Causes and Removal of Mold Growth

Mold growth is a growing problem in many modern households. It is estimated that more and more homes will have this problem in the future. Know the cause, cure for prevention and some chemicals for removal.

Causes of Mold Growth

1. Tightly constructed structures

Water triggers mold growth and collects on cavities, walls and attic crevices.

The new homes of today are more tightly constructed, making it difficult for water to evaporate.

Old homes, on the other hand, had little of the conveniences that we enjoy today. There was little or hardly any wall insulation and central air conditioning for residences were not yet invented. Because of this lack of 'benefits', there was little indoor humidity and construction was drafty. This meant that more water could easily evaporate, thus making structures less prone to mold growth.

2. Inadequate Knowledge

Because of population growth, more people went into the building and sub-contracting business without adequate knowledge of how condensation, evaporation, moisture protection and ventilation works. Their scanty knowledge was then passed on to the next generation of builders and contractors. This is precisely why there may be more homes which will experience this problem in the future.

3. Humidity

Today, we have whole house humidifiers which replaced traditional steam radiant or hot water heating systems. Incorrect operation of this new humidifier may also cause mold growth.

Prevention and Removal

To avoid the problem early on, have your home constructed by a well-educated builder. Since the building code is only a minimum standard for building a home, make sure that your home exceeds it.

You may also use two different types of bleach to remove molds:

• Chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) – made of 50/50 chlorine bleach and water solution. Just spray then scrub with soap and water after a few minutes. Rinse afterwards. Effective but may give off bothersome fumes.
• Oxygen bleach – effective mix of a type of powder and water. It produces no fumes and is environment-friendly. Oxygen bleach works slower than chlorine bleach though.

You may choose any of the types of bleach to remove molds, but nothing beats good workmanship for a life-long protection.