Temperature: Our homes offer a stable environment with the desired temperature that is very suitable for mould growth. Most moulds will develop between 4-45 degrees Celsius. Food Source: Since moulds break down organic matter, there are several organic materials in the home that offer the perfect environment for moulds to go to work. These materials include: • Paper materials including the front and back face of the drywall • Wood with limited processing – framing materials (2x4 or 2x6 etc.) • Wood processed – Plywood, OSB (oriented strand board) common wall and floor sheeting, Particle Board, MDF (mediumdensity fibreboard) common for furniture and cabinets • Soil in crawlspaces Moisture: Moisture is free water such as a leaks, condensation, or humidity. Condensation occurs when the air temperature is too great to hold the moisture. Within your home, this moisture is drawn toward the cold surfaces such as your windows or those cold corners that can exist in a home. Insulation can also create problematic moisture. A good way to test this out is by feeling the outside walls of your home. Then touch the inside walls (walls between rooms, etc.). Figure 2: Window frames and sills damaged from prolonged moisture exposure This is a small list of where issues can occur and serves as a reminder to look up, down and all around both the inside and outside of your home. If a leak does occur and a large amount of water is If the outside wall is cooler than the inside wall, this can produce a condensation point. Why? Typically, older homes have less exterior insulation than newer homes and this condensation can be found more often, usually in lower corners of bedrooms and in closets on outside walls, where air movement is less. The most obvious situations for mould growth we commonly think of are water leakages or back-ups. However, these are not the only causes of mould development. Some places where leaks commonly occur include (but are not limited to): • overland flooding (when your slopes toward your home) • waterline failures or leaks • sewer line back-ups introduced into your home, an important thing to consider is that mould starts to form within 24 – 48 hours after a water event. If the water from a sudden event can be dried before that 24-hour mark, the requirement for large amounts of material removal may be avoided. However, slow seepage leaks discovered later will require removal because of the extended period allowing for mould to begin growing. I N D I CA T I O N S O F M O U L D I N T HE H O M E landscape If you have discolouration on a surface, this may be an indication of a mould problem within your home. If you don’t have a visible indication but there is a musty or earthy odour, this may mean the mould is hidden, for example below a raised surface or within a wall cavity. It should be noted that just because you cannot see mould, does not mean it does not exist. Mould prefers organic materials. For example, mould on vinyl windows is usually growing on the • roof/wall/window leaks • grout and tile failures within shower areas
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