Believe it or not, more than half of American homes have an active mold problem. When left untreated, that mold can lead to severe upper respiratory issues, putting your family at risk. Though it’s possible to clean and remove mold once and for all, it’s far better to prevent it in the first place. But you can’t do that if you’re stuck asking yourself, “where does mold come from?” If you don’t know, don’t panic. Here are a few of the most common causes of mold and what you can do to prevent mold growth from happening at all.

Leaks in the Roof

Mold thrives in damp and humid places, and anytime you have an active leak in the roof, mold can grow. Unfortunately, it’s hard to detect roof leaks before the damage gets severe. This means mold has plenty of time to grow and spread long before you think to call a roofer.

Fixing the roof leak will keep more damage from happening, but you’ll still need to get a professional mold remediation specialist to get rid of the mold spores for good. The best way to prevent mold from roof leaks is to schedule regular roof inspections and stay on top of maintenance tasks. If you notice missing shingles, get them replaced to protect against water intrusion. If you have dirty gutters, clean them out to allow water to drain off your roof quickly.

These simple tasks will extend your roof’s life and help to keep your home mold-free in the first place.

Poorly Ventilated Bathrooms

Every type of human activity produces humidity. Your breath carries moisture into the air. Running the sink increases the humidity of the room, and bathing steams up small spaces in no time flat. All that moisture creates the perfect conditions for mold to grow in the space. And it can grow on almost any surface.

Take a look around your bathroom. If you notice discoloration on the walls, in tile grout, and inside your cabinets, it’s probably mold. The best way to prevent the mold is to run the ventilation fan anytime you’re using the bathroom. For most bathroom mold issues, regular cleaning will be enough to control it, but if you’ve let the issue go for months on end, you may need a mold removal service to help.

Too Much Insulation

Believe it or not, it is possible to have too much insulation in your home. When this happens, air can’t circulate from outside and moisture can’t escape through the walls. Even worse, the insulation traps heat with the moisture, creating the perfect breeding ground for mold growth.

If there are spores in the air, they’ll grow quickly and spread throughout the attic. The best way to prevent the damage is to work with a roofing contractor and get your insulation levels assessed. If you have too much insulation, they’ll be able to remove some and restore the proper airflow levels to the space. This results in a properly ventilated attic that allows heat and moisture to escape throughout the year.

Darkness

Mold grows fastest in dark spaces. This is because the sun’s UV rays kill spores before they can start growing.

If a room doesn’t get enough direct sunlight, mold can spread quickly. Periodically check rooms that don’t get a lot of direct sunlight. These can include the basement, laundry room and even storage closets. If they feel overly humid, it’s only a matter of time before mold starts to grow.

Your best bet is to make sure the spaces stay as dry as possible. If you have a sump pump in the basement, make sure it’s working properly. This will reduce humidity levels in the basement and makes the environment less ideal for mold and mildew in the first place.

Leaky Pipes

Unfortunately, leaky pipes can happen anywhere in your house, and it’s hard to detect them when the damage is minor. That means they can do extensive damage to your house long before you even notice the problem.

It’s not uncommon for leaky pipes and water damage from them to lead to mold growth inside the walls. Once it starts, the mold can spread throughout the sheetrock and wooden supports. Keep mold from leaky pipes at bay by having your plumbing inspected every year. As pipes age and deteriorate, you may need to replace them to keep your home safe and dry.

If you do have a leak that’s led to a mold problem, schedule a professional cleanup immediately.

Excessive Condensation

Condensation happens when hot air hits a cold surface. It can happen anywhere in the house, not just the bathroom.

When condensation is severe, it can lead to pools of water around windows, doors, and soak into the materials, creating long-term damp spots. These spots become the ideal habitat for mold growth. Whenever possible, try to keep condensation to a minimum. Open windows to let out humidity, circulate the air inside your house with fans, and invest in weather stripping to keep cold drafts outside where they belong.

If mold grows as a result of condensation, it should be easy to spot. Look for dark specks along the surfaces of your home. In most cases, you can clean the mold away with a diluted vinegar solution.

If the problem was not caught right away, you may be better off calling a mold remediation company. The last thing any homeowner wants is a continual mold problem popping up whenever the weather conditions are right.

Answering the Question, “Where Does Mold Come From?”

If you’ve been asking yourself “where does mold come from” as you notice dark patches of it around the house, you’re not alone. Mold can pop up anywhere, but it all comes down to the presence of water in the space.

The minute you see mold around the house, take action. Contact us today to schedule a mold remediation consultation and let our team get rid of those unsightly and unhealthy spores.