Several factors create the “perfect storm” for mold infiltrating your home:
Mold Spores
Moisture
Warmth
Oxygen
Darkness
Mold Food
Time (24-48 hours)
Spores are microscopic seeds that mold releases into the air to “go forth and multiply.” They float around unseen and have no trouble at all getting into your home. They go right through an open window or the HVAC air takes. You can even carry them in on your clothes. Or they use your pet for transportation. It doesn’t matter how they get in—there really is no stopping them. Once in, they then search for moisture, first and foremost, and the odds are high that they will find it: Maybe with the high humidity or leaky faucets, pipes, roof. You might have water-damaged building materials. There are wet towels or clothing lying around. Shower walls weren’t dried, spills not wiped up. Once the need for moisture is satisfied, our homes provide the warmth, air, dark places and that yummy food supply: drywall, wallpaper, wood, materials, and the like. All spores need is a day or two to develop and, just like that, you have mold!
