Mold Prevention Science

Friday, October 18th, 2013

There are two types of mold: Visible mold and Invisible mold.

Mold that you can see is typically the fuzzy moss like growth people find on drywall, wood framing or on items in a closet. It is pretty recognizable, difficult to clean, and most importantly difficult to understand how it got there in the first place. Regardless of color and smell, mold can be dangerous! You should take caution and contact a professional who can help you decipher what is happening to cause visible mold growth in your home. Once mold has grown large enough to be recognized visibly, a much more serious moisture issues exists somewhere in the building envelope. The solutions necessary to properly correct this type of mold will always involve identifying the source of the problem- a leak, condensation or high relative humidity at the surface the mold is growing on.

Mold may be present in a home even when no visible growth signs are found, like in the typical dark wet areas (basements and crawlspaces). In fact, mold is present long before it “grows” big enough to be seen by the naked eye. The invisible parts of the mold fungi are carried through the air like tiny dandelion seeds, landing on the surface of many potential food sources. The truth about mold’s presence is a little surprising. It is a naturally occurring bio-organism, present throughout every environment we occupy. The invisible mold is actually the microscopic seed of the mold; unless the right conditions arise (i.e. moisture), we will never see it grow in our homes.

Tar Heel Basement Systems specializes in home mold prevention in Boone, Yadkinville, Winston Salem, Greensboro, Chapel Hill and their surrounding areas. To learn about how to prevent mold growth in your home, click here.