in your home, you will need to identify the type of mold it is and formulate a plan to remove it. It is recommended to hire a professional to help you identify what kind of mold it is that you’re dealing with and they can remove it for you.
12 Types of Mold
Now, let’s cover the 12 types of mold that can grow in your home and what they mean. Depending on the amount of growth, damage, or type of mold in question, you’ll want to contact a professional for help.
1. Acremonium
Appearance
If the mold in your home is Acremonium, what you’ll see is a small colony of pink, gray, orange, or white wet mold that becomes powdery.
Where You’ll Find It
Commonly, you’ll find it in your home’s humidifiers, HVAC cooling coils drains, drip pans, or near a leaky window.
Removal Process
You may find Acremonium growing along with Strachybotrys (or black mold). Acremonium requires professional removal.
2. Stachybotrys
Appearance
Stachybotrys, also known as black mold, will appear in your home as a colony of dark green or black slimy textured mold.
Where You’ll Find It
You’re likely to find black mold in the areas of your home that have been exposed to a lot of water and humidity for weeks and months at a time. Stachybotrys commonly formulates behind walls, ceilings, and on wood.
Removal Process
You will need to contact a professional to remove and dispose of the black mold, as well as remove any materials affected by the mold.
3. Alternaria
Appearance
If the mold growing in your home has an appearance of dark green or brown, velvety texture that sprouts “hairs,” than you know that it’s Alternaria mold.
Where You’ll Find It
Alternaria forms in shower stalls, bathtubs, and near your sink. If there is water damage, this mold will begin to grow and rapidly spread.
Removal Process
To remove Alternaria, unless the colony has grown exceptionally large and out of control, you can typically remove it with proper at-home cleaning.
4. Aspergillus
Appearance
Aspergillus commonly has gray or green spores which can form into thick layers of mold as it grows. There are various species of Aspergillus which can manifest itself in different colors. A professional can help you identify whether the mold in your home is Aspergillus or not.
Where You’ll Find It
Typically, you will find this gray or green mold grow on wooden surfaces in your home.
Removal Process
If the growth of Aspergillus in your home is significant, you will need to contact a professional to remove it.
5. Penicillin
Appearance
If the surface of the mold colony that is growing in your home looks like velvet and is bluish-green in color, you may be dealing with Penicillin mold. This mold can spread very quickly.
Where You’ll Find It
You’ll commonly find Penicillin in your HVAC ducts, mattresses, carpet, and wallpaper.
Removal Process
Small colonies of this mold may be cleaned using home disinfectants. If it’s a significant infestation, you’ll want to contact a professional instead.
6. Mucor
Appearance
Mucor is classified as an allergenic mold. It grows quite rapidly, developing thick patches of white or gray mold in your home.
Where You’ll Find It
You’ll find Mucor in very wet areas of your home. These include air conditioners, HVAC ductwork, and leaky windows and doors.
Removal Process
You can clean small patches using at-home disinfectants, however larger infestations of Mucor mold will require a professional technician to remove.
7. Fusarium
Appearance
Fusarium mold in your home will appear as either a pink, red, or white coloration.
Where You’ll Find It
This mold first starts out growing on food, however, it can spread quickly to carpet, wallpaper, and water-damaged materials in your home.
Removal Process
Homeowners may remove the Fusarium with at-home disinfectants. Be sure to clean up with caution.
8. Aureobasidium
Appearance
If Aureobasidium appears in your home, it’ll first show up as pink, brown, or black. As it matures, it becomes a deep brown color.
Where You’ll Find It
You’ll spot Aureobasidium in dark, wet and water-damaged areas of your home, including under carpet, behind wallpaper, and on wooden surfaces.
Removal Process
To remove Aureobasidium, you will need to wear protective clothing (this includes gloves and eye protection) for a small infestation. Contact a professional for a significant outbreak of Aureobasidium mold.
9. Trichoderma
Appearance
Trichoderma can be found in your home as a white or green wooly colony of mold. It is typically non-pathogenic.
