Mold is a fungus that can grow anywhere that is warm and moist – and it can grow fast. It can enter your home through open doorways, windows, vents, heating and air conditioning systems. Or it can be carried from the outside in, by attaching to clothing, shoes, and pets. Once inside, mold can grow almost anywhere moisture accumulates.
Indoors, mold and mildew can not only damage or ruin things such as books and papers, clothing, furniture, carpet, photographs, artwork, etc., but they can actually damage the building itself, eating away at floors, walls, ceilings, insulation, and structural elements such as studs, joists, rafters, etc.
Damage to Building Materials
One of mold’s favorite things to eat is cellulose (anything originally from a plant such as wood or fiber). The combination of moisture and any sort of wood product, paper, paper-backed insulation, drywall, wood shavings. . . you name it and these organisms will digest, colonize, and reproduce on it – and damage or destroy it in the process.
Because these fungi eat away at the organic substances that make up many of these materials, it can cause structural damage to buildings, especially if it penetrates walls, drywall ceilings, or flooring, and gets into the studs or joists. The best protection against all types of mold is to keep things DRY. If an area of your home gets wet from a flood, a plumbing leak, a roof leak, a spill or constant high humidity, dry it out immediately and check for mold growth right away. If you notice or smell anything growing, test for mold and mildew as soon as possible.
While there are more than 100,000 mold species with varying effects on buildings and their inhabitants, any excessive mold growth needs to be taken care of – and the sooner, the better. Early detection through inexpensive mold testing, and immediate action to remediate the problem are the keys to preventing serious mold damage.
Mold grows quickly and destroys quickly. What starts as a small patch of mold or mildew in the corner of your bathroom can ruin the wall behind the tile and require replacing the entire tub surround, sometimes including the studs. A wet spot or a little bit of green mold on a basement wall can quickly do a lot of damage – much of it hidden. There are many stories of entire buildings that have been condemned because of mold that has eaten away at the very structure of the building and it is no longer safe to occupy.
Address Humidity Now
If a moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed, mold damage can occur at an alarming rate. A water stain on the ceiling or a section of loose bathroom tiles can indicate the presence of mold, but many times mold is more difficult to detect. Often mold damage is discovered either because of a persistent musty odor or the onset of allergies or other health concerns. By this time, an entire library of books or other precious possession could be lost, or a whole bathroom wall could be compromised.
Removal and Remediation
If you suspect you have a problem, we suggest a mold testing kit and then mold removal and clean-up as soon as possible to minimize mold damage which can start small and become severe quickly.
