Mold can grow just about anywhere, in any room of any home, in any commercial building
some places are more susceptible to mold growth than others. By knowing where it can hide, you will be able to better spot it to eliminate it and prevent its formation.
In the following sections, we'll take a look at which areas of your home are most vulnerable to mold infestations.
Top spots for mold
If you are concerned about mold, pay special attention to these damp areas, as they are very conducive to the growth of mold.
- Basements: flooding, leaks, condensation, poor ventilation, etc.
- Kitchens: cooking, washing, inefficient exhaust fans, etc.
- Bathrooms: shower, steam, leaks, inefficient exhaust fans, etc.
- Attics: poor ventilation, poor air circulation, damaged roof, etc.
- Crawl spaces: leaks, water infiltration, poor ventilation, etc.
- Laundries: Washing, extractor fans, etc.
Despite your best efforts, mold problems are not always visible. This frequently will develop behind walls and ceilings, or under floors. This is especially the case when your home's foundation is cracked, if you have leaking pipes, or if you are facing any other type of water intrusion.
You should therefore also keep an eye out for mold in your drywall, rugs , curtains, wallpapers, plants as well as on the soil in your plants and on the food you eat.
Mold in the basement
One of the favorite places for mold growth is the basement . This area does tend to be very humid, especially if you have recently had to deal with flooding. Concrete floors in basements are ideal for mold growth, as are wall corners. As the soil is cooler than humid air, the latter will turn into condensation, and therefore moisture, which will be the source of mold.
Mold in a crawl space
The crawl spaces another great place for mold. It's dark, smells pretty bad, and probably full of spiders. So it is clearly not a place where you enjoy spending time. For mold, however, this is the ideal place to live, it will not be disturbed by the rest of the inhabitants of the house. Since you don't go there frequently, it can grow and spread without you realizing it. Your crawl space is usually dusty, so it will provide a source of food for mold, and damp, which mold needs to survive. Make sure you don't neglect the crawl space. Regularly, go inspect it, make sure it is clean, remove dust from it, and pay special attention to its corners, walls, ceiling and floor.
Mold behind walls or under floors.
Mold, on the other hand, can also grow in places you wouldn't notice it, such as behind your walls , under floors, in your ceiling and under your tiles. If you've had to deal with water damage, your walls and floors may be at risk, when you can't see anything!
How do you know what's going on behind your walls and under your floors? If you already have suspicions about a particular location, there is a do-it-yourself test to see if there is a vapor barrier, which is called the “doormat test”. Take a dry doormat, put it on the floor or attach it to the wall, and leave it there for a day or two. When you find the doormat, check its condition. If it is wet, or if there is condensation between the mat and the floor / wall, then you have no vapor barrier, and therefore run the risk of mold.
Mold in an air conditioner
Another good place for mold to develop is your air conditioning system. It produces a temperature difference and therefore condensation, while circulating air full of dust. If you have air conditioning, make sure you have anti-mold filters installed, and check them regularly for any signs of mold. If you find mold there, turn off the entire system, put on a mask to avoid breathing in these mold spores, and clean it thoroughly with a rag or vacuum and an anti fungal solution.
Mold in the bathroom
The last place you'll see in this article is the bathroom , which is also a great breeding ground for mold. If you don't clean it regularly, let the shower or the floors dry enough, and if you don't let air circulate during or after your shower, you are encouraging mold growth. The steam from your shower is the perfect vehicle for mold, so hot and humid. When you finish washing and close the door behind you, you're going to prevent that clammy air from escaping, making your bathroom smell like a wet towel while making it easier for mold to grow.
Why does mold grow?
Knowing where mold grows is important, but knowing how to prevent it is best. Let's take a deeper look at this, and explore the reasons why the basement, for example, is a problem area.
There are four main reasons why mold often grows in basements:
- Basements are more easily flooded
- Basements are not as well ventilated as the rest of the house, and therefore are more humid
- Basement walls are cooler, allowing air to condense, especially in summer
- Floors in basements are rarely fitted with vapor barriers or suitable insulation. Without it, the moisture accumulated in that room can move up to the rest of the house.