Theres No Water So Why Is There Mold
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Many people dont understand why their homes have a musty odor and contain mold growth. They havent had any water problems indoors, like leaking pipes, an overflowing washing machine, or flooding in their basement.
People dont realize that many mold species, including the highly friable and allergenic Aspergillus and Penicillium species, dont require liquid water to grow. Instead, they can get their moisture from the air when the relative humidity is high.
Structural Damage To Your Home
Spores and mold thrive on any type of organic, which means that virtually any structure or material within your home is at risk. Mold can create an expensive and bad-smelling mess that is expensive to resolve. Preventive efforts are always optimal. When left unattended, mold can cause damage that is great enough to collapse walls, floors, and ceilings. Though the extent of the damage will not happen overnight, it is important to act before mold growth even gets close to that point.
Ideal Humidity Levels In The Basement During Winters
Winter is also a time when humidity levels change because the air naturally holds less moisture. You should aim for a humidity level of around 40-50% during the winter months.
Since it is not possible to maintain humidity naturally in winters, use a humidifier for winters to increase the humidity levels.
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What Effect Can Relative Humidity Have On Mold Growth
When relative humidity is above roughly 60%, there is a risk of mold growth with risk really increasing when the RH exceeds 80%. Elevated relative humidity can also lead directly to condensation. When humid air is in contact with a cold surface, it can create moisture or condensation. Some surfaces can provide nutrients for mold growth, which is another important factor.
In Chicagoland, humidity can be a problem just about any time of year. Oftentimes we think about humidity during the winter months because the humidity levels are too low and the air feels dry. To improve comfort, some people will use a humidifier to add humidity to the air during the winter. But humidity is an area of concern during the summer months as well.
What You Need To Know About Indoor Humidity Levels
Indoor humidity levels are tricky because some moisture in the air is necessary for personal comfort and health. On the other hand, extremely dry air can cause health issues like asthma flare-ups, sore throat, eye irritation, nosebleeds, and dehydration. But on the other hand, high humidity not only helps mold grow, but it can also lead to poor indoor air quality.
Humidity causes common allergens to stay suspended in the air, such as pollen, dust, and, of course, mold spores. As a result, poor indoor air quality can lead to respiratory problems and issues for people with allergies.
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Take Care Of Your Plumbing
Your pipes can also add moisture into the air, especially if they have leaks or cracks. Be sure to have your plumbing checked on a fairly frequent basis, especially if you notice signs of leaks like lower water pressure.
You should insulate your cold-water pipes, too, to help reduce condensation from forming.
Did High Humidity Cause Mold In Your Home
Reaching ideal indoor humidity levels can help ward off mold growth, but it may be too late in some cases. If youve got mold growing in your home, GP Inspect can help. We offer mold testing, inspections, removal, and remediation services to Orange County, CA, homes.
Contact us today to learn more and schedule an initial inspection!
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Drying Buildings Building Materials And Furnishings
Buildings and building furnishings will often get wet. They must be dried or “allowed to dry” quickly in order to avoid mold growth. In general, increasing air circulation and temperature will increase the speed of drying.
Commercial firms that do mold remediation work or work on water- and fire-damaged buildings often use large fans, dehumidifiers and other equipment to dry wet buildings and items quickly before mold has a chance to grow. This action can save money in the long run, because if the building or furnishings are dried completely and quickly, mold will not grow, and a mold remediation will not be needed.
At What Humidity Level Does Black Mold Start To Grow
Black mold, also known as Stachybotrys chartarum, is a type of toxic mold that can start to grow at humidity levels above 60%. It needs high levels of moisture to grow, and it often grows on materials that are damp or have been water damaged.
Black mold produces mycotoxins, which are poisonous compounds. If you are exposed to them, it can cause several health problems, including asthma, respiratory problems, and even death.
If you think that you may have black mold in your home, it is best to get it tested by a professional. You can also test the humidity levels in your home with a hygrometer to see if they are too high.
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How Much Moisture Does Mold Need To Grow
If youve recently discovered a leak in your Boston home or office, you may be wondering if that wet spot on the floor is going to grow mold. Mold can spring up in as little as 24 hours after a puddle forms from a leaky pipe or A/C unit.
When in doubt, dont wait. Address the moisture issue immediately and contact the trained mold remediation professionals at My Pure Environment right away. We know all about how mold grows, what mold needs to grow, what temperature and humidity level mold grows at, and how to prevent mold growth in your home or office.
