Commonly-Used Mold 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 EPA
registered
Tim-bor Antimicrobial Coating.
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, & their
receipt by the analysis lab.
Dormant Mold:
Mold that is inactive and awaiting future moisture and food to begin mold
reproduction and growth.
Fungus:
A parasitic plant lacking
chlorophyll, a rigid cell wall, leaves, true stems & roots. Multicellular.
It is composed of
thread- like hyphae. Fungus 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 Allergy:
A human allergic reaction [such as skin rashes, open sores, and
respiratory problems] from exposure to airborne mold spores and indoor
mold growth.
Mold Analysis Laboratory:
A scientific
mold lab or microbiology laboratory that specializes in, or provides,
the analysis, identification, and quantification of mold species from mold
samples and samplings.
Mold Decontamination
and Mold Detoxification: Safe, effective & total
removal of mold spores & mold 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 enable
mold spores to grow into mold colony infestations. Includes mold testing &
mold laboratory analysis of collected mold samples and
samplings. Certified mold inspection and mold tests are often necessary to
file a mold insurance claim.
Mold Inspector:
A mold professional that 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 level 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 Toxic Mold Investigator.
Mold Lawyer:
An environmental attorney, environmental lawyer,
or mold attorney who specializes in prosecuting or defending
mold-related legal
problems and lawsuits.
Mold Maintenance:
Mold prevention requires effective and regular building mold maintenance
to prevent roof leaks, water
leaks, and water
problems, mold causing high humidity, 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
mold removal is done by a
Certified Mold Remediator or
Certified
Contractor.
Mold Remediator: A
mold professional who has been specially trained as a mold remediation
specialist for toxic mold
detection, mold
decontamination, mold inspection, mold testing, mold sampling, mold
prevention, mold remediation, mold
removal.
Certified Mold Remediator.
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 required to remove any mold
problem documented in the mold 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 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 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 lab analysis & identification by the mold laboratory.
Mold Training
and
Mold Education: Mold instruction,
education, & certification at a professional toxic mold school, mold
class, mold
seminar, or mold course for mold inspection, mold testing, mold
remediation, mold removal, mold prevention, and mold business practices.
Mold:
A fungus that
eats and grows on and in damp or high moisture or decaying organic matter.
Synonym: mold.
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 brain-damaging Stachybotrys toxic mold [often
misspelled Stachybotris].
Viable mold test:
Immediate microscopic analysis 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.
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