Understanding The Speed Of Mold Growth
There can be many reasons for a house experiencing excess water. More trouble than you ever bargained for can be the result of a leaky roof, burst pipe, or some type of flooding. Excess water in your home can ruin household items such as clothing and carpeting, destroy appliances and electronics, or possibly even compromise the building’s integrity. But wait… there's more! Before you know it, inside your home, mold growth quickly begins. This will make the entire restoration process costlier, harder, and longer, because it increases the damage.
Water Damage and Mold Growth
Maybe you’re thinking, because there was only a limited amount of water present, considerable damage won't be caused. That's a great thought but unfortunately, an indoor mold problem can arise from moisture accumulation of any size. The problem is that, within the environment, molds spores already exist. They need but to be supplied with the right conditions – moisture and organic "food" – and they can develop quickly.
Organic "Food" for Mold
Within your home, porous, organic materials – “mold food” – is plentiful. This can include paper products, paint, insulation, drywall, and more. Add a little bit of moisture and voilà – mold can grow. High humidity or a couple of inches of water is all that is needed to begin the process. Mold can start developing in just a couple of short days and your property becomes damaged.
What can you do? To avoid mold problems, before it has a chance to start developing, you'll need to eliminate moisture.
Mold Growth Times
For mold to germinate and grow, it takes approximately 24 to 48 hours under optimal conditions. Colonization of mold spores can happen in 3 to 12 days, and in about 18 to 21 days, mold becomes visible. Now, the actual conditions in your home and the type of mold being referred to can have an influence on these times. Also influencing growth times can be the ambient temperature, the amount of moisture, specific household materials in question, the type of surface, etc. Regardless, as more time goes by, mold development stands a greater chance of spreading throughout your house.
When Mold Spreads
When a moist, organic material presents a mold spore with a landing field, it roots itself there and begins to feed. It only takes a few hours for mold to spread. Mold quickly fills the air once it gets a foothold in your home. Spreading throughout the building, thousands of mold spores quickly fill the air. With every passing hour, more and more areas are affected.
Following a water damage incident, to prevent mold infestation in your house, within 48 hours after water intrusion, the premises must be dried.
From the time that water enters your home until the time mold grows, that 48 to 72-hour window shuts quickly. Don't let excess moisture destroy your happy home by promoting the growth of mold.