A General Facts Guide About Mold

Whether you are indoors or outdoors, mold is always there. No matter where you are, there is no such thing as an environment on the planet earth that is considered to be mold-free. Wherever there are the three things that mold need to survive, there will be mold, even though you might not be able to see it. Mold is only visible to the human eye when colonies of it start to grow. Just what does mold need to grow?

Mold needs nutrients. In an outdoor environment, this would be organic matter such as dead plants or animals. This is a necessary natural event that has to take place to get rid of the some of the debris that builds up on the forest floor. In the indoor environment, molds often feed on building materials. These can include cardboard, paper on both the sides of drywall, soap, fabrics, and other kinds of dust.

Moisture is also required by mold in order to survive. In order to begin decaying organic matter and digesting it, it needs moisture. Mold often grows inside the home during the summer when moisture becomes trapped inside the house and in the house in the winter when certain areas become drafty and condensation builds up in areas.

Something else mold needs to survive is very simple and we all have a lot of it, whether we realize it or not. Mold needs time to grow. It can start to form a colony as soon as 24 hours up to ten days after it gets enough of the nutrients and moisture that it needs to survive. The longer you allow something such as a wet towel or wet piece of clothing to lie on the floor in the back of your closet, the more time you are giving mold to start growing on it.

One last thing that molds tend to need in order to continue growing is heat. Not all molds need a significant amount of heat in order to grow, but many do. Molds have been known to survive at extreme temperatures and remain dormant, but not actually continue growing. They can be exposed to temperatures around 2 degrees Celsius and still only become dormant instead of dying like some other organisms would do.


Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.waterbasementct.info and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com