Susannah, I venture to guess what you are probably seeing on your walls is
not mold but salt efflorescence from moisture movement within the wall.  It
can be brushed off, but will return if you continue to have drainage
problems with the wall.

Ellen Carrlee
Curator of Collections and Exhibits
Juneau-Douglas City Museum

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Susannah West [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 2:54 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: mystery mold
>
>
>When I was cleaning at the museum (a house built in 1829) the
>other day, I
>noticed a small patch of some sort of powdery white mold on
>the wall. It
>had a 3 dimensional appearance in that it stuck up from the
>wall, reminding
>me a bit of snow (except that it didn't melt, of course).  My
>husband works
>in a building that was originally a B&O Railroad warehouse
>(built in the
>early 1900s) that has been converted into office space.  There
>are large
>patches of what looks like this same mold on the interior
>brick walls.  I
>realize that this is a rather inexact description, but wonder
>if somebody
>might have an idea what it is and what can be done about it.
>Thanks much!
>
>Susannah West
>John Rankin House
>Ripley, Ohio
>
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