4 Elements Mold Needs to Grow
We all know what mold is, but do you know how it develops? Knowledge is the key to understanding how you can prevent mold from growing in your home. Four needs must be met for mold to grow.
- Spores or seeds of mold
- Temperatures between 32- and 110-degrees Fahrenheit
- Food or organic material
- Water or high humidity
With these four elements of mold growth, what can we control to stop the growth?
Starting with mold spores, the reality is they are everywhere. These spores are not noticeable to the human eye, but they are indeed everywhere. Unfortunately, this isn’t an element that can be controlled.
The temperature range is also something that we can’t really get away from unless you’re ready to turn your home into a sauna or freezer, probably not this element either.
Food is a controllable element that homeowners can take advantage of, especially in the basement, by removing all organic materials. To eliminate as much organic material as possible, you should look to the basement flooring, walls, and trim. An organic material means that the material was once living like wood. This material is harmful because it is susceptible to mold growth when water is present.
Now the pesky element, water. As we all know, water can lead to severe damage and finding a water leak in your basement is the last thing you would ever want to see. Water is an element that can be tamed with the proper prevention products, but not completely controlled. This is why Team Woods recommends taking all organic materials out of the basement in case a pesky water leak is able to sneak in. Waterproofing your basement with inorganic materials is the optimal solution to keep mold out of your home.
Are you interested in learning more about waterproofing? Check out our patented products here.