How does mold grow?
Mold seeks MOISTURE, WARMTH, and FOOD, and all three conditions are necessary for it to grow. Mold is most likely to find a place to grow in a bathroom, basement or kitchen, but it can grow in other rooms if conditions are favorable. The climate where you live and the living habits in your household can affect the ability of mold to grow.
Mold spores can thrive and reproduce in wet or damp parts of your home: areas that have had flooding or where leakage has occurred in roofs, pipes, or walls, or areas around house plants, especially ones that sometimes are over-watered. In just 48 hours, a moist environment combined with room-temperature conditions and an organic food source can lead to mold growth.
Where mold can grow in your home:
 carpet drapes upholstery leather
|
paper cardboard books rags
|
ceiling tiles ductwork paint wallpaper
|
After it gets the food it needs, mold can move to virtually any kind of surface. Mold prefers temperatures between 40 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If a warm enough area in your home is humid or damp and contains items that mold likes to eat, your home could develop a mold problem.
Related Posts
About The Author
Brian
Ex Mold removal guy, Over 20 years of experience removing all types of mold.
Lots of useful tips about mold that I needed to know.
I had to take care of a mold problem in my roof recently. It has been leaking for years and when we opened it up, I couldn’t believe how much there was. There was definitely enough moisture, warmth and food for it to thrive. After getting it treated, I hope that I don’t have any more problems again in that area.
Hi, I am a 5th grader. I was wondering If I could have your last name because I am using u as a source in my science project about mold.
Hi Josh,
My last name is Harris, i am happy you found this helpful.
If I have had a basement leak which has been stopped and is now dry does any mould that may have started still grow on the inside of the drywall that is now dry or does it possibly go dormant?
Hi Diane,
Mold can’t grow without moisture so if you dried the affected areas effectively anything that may have started when wet should stop. but keep and eye out for any just in case and a nose out too.
hi brian i am woundering how mold grows can u maybe help me? thx, kathy
I am looking for helpful sorces for mold information! If anyone knows any, please reply to this!!!
I bought some leather furniture with down cushions. It did not smell when we looked at tit o buy, or when we moved it into our home, but within a day to 48 hours, the apartment wreaked of mildew & Mold. Can you explain how this would/could happen without noticing it before. Can the furniture be saved? We have sprayed mold control al over it, put it in the sunshine & am waiting patiently for a miracle. The cushions are bad & we took them to a dry cleaners who said they could do some slow process. I am unsure if anything will do the trick. Can you give us any advise on this issue. The landfill is looking like the only answer.
Thanks, Sherri
Hi Sherri,
It is possible to save the sofa.
Hopefully the mold issue wasn’t too bad and a good time in the sunshine should dry things out and get rid of the majority of the smell.
This is only theory though i would have to see the extent of the problem first.
Let us know how you got on could help others that have this issue.
We let the furniture sit outside for 3 days, no let up on the mildew/musty smell. Had to be tossed in the dump. What a shame.
Thanks for your support.
Hi Brian,
I found mold in a upstair linen closet on the bottom part of the wall and baseboard. In my dining room, on the first floor, there was mold on the inside wall and also on my dinning room hutch, inside the dining room closet was mold all over the walls and ceiling too. I had the wall removed and was surprised to see no mold. I have had an inspector, fireman & contractor check it out and they all seem perplexed. What do you think or recommend I do. I hate to keep removing walls only to find that there is nothing behind them. Thanks
I’m not sure if you got my comment. I have found mold in a upstairs linen closet on the bottom part of the walls and baseboards. Also on the first floor on a inside wall, I found mold on the bottom part of the dining room wall and also all over the back of my hutch. The closet in the dinning room had mold all over the walls and ceiling. So I had the closet walls removed and was surprised to see no hidden mold behind the wall. I have had a fireman, inspector and contractor all take a look at it and they none of them can figure out why this is happening. any advice?
I own a property that I rent out. downstairs we have a shower room. it is not the main bathroom. just over 2 years ago we had this shower room stripped back to brick, re-plastered, treated with a waterproof lining, tiled and then a ventilation system put in rather than the small window.
My tenant disconnected the ventilation system last year.
My tenant then declared a month ago that they had a mould problem in the shower room and it was making her son ill.
we have been round twice to assess this mould but not been allowed in to see it.
today she had held back all but a few pounds of rent stating that her son is now seriously ill due to this mould. in fact he can´t breath. he could die and its my fault. so apart from allowing us in to have vent put back into working order, if this mould actually exists what is the best way to treat it.
we lived in that house for 5 years before the shower room was renovated and didn´t ever see a spot of mould
how can i destroy mold with magic
If finding mold on clothes would that means your house have mold everywhere it a house but u live in the basement…
Can mold grow under a tile floor that may have gotten moisture from a flood?
Question – Does mould spread upwards, or downwards or does it spread in all directions?