What Black Mold Likes To Grow On: Your House's Trouble Spots

If you dug out some old boxes full of musty stuff from your attic, you might expect there to be a little mold on things, especially if you live in a humid environment. But, mold is probably growing somewhere in you house right now, and you don't even know it. That's why it's important to know what black mold likes to grow on. It's the first step to getting rid of it.

What mold likes to grow on is determined by what mold needs to thrive. Mold needs food, a good temperature, and water. In general, wherever there's water you can expect to find mold.

Mold isn't picky either. It doesn't just strike old, musty, dirty houses. If it has a chance, it will grow all over your nice, new, clean house. So, don't give it a chance!

Here are things mold commonly likes to grow on.

In The Kitchen

Of course, mold likes to grow on food. It's not always the dreaded black mold; it may be its less toxic cousin, the slimy green one. Either way, it's ugly and disgusting. The mold that grows on food is not so dangerous, but seal it in plastic before you throw it out just in case.

Mold also likes to grow in cabinets. You should check from time to time. Basically, any place that is dark and closed up, and might get a little water in it, is a breeding ground for mold.

Sinks, drying racks and other places that get lots of water are also favorite hang-outs of black mold.

In The Bathroom

The biggie here is shower tiles. You've probably seen black mold growing there before, or its friend orange mold. The wall material behind your tiles is delicious for black mold, so it gets carried away and starts growing around the tiles where human eyes can see it.

Just like in the kitchen, mold likes to be close to the water source in a somewhat hidden place. This means sinks, counters, cabinets and anywhere else that gets a little water. For more info see http://www.toxicblackmoldhelp.org/resource_sites.html

Anywhere In The House

Mold likes hidden-away places. On the walls, mold likes to grow behind things such as pictures or mirrors. If you haven't moved your pictures for cleaning in a while, check and see if our black moldy friend is hanging out there. Wallpaper, because it is porous, is also a great place for mold to live. Keep tabs on your wallpaper so you don't have to remove it all someday because of an infestation of our little friend.

Carpets are wonderful vacations spots for mold. If you ever have any water damage, you may have to remove the carpet if it gets bad. One good way to tell if you have mold in your carpets is just to sniff.

Mold can live in dust and lint. If you keep your house well dusted, you'll reduce black mold problems.

In The Basement

You may have a tenant you don't know about, living in your basement and not paying rent. Mold loves the dark, humid basement. It especially likes the walls and ceilings, where water is often running amok. You may also have mold growing around the concrete on the floor.

In The Attic

The attic is also ideal. It's a place that doesn't get much ventilation, so it's great for black mold. Houses with wooden beams in the attic are particularly favored.

In The Hidden Places

Mold loves crawlspaces, wall cavities, and any other place it can hide. You may be suffering from black mold-related health symptoms and not even know it, because our little friend is hanging out in your house and you can't find him.

Another fave place is inside your heating and cooling ducts.

Mold can get used to the weather just about anywhere, but it especially loves warm humid environments. Florida, California and the Pacific Northwest have some of the worst mold problems in the US. Desert areas and high altitude areas also get hit hard with mold infestations after a big rain or storm.

The key to keeping mold spores out of your respiratory system is to find it before it finds you. That's why it's important to know what black mold likes to grow on.