What causes the stuff?
Mold... what an awful word. There are four things that influence mold growth. But before we dive into those, realize that mold spores are ubiquitous (that fancy word we haven't seen since we took the SATs all those years ago -- it means mold is everywhere!). When we walk inside a house or building, mold spores on our shoes follow us in.
When we turn on the whole house fan on a summer night, mold comes in through the window.
Mold is in Antarctica and the Arctic. As long as we stay on plant Earth, we have mold spores around us.
So what can we do?
Well, there are four things mold colonies need to develop. And we know the first -- mold spores -- are readily available.
Molds are natures way of breaking down dead organic material. When branches or leaves drop in the forest, molds break them down and turn them to nutrients. But many building materials -- wood and drywall come quickly to mind -- fill the bill for molds, since the second thing required for mold growth is a food source.
Third, molds need the right temperature. Unfortunately, molds that thrive in houses or buildings like the temperatures we keep our thermostats set at.
So there isn't anything we can do about 3 of the 4 things needed for mold growth.
But we can control item #4: moisture.
Moisture gets into the house from a variety of sources: water intrusion, leaks, poor ventilation, living in the house (showers and cooking increase the humidity level)... even things like fish tanks.
Next time, we'll look at exactly how to control moisture in a house.
Thanks for reading!
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