What Mold Needs to Grow in Homes and Buildings across Puerto Rico

Mold can not only cause unpleasant odors in the built environment, it can also cause allergies, act as a respiratory irritant, trigger an asthma attack in some asthmatics, and some types of mold can even lead to infections in people with a weakened immune system.

Unfortunately, many types of mold thrive at normal to slightly elevated room temperatures. Mold also needs moisture, a food source, and oxygen to grow. Moisture is the key factor influencing mold growth, so controlling moisture and relative humidity in the built environment can dramatically help to prevent it.

Common sites for indoor mold growth include bathrooms, basement walls, areas around windows, near leaky plumbing, and around sinks. Sources of moisture include roof leaks, condensation due to high humidity or cold spots, plumbing leaks, sanitary sewer overflows, malfunctioning humidification systems, and floods. Keep in mind, some types of water may also contain bacteria, viruses, and chemical contaminants.

In addition to moisture, mold needs nutrients, or food, to grow. Mold can grow on virtually any organic substance. Most buildings are full of these organic materials and include many building materials, furnishings, and personal belongings. While mold cannot get nutrients from inorganic materials, such as concrete, it can grow on dust or dirt on the surface.

“Mold doesn’t need a lot of water to grow,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “Condensation can sometimes be enough. To help protect building occupants from exposure risks, our infection control, industrial hygiene, and indoor environmental quality professionals at Zimmetry offer testing, consulting, and training services in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean. If an issue is found, our experts can help to mitigate exposure risks and guide remediation efforts for cases involving not only mold or bacteria, but also lead, asbestos, radon, and other potential indoor hazards.”

Zimmetry recently sponsored an educational video about what mold needs to grow indoors that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/k8UzDqrwi6I

To learn more about Zimmetry Environmental and their building science, industrial hygiene, compliance, and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005, or email info@zimmetry.com.

About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals, and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs, and general environmental consulting services.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail