Causes of Mold and How to Spot it

Everyone knows what mold is, but do you know what causes mold and are you sure you do not have it on your property? In this article, we are going to answer your questions and give you all the information you need to know.

What Causes Mold?

Mold is a fungus that grows is commonly found inside of buildings, mold needs two things to grow which are moisture/water and a food source. The moisture can come in many ways such as a damp environment that is most commonly found in the air when people do not open their windows for ventilation. Other sources of moisture could be a burst pipe, rain getting in from inside the buildings and all forms of surplus moisture.

As for the food source, the most common form is in buildings materials made from wood that contains cellulose which is the main component of walls of cells in the majority of plants. Therefore it is important to use building materials that contain no cellulose to curb the growth of mold.

How Do I Know If I Have Mold on My Property?

Mold can grow literally anywhere on your property, however, there are a few rooms that are more likely to be home to mold.

Most Likely Rooms to Facilitate Mold:

Basements are very commonplace since the majority of basements have no ways to be properly ventilated as they are underground and there are no windows to open to let the damp air out.

The attic is similar to the basement in that the majority of attic’s do not have an easy way to ventilate, However, the most common issue with mold growing in attics is that there is a problem with the roof that causes water to get into the attic and provide the moisture needed by mold to grow.

Bathrooms are the place in the house where water is generally used the most, people who do not open the windows after a steamy shower or do not try the surfaces and floors in the bathroom if they have accidentally spilled a lot of water by using the sink or shower are likely to cause mold to grow in the long run.

Kitchens may be a surprising addition to this list however most people when cooking do cause a lot of condensation. For example, if you are steaming vegetables and the windows are closed you will be creating a lot of moisture in the air that can cause mold. You do not need to even use water to cook in order to cause moisture and thus condensation from occurring and causing a damp environment in your kitchen, for example if you are cooking any meat in vegetable oil in a pan the meat will give out water it has retained while it was refrigerated that will then get into the air and eventually condense and turn back into water that is perfect source of nutrients for mold to grow.

It is important to note that any room can be a perfect environment for mold if you are not ventilating it properly.

Places to look for mold:

Under sinks is a place where mold likes to grow, it can occur due to leaks in the pipes or from water droplets falling from the sides of the sinks down onto the floor.

Shower curtains are also a very common place to find mold, as when most people have showered the shower curtains will be the first cold object that the damp air will hit. Furthermore, if shower curtains are cramped up together while they are wet they will not be able to dry properly.

Windows, as most people know from experience, are a prime place for mold to grow around, this is because during colder weather people open their windows less which means less ventilation of the rooms and also the windows are much colder so when the warmer damp air hits the windows, condensation will occur.

Carpets can also be hiding mold especially if there has been a leak in your roof or a burst pipe that has been causing water to fall onto a carpet.

An air conditioner, if you have one, is a sitting food conveyer belt for mold since an air conditioner is constantly sucking in all kinds of tiny objects that can include pollen, dust, and dirt which build up inside the machine especially if you do not use it every day.

Why Is Mold so Bad?

Mold can be extremely bad for your health as it can cause respiratory problems and also long term illnesses such as asthma and also a mold allergy. Some mold symptoms may be that you are starting to cough all of a sudden or experiencing sneezing fits. Elderly people, children and people with a weak immune system are most in danger from the health risks of mold.

Some molds can also poison people by producing mycotoxins which can even lead to death.

Mold can cause large financial damage to properties that need to be fixed or it can get a lot worse. Mold does not just damage your property aesthetically but it can very easily cause structural damage by using parts of the building that hold it up as a food source.

If you are renting our a property that has mold, the tenants can sue you and force you to fix the mold problems which can be a very expensive process.

Ways to Prevent Mold

You can use a dehumidifier which will take in damp air and make it condense on cold coils inside the machine that will then collect all the moisture and prevent it from going on other surfaces in your property and causing mold.

In your bathroom, it is worth drying your tiles after you have had a shower or bath, as water condenses on the tiles and slowly drops down towards the bottom where it builds up and causes mold.

Do not leave wet clothes to dry inside your property, according to research there are around two liters of water in 4 kgs of wet clothes, all of this water will end up in your air and eventually condensing onto your surfaces and causing mold.

Do not use building materials that have cellulose, as cellulose is a food source for mold and if you remove the food source mold will not be able to grow. It may be a bit more expensive as an initial investment but in the long run, it will end up saving you money as you will not need to spend more money on removing mold.

Opening your windows when it is not raining in order to allow the damp air to leave your property is a very simple step that works very well.

Contacting professionals such as Smart Mold (https://smartmold.net/) who can carry out mold testing to find any hidden mold growths that you may not be able to spot as well as if needed mold removal.

In conclusion, mold is something very simple to prevent but it still is commonplace in the majority of properties out there, we hope that this article answered all the questions you had. If you are looking for experienced professionals in mold removal and prevention then please check out our website at https://smartmold.net/. We pride ourselves in being able to prevent and remove mold from our client’s properties in a fast, efficient and very affordable service.