Black Stuff Under Carpet? Help! What is this stuff?

[Mike_D]

I started pulling back carpet today to get an idea of the condition of my subfloor as I am preparing for hardwood floors. I pulled the carpet back, which was put in new when I bought the hosue, 1.5 years ago, to find this black stuff all over the place. My first reaction was mold and had quite the "oh sh*t" moment. However, I continued to inspect and am now wondering what this stuff really is.

First off it is mud like. It is somewhat hard but can be scraped off and crumbles to dust. There is some small water damage from what looks like a window being left open at one point but the floor is not currently or wet or damp. This stuff also is spread across the entire room, at least I think it is. I only pulled back half the carpet. The subfloor is particle board and this stuff is everywhere including spots that don't look like they have been wet ever.

If anything I would consider my house on the dryer side and there doesn't appear to be any leaks under this floor. Also, there is no growth on the padding or carpet.

Can anyone tell me what this crap is? Again it is somewhat think, maybe 1/16 of an inch. It feels dry and crumbles when scraped, much like dried mud. I am really hoping this is some type of old glue and not a mold problem.

Thanks, any help/advice is welcomed. Here is a link to pictures if the images don't load. http://www.flickr.com/photos/91041545@N06/

 

[Floorist]

Looks like left over rubber from an old rubberback carpet.

 

[DarisMulkin]

I'm thinking it is from a rebond pad that the black pieces in the pad dried out. I've run into it many times.
Looking at the pictures again I will agree with Rusty.

Daris

 

[Ernesto]

Black rubber waffle pad residue.

 

[Floorist]

I would just scrape and sweep and not worry about it.

 

[FloorMaven]

I'm thinking it is from a rebond pad that the black pieces in the pad dried out. I've run into it many times.

This might be correct. I have to discount the rubberback theory as whatever it is it would have been disturbed by the install of tackstrip. One of the pics shows what looks like a stripe on the subfloor that was probably from tape used to tie the pad. Whatever it is doesn't look like it was under that piece of tape so could have come from the previous pad or came through the pad.

I'm wondering how it could not have been disturbed by the most recent install if it were there at the time?

 

[FloorMaven]

I'd cover it back up and take a small sample to a lab before you try removing it.

 

[FloorMaven]

What Does Toxic Black Mold Look Like

Toxic black mold is a greenish-black gelatinous mold. It is usually slimy because of a wet layer on the top. However if a toxic black mold colony's water source runs out it can appear dry and powdery.

There are several molds that look similar to toxic black mold. If you find what you think might be Stachybotrys the only way you can tell for sure is to have a mold expert look at a sample under a microscope.

 

[Ernesto]

Whats it taste like?

 

[Mike_D]

Thanks everyone for the help. To be safe I am having a mold inspector come out and look at it tomorrow. Tomorrow should yield some more answers and I am hoping it is not dried mold.

 

[FloorMaven]

Good idea...has the carpet ever been wet, maybe from cleaning?

 

[rugaddict]

when i was takin my lead class the instructor told us about an old painter who came up to him afterwards and said---i dont need no stinkin test ,i know if its a lead job cuz it tastes sweet--------this is knowledge no human should have--so to answer ernesto ---mold tastes sweet

 

[Mike_D]

Not that I am aware of. My wife and I bought the house about a year ago and the previous owners put the new carpeting in before they sold it. We personally have never had it cleaned. That doesn't mean they didn't get their old carpet wet. Which also means that if that stuff is dried up mold, then they carpeted right over it....which opens up a whole new can of worms.

 

[Ernesto]

Thanks everyone for the help. To be safe I am having a mold inspector come out and look at it tomorrow. Tomorrow should yield some more answers and I am hoping it is not dried mold.

Be careful with those mold remedition guys. They will want to make a fortune $$$ and tear your house apart.
It does not matter what mold it is, if your not allergenic to it there is no reason to fret. Spray some watered down bleach on it, get a hepa vac and a suit, suck it up and go on with life.

If you do go insurance beware the insurance company will drop you like a block of lead after they clean it up. And then no one will insure your house.

 

[FloorMaven]

That doesn't mean they didn't get their old carpet wet. Which also means that if that stuff is dried up mold, then they carpeted right over it....which opens up a whole new can of worms.

Sometimes the sellers claim new carpet but in reality they just clean it. I find it hard to believe it was covered over because it is undisturbed.

 

[Ernesto]

Be nice to know what part of the country this is and what the underneath side looks like, basement or crawlspace.

 

[Ernesto]

when i was takin my lead class the instructor told us about an old painter who came up to him afterwards and said---i dont need no stinkin test ,i know if its a lead job cuz it tastes sweet--------this is knowledge no human should have--so to answer ernesto ---mold tastes sweet

Tastes like moldy cheese or bread.

 

[Mike_D]

Well the verdict is in...it is not mold nor was it ever. It appears to just be part of the old padding or rubber backing stuck to the subfloor. They could have done a better job cleaning it up when they removed the old stuff and put the new carpet in; but I am just happy it is not mold. Looks like I'll be scraping up some glue or most likely replace the sub floor with plywood instead of the particle board. Thanks for all the help!

 

[Mike_D]

The home is in VA Beach and the room in question in on the second floor btw.

 

[Ernesto]

Great. I think Rusty had it right. Probably an old loose laid cushion back carpet in there. But both that and the rubber waffle would flatten out and become a flat layer of a clay like deposit.

I have seen red rubber waffle pad out here become flat as a pancake and adhered to the slab of concrete or wood subfloor.