3 Reasons You Might Find Mold in Your House

3/22/2021 (Permalink)

Mold thrives in places with excess moisture.

If you have black mold or other fungus growing in your house, you may be wondering why. The short answer is that mold tends to grow in environments that are most conducive to it. Identifying the conditions in your home that make it a good place for mold to thrive and eliminating them is the key to preventing future fungus problems.

3 Conditions That Make Mold Thrive

1. Excess Moisture

Mold grows best in damp conditions. This is why it is commonly found in places that normally have a lot of moisture, such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and crawl spaces. A moisture problem from a leaking pipe, roof leak, flood or storm damage can create ideal conditions for mold growth in your home. If you have mold, one of the first steps to take is to look for water damage and repair the issue that caused it.

2. Food Sources

In addition to water, black mold and other fungi need a food source to survive. Indoors, mold tends to feed off of organic materials such as the wood in your moldings, wallboards and ceiling and dust and dirt on surfaces. Because it is nearly impossible to eliminate all the food sources, it is usually more productive to focus on reducing moisture.

3. Lack of Sunlight

Direct sunlight can kill the mold; however, indoor lighting does not have the same effect. Despite that, mold still prefers to grow in dark places, so it is particularly important to avoid damp conditions in the parts of your home that are also dimly lit. A mold cleanup specialist in Washington, NC, can help you identify the areas of your home where mold is most likely to be a problem.

Black mold and other fungi grow in places where the conditions are most conducive. Because moisture is the element most under your control, eliminating excess moisture in your home is one of the best ways to combat mold.