Where You’ll Find It
You’ll find Trichoderma forming on wallpaper, carpet, fabrics, and surfaces that are extremely moist. This mold type does produce enzymes which damage wood, textiles, and paper.
Removal Process
Homeowners may clean up Trichoderma mold using proper protective measures. This mold may cause damage to building foundations, so if the growth is substantial, you’ll need to call a professional.
10. Chaetomium
Appearance
Chaetomium will start out as white and cotton-like mold spores, however, it will begin to darken to gray, brown, or black as it matures. You’ll notice a musty odor that comes with the growth of Chaetomium.
Where You’ll Find It
This mold type thrives in water-damaged areas of your home, such as wooden surfaces, drywall, wallpaper, and beneath wet carpet or roof shingles.
Removal Process
Chaetomium is commonly misidentified as black mold (Stachybotrys), so you will want to call a professional technician to help you correctly identify this mold type. A professional is required for the removal of Chaetomium.
11. Ulocladium
Appearance
When Ulocladium grows in your home, you’ll commonly find it forming in black clumps.
Where You’ll Find It
You’ll find Ulocladium mold growing in your kitchen, bathroom, or basement wherever there is water damage. Other spots Ulocladium will form are in areas that stay wet for a long period of time.
Removal Process
If you spot Ulocladium early in its growth, you can clean it using at-home disinfectants. If the outbreak is significant, you’ll need to contact a professional.
12. Cladosporium
Appearance
Cladosporium mold has a suede-like texture and comes in a brownish or olive green coloration.
Where You’ll Find It
You’ll find Cladosporium growing in both cold and warm environments alike in your home. It will grow on carpet, upholstery, drapes, and under your floorboards.
Removal Process
If you spot small colonies of Cladosporium in your home, you may clean it yourself, however larger colonies will require a professional mold remediation service.
Removing the Different Types of Mold From Your Home
Once you have identified the type of mold you are dealing with, especially if it is an allergenic mold that is caught early, they may still be easy and safe enough to remove just using the proper protective gear and household disinfectants.
PLEASE NOTE: When in doubt, please contact a professional to help identify the types of mold that are growing in your home to ensure your safety while cleaning.
Steps to Perform a DIY Mold Cleaning:
- Before performing a DIY cleaning of the mold, you’ll want to ensure that there is adequate ventilation in the area you are working.
- Be sure to wear protective gear such as eye protection, gloves, and old clothes that you can wash in hot water to remove stray mold spores.
Household Disinfectants to Use:
- Chlorine bleach – Use a chlorine bleach to destroy mold and any residual discoloration. Sodium hypochlorite or regular household bleach works best to remove mold; however, please note that since it is harsh, you should dilute prior to using.
- Hydrogen peroxide – This is not as harsh as chlorine bleach, however it will still kill mold and lighten stains resulting from the mold colony. Using a 3-10% solution of hydrogen peroxide has a bleaching effect, working more slowly when compared with chlorine bleach, but it leaves no toxic fumes or residue.
- Distilled white vinegar – Due to it acidity, distilled white vinegar will slowly break down the mold’s structure and kill it. Vinegar is a good option because of its non-toxicity, however, mold stains may still be left over from the treatment. You may need to follow up the mold removal with a household cleaner to remove the stains.
- Baking soda/borax – Baking soda (otherwise known as sodium bicarbonate), and borax each have a high pH. This helps to prevent the growth and survival of mold spores. A benefit to using these products is that they are non-toxic, inexpensive, and easy to mix with water.
Contact Professional Mold Remediation Technicians
Fresh Air Technologies is proud to have provided professional mold remediation services for over 20 years to the residents and business owners of the Charlotte, NC area.
If you are seeing a concerning growth of one or more types of mold, please reach out to our team today. Our knowledgeable technicians can help you identify your mold colony, determine whether the mold is toxic to your health, and perform a mold remediation service. To get started, please reach out to us at 704-270-2721 today.
