What is Mold?
Why Mold is a Serious Threat to Your Home's Indoor Air Quality
Mold often has a dusty, gritty appearance
Mold has become a serious issue in recent years -- the subject of lawsuits, closed schools, and the impetus for the growth of a "new" industry in the field of mold testing, prevention, and remediation.
With all this talk about mold, you might think it is new. It’s not, mold has been an issue for humanity for all time. But elevated mold concentrations in homes are. As home construction has become tighter and more regulated, conditions that favor the growth and proliferation of mold have also improved. Air-sealing a home without allowing for adequate ventilation can increase indoor relative humidity, supplying the moisture mold needs to thrive. In addition, water infiltration problems, such as plumbing or foundation leaks, will directly lead to the explosive mold growth in your home.
Mold in many forms is useful to us. The production of many foods, beverages, and antibiotics depends upon it. Exposure to high levels of mold in the home, however, can lead to serious health problems. Mold-related ailments include hay fever, allergies, asthma, and eczema, and irritations of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. For people with suppressed immune systems, it can be even worse, and possibly deadly. On our Mold Learning Center pages, you will learn about how mold spreads, how it can harm you, how it can damage your home, and how to keep it in check.
What is mold?
Mold is a living organism but is neither plant nor animal. It breathes, consumes food, and requires water to survive. A type of fungus (think mushroom), a single mold organism is very small (often microscopic). Unlike plants, mold does not derive energy from the sun, at least not directly. Instead, it feeds upon dead organic matter, including plants and animals.
Mold thrives in environments where we like to live, including structures made of organic materials, like our homes. It likes temperatures between 39 and 100° F., relative humidity between 70% and 99%, and is typically found in places that are damp or humid for extended periods of time. Basements and crawlspaces, for example, are prime real estate for mold colonies. Also known as Mould.
The good news is that Basement Systems offers proven mold solutions.
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