How Fast Can Mold Grow?
Speed The rate of growth of mold is important to determining the urgency in action to save an affected area and stop germination. As mold can be both damaging to property and dangerous to human breathing, knowing how fast it can spread allows for better planning to remove it. Mold can germinate (grow) relatively fast on both organic and artificial surfaces. With the right conditions, mold spores can begin to grow after 12 to 48 hours. Mold spores begin to colonize (spread from beyond the initial growth area) in anywhere from one to twelve days. Mold begins in areas where yeast is already present (e.g., bread) or in the presence of water or water damage. Contributing Factors Mold grows fastest with the right food source and environmental conditions. Factors include the strain of mold, water availability, temperature and the surface that mold is growing on. Mold strains grow at different speeds. Types of strains include Ulocladium, Rhizopus, Aspergillus and Stachybotrys. Of these, Ulocla
