What Causes Black Mold To Grow
What Conditions Cause Black Mold to Grow In Colorado?
Just like anything else, black mold has a context. It doesn’t spring up out of nowhere, and it doesn’t happen in every home. However, it can happen to any home — under the right conditions? That’s why homeowners have to be vigilant to ensure that black mold doesn’t grow when disaster arises
But what conditions cause black mold to grow in Colorado?
The Basics
In terms of flourishing, mold is much like any other living organism: it needs the proper nutrients, and it needs water, or at least, moisture. Unlike most plants, black mold doesn’t need sunlight and thrives best when kept away from light. It can begin to grow after the proper conditions have been set for about 24 hours, though it might not be obvious until days or weeks after the fact. Those proper conditions boil down to three things: moisture, warmth, and food.
Moisture
There’s a reason why black mold tends to grow after a flood, leak, or other forms of water damage: black mold needs moisture in order to survive. High moisture levels in a home can be a perfect breeding ground for mold. Problems with your HVAC system could cause humidity in your home, or leaky pipes could dampen the walls or ceiling of your home. Window condensation can also cause moisture along the nearby walls that could become inviting for mold. If your home has recently been flooded, you’re especially at risk of mold.
Warmth
Mold grows mostly in summer when it can thrive off the heat as well as damp. This is why homes in coastal areas are more susceptible to mold, where the water nearby can lead to heavy humidity. Mold usually needs temperature somewhere between 40 and 100 degrees in order to really thrive. The problem is no one’s likely to have their home cooler than 40 degrees — and for good reason — so temperature can be difficult to control.
Food Source
Mold will only feed off of organic materials. Unfortunately, you’re surrounded by mostly organic materials. It’s not just rotten food in your fridge or pantry. The wood that holds up your home, your walls, and your insulation all provide a feast to help mold spores grow and spread. There isn’t much you can do to prevent this, other than throw out food the moment it goes bad, watch the moisture levels in your home, and look out for mold.
Mold typically grows in dark corners, inside walls or otherwise out of sight. You may not notice it by sight right away. Pay attention for a musty smell or signs of water damage in your home, and if you think there’s a chance your home might have mold, contact a professional right away.