What You Need to Know About the Nature of Black Mold

Black mold is the fast-growing, asexually reproduced mold within the Stachybotrys genus that generally thrives inside buildings. Black mold is usually black, but the coloring can vary quite a bit from brown to gray. The more damp the conditions, the more quickly and densely black mold colonies form.

It is essential to recognize exactly what type of mold you are dealing with when you find it in your home. Some molds are relatively harmless to those without allergies and others can be damaging to people and structures.

Black mold needs a good deal of organic matter to consume and a good deal of moisture in order to sustain healthy colonies. Areas of high humidity will always have black mold colonies, except when given high doses of daily UV rays. Still, once black mold colonies grow strong, they will become resistant to conditions in which they might not normally be able to grow.

Some growth mediums that are particularly predisposed to black mold include straw, hay, and wood. When these materials are exposed to water, whether it be from dew, rainwater, excessive humidity, or flooding, they can be promptly defeated by black mold. This is why after flooding most homes are completely destroyed by mold, since much of a home is constructed of wood products.

Black mold is acknowledged to be one of the slower growing molds, generally taking weeks rather than days to develop strong colonies. But, the mold may be growing in areas you can’t see and in colonies too minute to see until it is suddenly visible one day. At this point, it may be too widespread to fight by average measures such as bleach. You may need to call in a pro to fight the issue.

A failure to stave off black mold not only can induce structural issues, but it can also induce a variety of health problems. Some people have only minor allergic reactions to mold, while many others have severe allergies and even asthma attacks when exposed to black mold. And so, destroying black mold before it can build strong colonies is vital.