How many times have you noticed a moldy spot on the ceramic tile of your shower or bathtub surround? How many times have you thought you saw a dark moldy spot on your walls or ceilings? Chances are when you did you did not think it was an emergency of any kind and probably put off cleaning it until it was more convenient for you. This could be a really big mistake that you might end up wishing you had not made.



The thing about mold is that it is alive. It lives and grows where ever the conditions are appropriate to promote that life and growth. When the temperature is right and there is moisture it can form. If it forms on a surface that can provide food, it will continue to grow and spread. There are many things in a home where mold can start and thrive when left to its own devices. Paper, wood, sheetrock, some insulations, food, and textile fabrics are all perfect food sources for mold.

Improper ventilation can often cause mold to form in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, or attics. Outdoors, it can form on certain patio furniture or on any wood on the outside of the home if the conditions are right. When ever you find mold, no matter where it is, it must be eliminated as quickly as possible because it can start on the surface of some materials, but left to grow it will penetrate that surface and become internal mold.

A good example of when mold becomes internal is in sheetrock walls or ceilings. When the sheetrock is made with paper surfaces, when it gets damp and mold begins to grow on the surface, it will slowly make its way into the sheetrock and contaminate the entire product. Once it eats all the way through the sheetrock, if the wood behind it is damp also, it will move onto and into the wood as well. It will keep on growing and spreading until you have a major mold issue. This is why it is vital to kill mold as soon as it it spotted.

There is more attention than ever being given to the health hazards of mold. It makes people sick because the mold spores travel in the air and people breathe them into their respiratory systems. Mold causes allergies and illness in many people and in rare cases can even be deadly. Those with weak or compromised immune systems can be at higher risk of suffering from mold.

Today it is almost impossible to sell a home that has been found to have mold. This is because when the mold has penetrated many surfaces and has become internal, it must have the effected materials completely removed and replaced. This can cost thousands of dollars to have fixed and most home buyers do not want to purchase a home that is not healthy to live in.