Investigation of Area For Mold

Inspect the entire area for visible mold. If you see a water stain and it is older than 72 hours, you can expect mold to be growing behind the water stain or beginning to grow on the front. It is important to be thorough before beginning any form of remediation. Plan your job carefully so as to not make any mistakes. Make sure that all the water sources are stopped. One of the main tools to help you examine the interior walls is a fiber optics scope. This is standard equipment for a Mold Inspector. Maybe, it would be better if you had a Mold Inspector evaluated the extent of the damage and write you a protocol on what needs to be removed.

If you still insist on doing your own investigation, contain the area with 6 mil plastic. Cut out a small area of the stain and look at the back side. Remember, not all mold is toxic black mold. There are some molds that are clear, white, red, yellow and etc. It depends upon what they are feeding on. If a licensed Certified Mold Remediator was doing this, they would contain the area, install an air scruber and then do the investigation according to the protocol written.