Black Mold

What is Black Mold?

When people call the Mold Men of Pittsburgh they usually have a mold problem. Oftentimes, customers assume the mold they find is black mold but that is a common misconception. There are thousands of mold species and most of them are harmless to humans. Some, however, are very toxic and need to be dealt with in a special manner!

Mold comes in almost every color you can think of. The term "Black Mold" is not a term that industry professionals use to determine its toxicity. Any color of mold can be toxic, but to be fair, some of the most toxic types of mold are black in color.

Since there are over 235,000 species of mold known to man and the predominant color is black, it is easy to see where the term came from! But not all black mold is toxic either.

How To Determine If Black Mold is Toxic

It's impossible to tell if black mold is toxic without proper testing. Most store bought testing kits only tell you if there is high concentrations of organic matter. The organic compounds it finds may or may not be mold; it could just as easily be dirt or some other organic compound. 

The only way to get the definitive results is through laboratory testing. Just like a doctor, they examine the sample and break down its individual components. The end result is a detailed report of the exact type and toxicity of the mold. All mold is different and needs to be remediated differently which is why Mold Men of Pittsburgh offers pre-diagnostic testing. 

Toxic Black Mold

You are more likely to have toxic mold that is not "black" than you are to have toxic mold that is "black." This is because there are so many colors of mold ranging from green, yellow, white, black and everything in between. If you see mold growing in your home, no matter the color, it may be toxic. The reason for this is because most toxic mold tends to be of the wet mold variety. Wet mold is a term used to describe mold that grows in and on water damaged or wet building materials. It's not always toxic, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Black mold, green mold, white mold or any other color is concerning! It's our job to remove it properly. Call Mold Men of Pittsburgh, we can help!

Please Contact Us today for a Free in home assessment.