mold question

[Greg Stanford]

Can anyone recommend a good source of information on black mold? My shop is in an old out building that is in an area that floods periodically - 2, 3 times a year I'll get 10-12 inches back there. There's not much I can do about it, we can't afford to build & I'm fighting w/ the city over the drainage issue. After the first flooding, I rearranged things so that everything is at least 18" off the floor & I just go out after an "event" & open evrything up & run the exhaust fan. Tools really haven't been affected. The building's exterior walls are hardy plank & I had put insulation & OSB on the interior before I realized I had the problem. It's a mess, I know, but I've got to live w/ it for a while. The building's drafty & open at the eaves & I run fans & the exhaust fan most of the time I'm out there so I'm wondering how concerned I should be? Thanks.

[Greg Portland]

Not all black colored mold is "black mold". You should be able to get your walls and air tested for ~$150 from a local remediation service. You are right to keep things as dry as possible. Higher humidity + source of food (plywood, OSB, etc.) = mold. Mold really likes the sugar in wood products.