Why Mold Causes Poor Indoor Air Quality

 Indoor air quality is a broad term that has many aspects. Air quality can be comfort as in temperature and humidity. Indoor Air Quality can also be gases, chemicals and dust. Air quality indoors can also be affect by mold. This blog will focus on why mold causes poor indoor air quality.

We have all seen mold on window frames, mold on bread and some have also seen mold on plants. However, this can be normal and small amounts of mold growth indoors that can be normal and completely harmless in most cases.

Where we get concerned about mold growth indoors is when mold growth behind walls, under flooring and above ceilings. Mold can even grow in the HVAC system. This is where mold can cause poor indoor air quality.

Mold needs 4 things to grow indoors to affect the indoor air quality:

  1. Mold Spores. These are already ubiquitous or all around us in nature. These spores come indoors through natural ventilation.
  2. Cellulose Food Source. This is paper, cardboard or wood. Most homes have wood framing and drywall which has paper on both sides…so lots of potential mold food indoors.
  3. Water. Mold indoors needs water to start the mold growth process. This can be high humidity, condensation, a leak or flood. If there is a moisture source indoors, stays wet for several days…then mold growth can be the result.
  4. Time. Should a moisture event happen indoors…mold needs time to grow. In most cases this can be as little as a few days.

Should your home have a water event that keeps the cellulose building materials wet for several days to a week, mold growth can start to occur.

Mold growth indoors can start to affect the structure or the building materials it is growing on, in or under. It is however, the mold spores that can lead to poor indoor air quality.

Mold growth indoors can spread mold spores into the air causing poor indoor air quality.

Think of mold as a microscopic dandelion. If you blow on a dandelion, seeds (spores) go everywhere. The same is true for mold growth indoors.

If you have mold growing in your home and your disturb it…mold spores can affect the indoor air quality and your health.

You can disturb mold in a number of ways.  

  • Touching mold will spread mold spores into the air
  • Spraying it with a chemical will spread mold spores into the air
  • Cutting material or moving material with mold will aerosolize mold spores
  • Air moving over mold growth (fan, blower, wind) will disturb mold spores.

Disturbing or spreading mold spores will negatively affect your indoor air quality. Mold spores can spread through the air throughout the home. Mold spores can create further mold growth in other area of the home. In other words, mold in the basement that is disturbed can be spread to the main floor, even the second floor of the home.

Mold can then grow in the unaffected areas causing further mold damage and poor indoor air quality in those areas.

Inhaling mold spores can lead to negative health issues. Call us today for an indoor air quality test of your home. We can find out if mold spores are affecting your indoor air quality.  Indoor Mold testing in Toronto.


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