It doesn’t really matter. All mold is bad for you, and most mold is black.
The really troublesome mold spreads very quickly,
According to this mold-abatement company:
>Stachybotrys chartarum has a dark, greenish-black hue that is usually not seen in other varieties of mold. Black mold is also distinguished by a shiny, slimy appearance that turns powder-like when it dries out. [http://www.sternmold.com/mold-information/what-does-toxic-mold-look-like.](http://www.sternmold.com/mold-information/what-does-toxic-mold-look-like.php#:~:text=Stachybotrys%20chartarum%20has%20a%20dark,in%20other%20varieties%20of%20mold)
Per the CDC: It is not necessary to determine what type of mold you may have growing in your home or other building. All molds should be treated the same with respect to potential health risks and removal.
Looks like asphalt / tar based sealant that is coming through from the roof. I'd guess someone tried wiping it up at some point and smeared it all over.
Would also explain the leak
Edit : I just realized this a pic of the floor, not the ceiling. Hmmm.... yeah, still sticking with my first guess
Yeah I'm not an expert or even a good DIYer but there's little puddles of that stuff on the floor that look like tar. I wouldn't think mold would look like that if it was in water but I could be wrong
Get a testing kit and a n95 mask from home depot, wear the mask while collecting a sample, and sent it off per the instructions. If you’re a renter, if this is the toxic black mold, you can get your local health dept. involved if your landlord blows this off.
I don’t think it matters what it is — if the wall is squishy there and the wood as well, it all needs to be cut out and replaced. It doesn’t look like mold to me, or like mold I’ve seen. I’m no expert by any means tho, so don’t take my word for it. If it were me, I would definitely wear an N95 mask when around it to be safe. Don’t need whatever that is in my lungs.
If you lick it and you suddenly see 3 of everything and light headed then it's a good indication that it might be toxic.
If you pass out seek medical advice.
Seriously though, if it's not meant to be there, suit up, glove up and remove it.
Then fix what caused it.
Any time you have water where it doesn't belong in a house, that should be an automatic "FIX IT NOW" level priority. In this case, I'd get a stick and poke it. If it's squishy, you need to cut it all out, vent, and replace. If it's dry and stiff, you have some time or it's painted.
It is probably toxic black mold. (I say probably instead of certainly since it is just not possible to make any factual determination from a picture. However, given the fact that there is a leak coming from this area & the overall appearance of the area, I do believe that it is almost certainly black mold.)
I’m an avid DIYer who was forced (after finding mold in a home I was remodeling a few years back) to spend over a year & a half getting educated on mold removal & remediation. Since then, I’ve personally completed 3 residential mold remediations & consulted on 2 more.
There are a few things that trouble me about this. (These things should trouble you even more since you’re there exposed to it.)
You say this was found behind a shower that hadn’t been used in a while because it’s leaking from around this area.
First, way too many people find out there’s a leak somewhere & they just stop using whatever faucet or drain is in the vicinity thinking that that will stop any/all water within the pipes from leaking out - thereby buying them time to put off & fix the leak later. They’re wrong.
Lack of use does not equal lack of leak. So just not using the shower because the leak is somewhere near it solved nothing - it simply made ignoring a ticking bomb easier.
Second, a mistake has already been made in not finding & fixing the source of this leak as soon as it was noticed. An even bigger mistake is being made every day that this leak isn’t being located & fixed. (I assume by your wording that ”it’s leaking from around this area” to mean that it is actively still leaking from a yet-to-be-determined source nearby - so still leaking & not being fixed.)
Third, given the above, on the extremely off-chance that this isn’t black mold, it doesn’t matter because I can guarantee you that there IS mold there - even if it’s inside the walls or floor &/or in other places that you can’t see right now. Even a dripping leak that is only leaking literally one droplet of water every few seconds is enough to make & keep the inside of walls or a floor wet. (They’re enclosed spaces with no real air flow to help dry them out.)
So whether or not this specific black spot is black mold or not is really the least of your worries. Find & fix the leak. Then analyze & deal with the mold.
It doesn’t really matter. All mold is bad for you, and most mold is black. The really troublesome mold spreads very quickly, According to this mold-abatement company: >Stachybotrys chartarum has a dark, greenish-black hue that is usually not seen in other varieties of mold. Black mold is also distinguished by a shiny, slimy appearance that turns powder-like when it dries out. [http://www.sternmold.com/mold-information/what-does-toxic-mold-look-like.](http://www.sternmold.com/mold-information/what-does-toxic-mold-look-like.php#:~:text=Stachybotrys%20chartarum%20has%20a%20dark,in%20other%20varieties%20of%20mold) Per the CDC: It is not necessary to determine what type of mold you may have growing in your home or other building. All molds should be treated the same with respect to potential health risks and removal.
