Water can equal mold

2/1/2019 (Permalink)

This past weekend a family had a flood in their bathroom which resulted in the findings of a lot of other issues. Upon removing the laminate flooring and particle board they found that the stagnate water had created mold!

According to www.buildingscience.com, mold needs water to grow; without water mold cannot grow. Mold also needs food, oxygen and a temperature between 40 degrees and 100 degrees F. Since mold decomposes dead organic (once living) material it can grow on wood, the paper facing on gypsum board (drywall) and other materials made from wood. Molds secrete digestive fluids that decompose the substrate, making nutrients available. Mold can also digest some synthetic materials such as adhesives, pastes and paints. While mold cannot get nutrients from inorganic material such as concrete, glass and metal, it can grow on the dirt present on these surfaces. Molds prefer damp or wet material. Some molds can get moisture from the air when the air is very damp, that is when the relative humidity is above 80%. The high humidity makes surfaces damp enough for mold to grow.

Without taking care of it properly mold can spread rapidly. Mold can grow by extension of hyphae that are like tiny root hairs. In this way, a small colony of mold can expand to cover many square feet of material. Mold can also make spores that are like very small seeds. Spores can survive conditions that are too sunny, hot, cold, dry or wet for mold to grow. When spores are released they can be carried by air or water to new locations. Some spores are so small that they are more affected by air currents than by gravity. When spores land on a damp surface that has food and oxygen available, and if the temperature suits them, they will start to grow. It is important to realize that mold spores are present everywhere, in outside air as well as indoor air – unless very special precautions are taken to remove or kill them.

If you have a fire, water, mold or asbestos disaster make sure to give SERVPRO a call right away. We are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.