Although molds grow on dead organic matter everywhere in nature, their presence is only visible to the unaided eye when mold colonies grow. In artificial environments, humidity and temperature are often stable enough to foster the growth of mold colonies, commonly seen as a downy or furry coating growing on food or surfaces. Thus buildings, being stable environments, enable mold proliferation.

Some mold can begin growing at temperatures as low as 2°C. When conditions do not enable growth, molds can remain alive in a dormant state, within a large range of temperatures before they die. Dead or alive, mold can have harmful effects on people. Live mold can have harmful effects on building material. Water intrusion or leaks, the presence of mold, or smelly, musty odors should be addressed immediately. In all instances, the source of moisture must be stopped and the extent of water damage evaluated by a specialist.

Spores need three things to grow into mold:
(1) Nutrients: Food for spores in an indoor environment is organic matter, often cellulose.
(2) Moisture: Moisture is required to begin the decaying process caused by the mold.
(3) Time: Mold growth can begin in as little as 24 hours from the provision of the growing conditions. There is no way to date mold.

Mold colonies can grow inside building structures. The main problem with the presence of mold in buildings is the inhalation of mycotoxins. Molds may produce an identifiable smell. Growth is fostered by moisture. After a flood or major leak, mycotoxin levels are higher in the building even after it has dried out.

Food sources for molds in buildings include cellulose-based materials, such as wood, cardboard, and the paper facing on both sides of drywall, and all other kinds of organic matter, such as soap, dust and fabrics. Carpet contains dust made of organic matter such as skin cells. If a house has mold, the moisture may be from the basement or crawl space, a leaking roof, or a leak in plumbing pipes behind the walls. Insufficient ventilation can further enable moisture build-up. The more people in a space, the more humidity builds up. This is from normal breathing and perspiring. Visible mold colonies may form where ventilation is poorest, and on perimeter walls, because they are coolest, thus closest to the dew point.

If there are mold problems in a house only during certain times of the year, then it is probably either too airtight, or too drafty. Mold problems occur in airtight homes more frequently in the warmer months (when humidity reaches high levels inside the house, and moisture is trapped), and occur in drafty homes more frequently in the colder months (when warm air escapes from the living area into unconditioned space, and condenses). If a house is humidified artificially during the winter, this can create conditions favorable to mold. Moving air may prevent mold from growing since it has the same desiccating effect as lowering humidity.

Who is at greater risk when exposed to mold?

• Infants & Children
• Elderly
• Pregnant women
• Immune compromised patients (People with HIV infection, cancer, chemotherapy, Liver disease, etc.)
• Individuals with existing respiratory conditions, such as allergies, multiple chemical sensitivity, and asthma

Property Damage . . .
Eventually, mold destroys whatever it grows on. It can ruin furnishings, destroy cabinets and cause serious damage to the structural elements in your property. If mold becomes established in the wood in your home, 'dry rot' may form. When the mold dies, the wood dries and then shrinks, breaking up into irregular chunks. Cracks in the wood fiber then act like straws, siphoning up moisture and carrying it to undamaged portions of the wood. Left unchecked, this process keeps recurring, continually rotting more wood, and can cause severe structural damage to your home.