Indoor and Outdoor Mold

8/11/2018 (Permalink)

When thinking about mold growth and development most people associate fungi with things like bathrooms, sinks, other water-related household areas, and old food. The general population seldom links mold growth to the outdoors, but the truth is that mold grows both indoors and outdoors. In fact, mold lives on all kinds of outdoor materials like on plants, in the soil, and even on decaying matter. With thousands of different types of mold species, mold varies greatly in terms of type, threat, and identifying characteristics. It is important to note that every person is exposed to mold spores on a daily basis, coming from both inside and outside in the air they breathe.

There are a lot of different ways that mold begins to grow, as one of three main requirements are needed:

1. A water source
2. An organic food source
3. Humidity levels about 60%

Some of the most common sources of mold growth include:

• Roof leaks
• Sewer backups
• Condensation
• Flooding
• Blocked gutters
• Leaking pipes
• Damp crawl spaces
• Rain from storms seeping into exterior walls, doors, or window frames

Outside of visible evidence of mold, mold odor is often the most predominant sign that mold growth has occurred. Since mold spreads extremely fast, it is important to tackle the issue as soon as possible (preferably within days). As such, if your home is suffering from a mold problem, contact our mold remediation team immediately and we will send a professional to your property to assess the problem. Call SERVPRO today!