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Mold Products

What Causes Mold?

In order to begin growing mold requires three things: spores, moisture and an organic food source. All fungi produce spores in order to reproduce, and since fungi (molds, yeasts) have been around for millions of years, there are always mold spores floating around in the air – indoor and outdoor, regardless of efforts to be rid of them. Mold spores can never be eradicated in their entirety from any area, and since they’re microscopic, they can travel anywhere with very little support from their environment. Like dust, mold spores are all around us. With this in mind, your best chance of prohibiting mold growth is through the control of moisture.

Where can mold grow?
Fungi can grow on anything that’s living or was once living. When mold spores (microscopic “eggs”) find a source of moisture they absorb as much of it as they can, swell to many times their original size, and begin to sprout hyphae (root structures). The hyphae begin to dissolve organic based material around them to feed the spore in its growth into mold, and literally eat the surface it begins to grow on. Given enough moisture and time, mold can eat away at a house until it’s no longer structurally sound. Mold can grow in nearly any environment. Some molds can withstand extreme heat and cold, and though most molds grow best in humid climate, some molds, known as dry rot, can grow well in low humidity. Mold can even grow inside human beings and animals.

What can I do to prevent mold?
A home free of mold growth and excess mold spores takes simple, basic maintenance. Areas like bathrooms, showers, kitchens, etc. where moisture accumulates need to be well ventilated and cleaned on a regular basis so that mold has no chance to begin growing. The entire house should have adequate ventilation so that air cannot become stagnate and humidity cannot condensate. Every house should have a dehumidifier, and in many cases, a full house dehumidifier should help to keep humidity down to a decent level in even some of the most humid places in the country. Roof leaks, water pipe leaks, sewage backups, etc. should be repaired, cleaned up and dried entirely within 24 hours before mold has a chance to begin growing.

Never paint, put up wall paper, install insulation, drywall or cover up mold problems in any way. Mold needs to be addressed by stopping the moisture source. The existing mold then needs to be treated completely with a fungicide until mold testing can be performed without finding viable mold or mold spores. Bleach should not be used to kill mold, as it cannot reach the roots of mold, and it’s not really an effective killer of surface mold. Click here to read the bleach myth.

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