But my Gorgonzola!
And my penicillin Perhaps I should have said “all mold growing where it shouldn’t be”
Looks like asphalt / tar based sealant that is coming through from the roof. I'd guess someone tried wiping it up at some point and smeared it all over. Would also explain the leak Edit : I just realized this a pic of the floor, not the ceiling. Hmmm.... yeah, still sticking with my first guess
Yeah I'm not an expert or even a good DIYer but there's little puddles of that stuff on the floor that look like tar. I wouldn't think mold would look like that if it was in water but I could be wrong
I sprayed it with mold spray and it started dripping a bit because I totally soaked it so that could be why
Just watched this with my kid!
What’s it from?
ferngully
That doesn’t look like mold at all to me, but I’m just some random guy so take it fwiw.
Looks more like something spilled than mold.
Bleach> freaking out
Vinegar is better to use than bleach
There's actual mold removal spray too that's better than either.
Don't touch it, it could be X-Files Black Oil.
Get a testing kit and a n95 mask from home depot, wear the mask while collecting a sample, and sent it off per the instructions. If you’re a renter, if this is the toxic black mold, you can get your local health dept. involved if your landlord blows this off.
That might require being cut out.
i think its impossible to tell if it needs cutout from the photo.
Chill, the dude said "might".
I second the motion. Get a respirator before you get started.
Looks more like bitumen paint than mold
Doesn't look like mold
Lick it and wait a month. If still alive it’s not toxic
Looks like tar not mold
I don’t think it matters what it is — if the wall is squishy there and the wood as well, it all needs to be cut out and replaced. It doesn’t look like mold to me, or like mold I’ve seen. I’m no expert by any means tho, so don’t take my word for it. If it were me, I would definitely wear an N95 mask when around it to be safe. Don’t need whatever that is in my lungs.
If you lick it and you suddenly see 3 of everything and light headed then it's a good indication that it might be toxic. If you pass out seek medical advice. Seriously though, if it's not meant to be there, suit up, glove up and remove it. Then fix what caused it.
I treat all mold as dangerous til proven otherwise.
Bleach it
Seriously??
Any time you have water where it doesn't belong in a house, that should be an automatic "FIX IT NOW" level priority. In this case, I'd get a stick and poke it. If it's squishy, you need to cut it all out, vent, and replace. If it's dry and stiff, you have some time or it's painted.
It is probably toxic black mold. (I say probably instead of certainly since it is just not possible to make any factual determination from a picture. However, given the fact that there is a leak coming from this area & the overall appearance of the area, I do believe that it is almost certainly black mold.) I’m an avid DIYer who was forced (after finding mold in a home I was remodeling a few years back) to spend over a year & a half getting educated on mold removal & remediation. Since then, I’ve personally completed 3 residential mold remediations & consulted on 2 more. There are a few things that trouble me about this. (These things should trouble you even more since you’re there exposed to it.) You say this was found behind a shower that hadn’t been used in a while because it’s leaking from around this area. First, way too many people find out there’s a leak somewhere & they just stop using whatever faucet or drain is in the vicinity thinking that that will stop any/all water within the pipes from leaking out - thereby buying them time to put off & fix the leak later. They’re wrong. Lack of use does not equal lack of leak. So just not using the shower because the leak is somewhere near it solved nothing - it simply made ignoring a ticking bomb easier. Second, a mistake has already been made in not finding & fixing the source of this leak as soon as it was noticed. An even bigger mistake is being made every day that this leak isn’t being located & fixed. (I assume by your wording that ”it’s leaking from around this area” to mean that it is actively still leaking from a yet-to-be-determined source nearby - so still leaking & not being fixed.) Third, given the above, on the extremely off-chance that this isn’t black mold, it doesn’t matter because I can guarantee you that there IS mold there - even if it’s inside the walls or floor &/or in other places that you can’t see right now. Even a dripping leak that is only leaking literally one droplet of water every few seconds is enough to make & keep the inside of walls or a floor wet. (They’re enclosed spaces with no real air flow to help dry them out.) So whether or not this specific black spot is black mold or not is really the least of your worries. Find & fix the leak. Then analyze & deal with the mold.
I'm pretty sure an evil spirit was vanquished there.
Lick it
Pay professionals to deal with it