What Is Relative Humidity
Relative humidity is the actual amount of moisture in the air, relative to the maximum amount of moisture the air can hold. For example, if the air in your home is 50% RH, it is half full. You could double the amount of water vapor before condensation would occur. Relative humidity is directly influenced by temperature. If you take a given sample of air and heat it, the RH will go down. The opposite is true as well. If you cool the air, the RH will increase. This is because warmer air can hold more moisture.
Picture a cup half full of water. This represents a house at 50% relative humidity. The size of the cup represents the air and the water level represents the humidity. Lets say you increase the temperature in your home by 10 degrees. When you heat the air, it expands. I.e. the size of the cup expands. But heat does not increase the amount of moisture. It stays the same, regardless of the temperature. So as the size of the cup grows, the amount of water stays the same. Now the water only fills 1/3 of the cup. The relative humidity is now 33%.
What happens to humidity when you dont sufficiently heat your home?
The graphs below represent the dramatic change that occurs when you lower the temperature. The left side graph represents a home kept at 68F. If the air is cooled down to 58F , the RH sky rockets up to 77%. At this level, mold growth will occur on clothing, furniture, etc. If its an older home, youll almost certainly see mold growth on the exterior walls.
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Will Low Humidity Kill Mold
- Prevent Mold by Reducing Humidity. Many species of mold can begin to grow from humidity alone if the humidity stays high for long enough. In fact the humidity only needs to be higher than 55% before some molds can begin to grow. The best way to keep humiditylow in your home is through ventilation.
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Can Mold Cause Health Problems
Molds are usually not a problem indoors, unless mold spores land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing. Molds have the potential to cause health problems. Molds produce allergens , irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances . Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash .
Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people. Symptoms other than the allergic and irritant types are not commonly reported as a result of inhaling mold. Research on mold and health effects is ongoing.
This provides a brief overview it does not describe all potential health effects related to mold exposure. For more detailed information consult a health professional. You may also wish to consult your state or local health department.
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Determining If You Have Mold
| Spoiled oranges. |
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Common household molds have a characteristic musty or earthy smell, somewhat like the forest floor deep in the woods. Growing colonies of mold can also be visually observed in many cases. Most people are familiar with moldy bread or mold growth on cheese or other food products that have been kept too long, so the green fuzzy characteristic of most mold growth is familiar. And those who have lived in Florida have heard the expression green shoe syndrome which refers to the fact that mold is particularly fond of leather products left unused for periods of time in dark humid places.
| Note the pink splotch at the bottom-center of this photo. It is the telltale warning sign that there is a likely mold bloom behind the vinyl wall covering. |
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Although most active mold colonies appear greenish to black in color, the characteristics of mold colonies growing behind vinyl wall covering in buildings takes on very different characteristics. These mold outbreaks typically result in pinkish to yellowish staining of the wall covering. They are quite important because they indicate serious, detrimental moisture accumulations within the gypsum wallboard behind the wall covering that can not be removed by your air conditioning or dehumidification systems. Where these problems appear, they usually require the assistance of a professional equipped with pressure measurement and other diagnostic equipment to determine the source of the moisture causing the problem.
Understanding Relative Humidity And Mold: Causes Prevention And More
Frequently homes in which occupants are often suffering health symptoms due to mold exposure.
The most common effects are allergic responses from breathing mold spores, states the New York State Department of Health. We usually cannot say how much mold is too much as our reactions to allergens can vary greatly depending on individual sensitivity Less common effects of mold exposure include infections and toxic effects.
Small amounts of air contaminants arent a problem for most people. This is because the allergens that float in the air pollen, dust, pet dander, mold spores, and other compounds are dismissed as part of the natural environment. Some persons, however, are extremely sensitive to allergens.
It doesnt take much to make mold happy and multiply: It chomps down on dust, wood, paint, paper, cotton, or oil, among other things. Its attracted to modern building materials like drywall. And thats not all: Complex heating and cooling systems can worsen mold, especially if you suffer from allergies or asthma.
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People At Risk For Mold Related Conditions
Everyone is susceptible to experience symptoms because of molds, such as common allergies. However, there are some instances when the common symptoms can become dangerous, such as when someone suffers a severe allergic reaction. While molds are generally harmless, its always uncertain how molds react to another person.
Here are some who are primarily affected, and mold infestations can be dangerous to them:
- People with compromised immune systems because of conditions like HIV, cancer, liver diseases, and the like
- People with chronic lung disease.
