What Causes Mold to Grow in Homes

No matter how much you loathe it, mold is found in almost every other home. Homeowners usually ignore mold until it becomes serious trouble. If overlooked for an extended period of time, mold can cause severe allergic reactions and respiratory diseases. Mold spores are present in the air and can quickly spread throughout your home. And once it spreads, mold can impact your health and undermine the structural integrity of your home. Now you may be wondering is there any way to control mold before it becomes a serious issue.

Before mold wreaks havoc in your home, you need to control the factors that are responsible for its growth. When you know what causes mold to grow and where it is commonly found in a home, you can at least minimize the severity of its damage. There are several reasons that cause mold to grow rapidly. And even if you can’t see it growing, possible it is breeding at some hidden area of your home. But if you find out the cause of mold growth, you can figure out ways to mitigate it from your home. In this post, we have listed the most common causes of mold growth to help you control these factors and prevent mold issues.

Leaks

The major cause of mold growth is moisture. So if your pipes or roof is leaking, you can’t avoid a mold problem. When water leaks from pipes, it becomes the breeding ground for mold. Sometimes, the leaks may also remain undetected because they are hidden out of view, like inside a wall. When this happens, mold might also remain hidden. Also, sometimes the roof gets damaged and leaks into the attic which leads to mold growth. To control moisture issues, make sure to regularly check for leaks and keep an eye on the ceiling below the attic.

Humidity

If you live in a humid climate, your home is most likely to get infected by mold spores. Also, if your home is poorly ventilated it can create humidity which also results in mold growth. When the humidity in the air is high, you might notice mold starting to grow in your home. Whether you live near the coast or experience rainfall for several days, mold can become a recurring problem for you. You can avoid this problem to some extent by using humidifiers for removing the moisture from the air.

Flooding

The aftermath of flooding is mold growth. This happens because mold can grow on a suitable surface if it remains wet for 24 hours. And if you’ve suffered flood damage, your house will remain wet for a long time. When you experience flooding, make sure to remove flood water from your home as soon as you can. If you don’t clean up the water and dry the area, you’re putting your home more at risk of being infected with dangerous toxic molds. Also, damp and humid basement are at higher risk of mold growth. And sometimes, even minor cracks in your foundation can allow water to enter your home over time. All of these factors are responsible for mold growth.