Water damage is rarely an isolated event. It has widespread effects and can lead to long-term consequences if not cleaned up properly. One potential consequence that goes hand in hand with water damage is mold. As common as mold can be, many people don’t know as much about it as they think. Keep reading to learn four things you may not have known about mold.
It Starts Growing Fast
Mold is often associated with dank, rarely used spaces. Because it tends to hide away in dark corners, many people think that it takes a long time to start growing. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While mold prefers dark places, it actually can begin to take hold of damp materials in as little as 24 hours, with blooms often becoming visible within 48 hours. This is one of the many reasons that time is of the essence when it comes to dealing with water damage. The faster you get it cleaned up, the less likely you’ll have to deal with a major mold outbreak.
All Types Can Impact Health
If you’re like most people, you’ve heard of black mold and that it can be highly toxic. This type of mold is undoubtedly the most dangerous variety out there. However, it’s far from the only mold that can impact the health of those in your home. If the mold problem is allowed to get out of hand, any type of mold can affect your health. While the effects aren’t as dramatic as those brought on by black mold, all varieties of mold can cause respiratory health issues and flare-ups of allergy symptoms inside your home. Though it’s unlikely that most molds will hospitalize you (except, perhaps, for those with existing respiratory conditions) the health impacts of a mold infestation can undoubtedly impact your quality of life.
It Feeds on Host Materials
Mold can grow in many home building materials, ranging from drywall and carpet to wood. However, the mold doesn’t just live in these materials; it feeds on them. Mold breaks down whatever material it’s growing on, which means that untreated mold infestations can compromise the structural integrity of wood and drywall or cause your carpeting or carpet pads to deteriorate. Mold’s ability to decompose materials makes it extremely important in nature, but it’s certainly not something you want in your home.
Now that you know the dangers of mold, you can probably see why getting water damage cleaned up quickly is so important. Work with water damage experts in Lawrence, KS, to remove moisture rapidly so you can reduce the odds of a mold outbreak.
