How does mold grow? Well, how mold grows varies a little bit depending on what type of mold it is. There are more than one hundred different types commonly found indoors in the U.S. When it comes to mold growth, you need to understand that mold does not just appear somewhere; the proper conditions must be present for mold to grow and flourish. With the right conditions, one tiny mold spore can begin to grow and spread, and before you know it you’ll be faced with a huge amount of mold. It’s not easy getting rid of mold, either.
How mold grows best is with plenty of food and water. Don’t most living things grow best that way? And mold is a living thing. It’s a type of fungus. We’ll tell you more about the things mold needs to grow and thrive and we’ll also tell you a little bit about how you can stop mold growth in its tracks.
Mold needs moisture, a lot of moisture. In fact, moisture is the first thing many people think of when asked how does mold grow. The need for lots of moisture is why mold is often found in bathrooms; there is often a great deal of moisture in the air from the shower, and ventilation is often poor. If you’re wondering how mold grows in rooms with less moisture, there are some types of mold that need less moisture than others, but there must be a source of moisture in order for mold to grow.
The source of moisture must be removed if you want to get rid of mold, but simply fixing a leaky pipe or a leaky roof does not automatically kill all the mold that is already growing in the area. If materials such as drywall, floorboards, ceiling tiles or carpet have been soaked with water, those materials will remain damp for quite a while after you’ve fixed any leaks or otherwise removed the source of moisture and that will provide enough moisture for mold to continue growing.
In addition to moisture, mold needs something to feed on, a food source you might say. Mold can feed on all kinds of organic materials, including drywall, wood, cloth, paper and even dust. You’ve probably noticed how mold grows rapidly on some types of food, like bread. The mold is actually eating the food!
While you can eliminate or at least reduce the amount of moisture in your home, you can’t remove all possible food sources. You’d have to live in a stainless steel house and keep it dust-free at all times. That’s not going to work, of course, but knowing how mold grows well on certain materials allows you to know where to look for mold in your home. You might also want to avoid using certain materials in rooms that get a lot of moisture, such as bathrooms. Avoid carpeting bathrooms and mold might have less material to feed on, and it will also be easier to spot mold if it does begin to grow and to remove it quickly before it can spread.
We are often asked, how does mold grow so quickly? What started out as a small patch of mold under the kitchen sink or on the bathroom wall quickly becomes a huge patch of mold if you don’t deal with it right away. Mold spores generally reproduce quickly, although some forms of mold may grow more quickly than others. Mold usually grows faster in areas with lots of moisture and in areas where the temperature is very warm.
If you need more information about how mold grows, or more importantly, how to keep it from growing in your house, we recommend scheduling a free consultation with a mold remediation specialist. A specialist will come to your home at no charge, assess the situation, and let you know what needs to be done to prevent future mold growth and to remove any mold that is already growing. A specialist will also be able to locate mold in places you may not have looked, like inside walls or heating ducts. To find a mold remediation specialist in your area, just follow this link.