Back to Basics: Mold 101 (Part I) – An Introduction What is mold? Molds are fungi that thrive everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. They grow best in warm, damp and humid conditions. In fact, when conditions are right, mold can even grow in areas where humidity is low, such as Arizona. Molds reproduce by forming spores that are spread by air currents. Since mold spores are literally everywhere, there is no reliable and cost-effective means of eliminating them from human environments or creating a mold-free space. We can, however, limit mold growth by controlling the amount of moisture in our indoor environment. Mold needs four things to grow: • Mold spores • Nutrients: any organic substance such as wood, paper, gypsum board drywall • Moisture: water, condensation, or damp air (when the humidity is above 60%) • Appropriate temperatures – between 40 and 100 degrees No one knows how many molds or species of fungi exist. Some estimates range from tens of thousands to upwards of 400,000, although less than 100,000 have been named. There are approximately 1,000 types of mold found indoors across America. Less than 80 molds are suspected of causing some form of illness, and only a handful are considered toxic. Stay tuned for Mold 101
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:00:00 +0000
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