You have probably seen surface mold at least once in your life. As its name suggests, it is a type of mold that grows on organic surfaces. While most people encounter surface mold on outdated food, it can also thrive on wood, cardboard, and many other porous materials. Therefore, whether you rent or own property, knowing more about surface mold can help you protect your assets and your health.
Why Surface Mold Is Dangerous
When it’s left to thrive on a surface, mold will consume organic materials for nourishment, eroding them as it spreads. Before long, you might find it necessary to replace an entire wall or ceiling in your home or business.
Mold also releases spores that people and animals inhale. These spores contain mycotoxins, life-threatening compounds that can lead to acute poisoning as you inhale them. In isolated instances, they can cause severe respiratory symptoms among people with asthma or seasonal allergies.
Prolonged exposure to mold spores can lead to serious effects, including a weakened immune system, skin damage, cancer cell growth, and kidney disease, among other significant health conditions. Ultimately, enough of these spores and toxins can prove to be fatal.
What Conditions Promote Surface Mold Growth?
When you understand why and how surface mold grows, you can take steps to prevent it from appearing in common problem areas. Above all else, mold needs humidity and moisture to thrive. These conditions can arise anywhere on your property, but they’re most common in the following areas:
Cracked Foundations, Leaky Roofs, and Broken Walls
As organic material absorbs moisture, mold growth becomes more likely. Even a minor roof leak, for instance, can admit enough rainwater into your property’s interior to damage a variety of materials and foster mold growth. A leak can also occur as the result of a cracked exterior wall or missing siding. Watch for damp basement walls and flooding around your foundation.
Plumbing Leaks
Surface mold is usually easy to spot, but it can also grow in areas that aren’t readily visible. If a plumbing leak occurs inside your walls, mold can thrive and spread in these concealed areas. Watch for hidden signs of mold, such as soft or bubbling walls, and as soon as you suspect a leak, contact a plumber.
Attics or Crawl Spaces
These seldom-visited parts of your property have extremely high levels of humidity and moisture, making them ideal for mold growth. A lack of ventilation contributes to the problem by trapping moisture and stale air. Regular inspections will tell you when the humidity in your attic or crawl space becomes potentially hazardous.
Kitchen and Bathroom Moisture
You might not think about spotting mold in your bathroom and kitchen, but these rooms present the perfect conditions for mold growth. Taking a shower or cooking a meal creates steam. As it condensates, it coats the walls and cabinetry, making water damage far more likely. You’re likely to find surface mold on the edges of cabinet doors, in corners, or near plumbing fixtures.
Prevention Tips: Keeping Mold From Growing on Your Property
There are several steps you can take to prevent surface mold growth in and around your property. Start with its exterior; regular roof and foundation inspections will alert you to cracks and missing components. Change the soil grade around the structure and keep up with gutter maintenance to ensure efficient water flow.
Back inside, look for water stains on ceilings and walls. Regularly inspect your attic, crawl space, and basement for flooding or water damage, and work to improve ventilation in these areas (as well as your kitchen and bathroom) by installing exhaust fans. In your crawl space, consider encapsulation to prevent soil moisture from damaging the building’s structure. Sump pumps and improved drainage can protect against flooding in basements and crawl spaces.
When it comes to preventing wintertime mold, in particular, it is still something that requires year-round protection. Although winter heating tends to dry out indoor air, exposure to exterior moisture can still lead to mold growth. Avoid wearing wet footwear inside your home, and keep snow and ice from building up on your roof and in your gutters.
Recognize the Need for Professional Mold Remediation
You can clean minor mold outbreaks with a mixture of one cup of bleach and one gallon of water. Scrub the area and rinse thoroughly. Make sure to wear a face mask, gloves, and other protective gear, and work in a well-ventilated area.
More widespread or deeper mold growth often requires removing affected surfaces and replacing them, which means you’ll need remediation services. Professionals will know how to remove all of the mold from your property and safely dispose of moldy materials in the process.
Keep Your Property Mold-Free
It might seem as though preventing mold is an impossible endeavor, but a little diligence is all it takes. Routine inspections will tell you which spaces in your house or commercial building are prone to mold growth. Increasing ventilation and ensuring these areas remain cool and dry will help you avoid surface mold growth and its dangers.
A mold inspection from a professional can help you identify any existing issues. A professional can also offer a discerning eye on how effective your current setup will be at deterring mold growth. Mold remediation specialists know precisely what does and doesn’t work; their expertise can help you avoid mold.
