Where does Mold Grow.

1/5/2015 (Permalink)

Mold growth on a ceiling ion a home in Honesdale, Pa.

If you have mold on the walls in your home then it's usually easy to remove. If the wall is non-porous then you can simply wipe the mold away using a wet cloth. You can also use a mold killing product if you like.

However, if the wall is porous, such as unpainted drywall, then you will usually need to cut away the wall where the mold is growing. This is because mold grows inside the material, instead of just on the surface, and so you can't remove it completely. 

Mold on Drywall Walls

Because drywall is a substance high in cellulose, it is one of the most common materials mold grows on in the home. As there is no practical way to completely remove mold from drywall, you will have to cut out and dispose of any drywall you discover which has mold growing on it.

Mold Growing Behind Walls

Mold commonly grows out of sight behind walls in the wall cavities. These spaces often contain pockets of humid, moist air. Mold can also grow hidden behind wallpaper. Wallpaper glue can hold organic debris, which can then become a food source for mold growth.

To find hidden mold behind walls you need to use invasive inspection methods and, optionally, mold testing. It's best to talk to a professional mold specialist in this case.

Mold on Ceiling

If you see mold on the ceiling in your home then you probably have a humidity or condensation problem. It is also possible that the mold is caused by a water leak above the ceiling. 

Like with mold on walls, if the ceiling is made of a non-porous material then you can usually just wipe the mold away with a wet cloth. You can use a mold-killing product like bleach if you like too.

If the ceiling is made of a porous material though, like unpainted drywall, then you may have to cut away the material where the mold is growing since the mold has probably grown inside the material.

Mold Growing Above Ceiling

Just as mold grows behind walls you can also sometimes find mold growing on the other side of ceilings. Mold colonies growing above ceilings are usually fed by water from a leaking roof.

For clues that mold could be growing above the ceiling in your home look for signs of water damage in the ceiling. Small patches of mold growth visible from under the ceiling can be a sign that there is a large colony of mold on the other side.

Mold in Floor

Mold can grow beneath the floor in your home just like it grows above ceilings and within wall cavities. Dirt and dust, which fall under the floor, become trapped, along with moisture, leading to perfect conditions for mold growth.

Tiles and especially carpets trap large amounts of dust and can become a haven for mold growth. Carpets hold moisture particularly well, taking a long time to dry out, which means they can very easily foster mold growth if there are spilled liquids, water leaks or floods.

Mold in Insulation

Insulation can be a reservoir for mold. Any insulation, which you can see exposed in your home, should be checked thoroughly for mold, especially if there was once a water problem in that particular room, or if there was once mold growth anywhere in the room. Even if the insulation looks clean at first glance make sure to thoroughly examine and inspect it.

If you do end up finding any mold in the insulation inside your home you will have to remove and replace the affected insulation as it will be impossible to completely clean all the mold out from it.

Mold in Air Ducts and HVAC

Unseen mold could also be lurking in vents; ducts, air conditioning and heating systems in your home so don't forget to check inside these areas when you're looking for mold.

Mold on Clothes

Mold can grow on the clothes in your home if they've been left wet for a long period of time. Clothes sitting in a wet pile for more than a day after being washed, or damp clothes left wet for more than a day while waiting to be washed can become moldy.

Mold Growing in Basement

Out of all the rooms in the house the basement is usually the most likely to contain mold growth. Because the basement is usually lower than any other room in the house it is often damp from water leaks flowing down into it. The cold temperature of the basement can also create a lot of moisture from condensation. To add to this basement is often dark, is rarely attended and the air in the basement is usually stagnant from poor ventilation.

Mold often grows on the wooden walls, posts or building frames in a basement. From there mold can spread along the wood and up into the other rooms of the house. Over time the mold can also weaken the frames and beams, which it grows on and slowly eats away at.

To check if there's a mold problem in your basement look for signs of water or dampness. Also if flooding has occurred or there are water leaks in or near your basement then there's a high chance mold could soon begin to grow.

SERVPRO of Carbondale/Clarks Summit/Old Forge is Northeastern Pennsylvania's leader in mold remediation. We proudly serve all of Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne and Wyoming Counties.