How Do I Know If I Have High Indoor Humidity Levels
There are several key signs which indicate you have higher than ideal indoor humidity levels. If you have noticed several of these signs repeatedly in your home, there is a very high chance that you have a humidity issue:
- Foggy condensation on the windows
- Mildew-like smell, especially on fabrics
- Spots of mold growing on the walls
- Materials like wood or stucco easily crumble
- Paint chips off of the wall easily
- Intense allergies
- Excessive pests like dust mites or silverfish, a type of insect
- Difficulty sleeping due to night sweats
- Food left out goes bad quickly
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What Causes High Humidity Levels In A Home
If you do have humidity levels that exceed 60%, youll want to figure out the cause for it. Unfortunately, some factors cannot be controlled, such as the climate and weather. If the humidity outdoors is extremely high, the indoor levels will grow as well.
Poor ventilation and the homes construction can also lead to high humidity. If rooms are not well vented or sealed, air cannot move in and out of the home.
Some common everyday activities can also add more moisture to the air. For example, cooking, running appliances like dishwashers and laundry machines, and long, hot showers increase the amount of water vapor in the home.
Old HVAC units may also contribute to high humidity. These systems have evaporator coils inside, which pull humidity out of the air while it runs. If your system is not running at peak performance, it might cause high indoor humidity levels.
How Much Humidity Does Mold Need To Grow
Those who have seen mold problems in a home, or are battling it themselves, know just how destructive and gross it can be. Mold can warp drywall and make your bathroom an unpleasant place to relax. One way of controlling mold is to reduce humidity. However, you might wonder exactly how much moisture you should strip from the air, knowing that too low humidity can cause problems for your home and health too. The key question is: how much humidity does mold need to grow?
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What Can Cause High Relative Humidity Indoors
Air is not the same temperature throughout an indoor space. Therefore, its relative humidity will be higher when the air is cooler.
Basements are built below grade . The temperature of the Earth near the surface is naturally cave temperature around 55 degrees F so for much of the year, the concrete foundation walls and floor are generally cooler than walls and floors above grade.
Air that comes in contact with these surfaces can be cooled and, therefore, have a higher RH than air in warmer locations.
On days when neither the heating nor air conditioning is operating, indoor air will also have a higher RH when the windows are open, and the outdoor RH is high.
Relative Humidity And Mold On Cold Surfaces
When a high level of humidity hits the cold surfaces, it will cause water droplets that result in mold growth. For example, if you have been away from your home for some days, the mold might be welcome when you return. It can even form when you accidentally leave your AC on.
To avoid this, you can keep the cold surfaces dry by using a dehumidifier. You should also make sure that your home is well insulated and has proper ventilation to balance the humidity levels.
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Relative Humidity And Mold
May 29, 2020
One of the more interesting projects that Ive worked on in recent years involved a church and mold growing on the pew cushions of the sanctuary. The client was concerned not only about the mold, but how the mold managed to get there. Mold needs moisture in order to grow, but there wasnt a flood in the church. How was it able to grow? The answer elevated levels of relative humidity !
Can You Test Your Home Humidity Levels
Yes, you can test the humidity levels on your own fairly easily. A hygrometer is a device that measures the airs temperature and humidity levels. You can usually find these in a home improvement store. This device will give you a fairly accurate reading of the humidity level, along with the range over the past 12 hours.
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Mold Behind Bedding Or Couches
This is caused by a combination of poorly insulated exterior walls and excess indoor humidity. How to keep it from returning? The short term solution is to run the bathroom exhaust fan 24/7 and pull back the bedding from the wall, leaving a 3-4 air gap. Long term, replace the bathroom fan with a constant flow unit such as the Panasonic WhisperGreen.
How Does Humidity Affect Mold Growth
Lesson 3 Humidity Sometimes, humidity or dampness in the air can supply enough moisture for mold growth. Indoor relative humidity should be kept below 60 percent ideally between 30 percent and 50 percent, if possible. Low humidity may also discourage pests and dust mites.
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What Exactly Is Mold
Mold comes from tiny particles of fungi that cause the decomposition of many organic materials. It can grow on nearly anything from wood to even paint. Mold produces microscopic cells, also known as spores, which rapidly spread from the area of origin under the right conditions. For example, damp areas are prone to mold growth.
There are over 300,000 types of mold, but Florida most commonly has these three species: Aspergillus , Cladosporium , and Stachybotrys chartarum .
The impact of mold is unanimously negative. When it comes to health, mold can cause allergic reactions, asthmatic episodes, lung infections, and, in severe cases, neurological issues.
As for the impact on your home, it really depends on how quickly you catch signs of mold. A remedy can be a quick and easy fix or it can cost thousands in damages if it spreads to areas such as air ducts.
Thats why its so important to keep an eye on your Florida home while youre away with a home watch partner like Income Realty Home Watch! We can catch early signs of mold from the start and prevent the issue from spiraling.
