The Most Common Factors Associated With Mold Growth And Where To Look

Aug 28
21:22

2011

Kelsey Libby

Kelsey Libby

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Black mold, a common household pest, is a toxic and potentially dangerous fungus. Because it is often hard to distinguish between regular mold and black mold, it is best to treat all mold growth as a threat. Further, it is important to understand the warning signs and symptoms of black mold, both on your home and on your health.

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Black mold can be a fatal problem if not taken care of. However,The Most Common Factors Associated With Mold Growth And Where To Look Articles it is better to take preventive measures rather than waiting for it to occur and then seeking for cure. Following are the factors that can cause mold to grow in your surroundings.

Humidity

It means the percentage of water content in the air is a vital nourishing factor for molds. It favors the growth of black mold. If the relative humidity level is greater than 55 percent, your indoor environment has the perfect conditions for the promotion of its growth.

Flooding

Black mold also gets favorable growth conditions after an area is flooded. What makes flooded areas more immune to such hosts is that draining them out can take days and that gives it sufficient time for growth.

Leaky Roofs

The water stains that commonly occur in apartments should be alarming enough. A check should be kept in the upper flows for signs of water leakage or pipe damage.

Humidifiers

The use of humidifiers can be dangerous if it is abused. So, if you have some humidifiers at your place, ensure that your relative humidity (RH) level remains within sixty percent. To ensure this, installation of a relative humidity sensor is required. One of the best humidity sensors switches off the humidifiers itself if the relative humidity level exceeds the limit. Thus, black molds can be avoided.

Damp Spaces

Such spaces are often ignored during the daily cleaning of the house and are considered nothing more than storage places. However, it is such places that have cooler temperature. This means condensation. Obviously, condensation being the source of water droplets favors mold growth.

Houseplants

The more plants you have, the more you will water them. The more you water them, the more of the water would be evaporated. The more the process of evaporation occurs, the more the amount of moisture will enter your environment. Thus, it will provide favorable conditions for black mold.

Fading Wall Paint

If you see your wallpaper peeling out, it is not because the tape wasn't good enough. The water seeping through your walls is always the major reason.

Blocked Gutters

Indoors drying appliances: Appliances that generate steam if placed inside the house can affect the relative humidity level. Once it shoots, the prevention of such colonies becomes tough. So, placing such appliances outside might do the trick.

Bathrooms

This is no accumulation of dirt; it is pure colony of fungi, and proper measures have to be adopted in order to relieve oneself from it.