Humidity and its Effects on Mold

When mold is mentioned, what comes to mind? It’s a scary word to most people and many questions arise. There are ways to prevent mold from happening and one simple way is paying attention to humidity in the home and around the home. Humidity and mold are directly related; humidity is the amount of water vapor present in the air.

Mold grows when it has a water source to feed off, this could be from any moisture within the home including high humidity. High humidity provides the ideal environment for mold growth. In the right conditions, mold can grow as fast as 24 to 48 hours. Conditions for mold growth are a food source (organic material like drywall), moisture, and an ideal temperature of 77 F – 88 F.

To monitor the humidity in your home, use a hygrometer (documents the humidity level), which can be found at most home improvement stores. Once you monitor, there are things you can do to control moisture and help reduce the potential for mold growth.

• Use a dehumidifier to control the humidity, keeping it between 30 – 60 percent.
• Changing the HVAC air filter regularly, every 30 to 45 days.
• Increasing ventilation by using fans, opening windows, and running your HVAC at a proper temperature.
• Venting moisture/generating rooms – like the kitchen and bathroom – to the outside.
• Using air conditioning and dehumidifiers (dehumidifiers do NOT kill mold, but they do help prevent it by reducing humidity).
• Pay attention to basements that might have a high humidity.

Getting rid of all mold spores from your home is nearly impossible. Mold stays “dormant” in the air on surfaces even when there’s no excess moisture to help it grow. If the humidity in a room increases, mold will start growing in patches on walls, clothes and more. Try to keep the humidity in your home below 40% to help with prevention.

If you think you have a water problem or mold problem call in the professionals at PuroClean Emergency Services. We can help with water cleanup and dry out after water damage. We also do mold remediation and are able to offer free estimates if you see mold growth.