What Causes Toxic Mold?
As stated above, mold proliferates in warm, moist environments. Toxic mold species tend to thrive in homes and buildings that have sustained water damage. For example leaks in roofs, windows, flashing, siding and other building components may provide a ripe environment for the growth of toxic mold, particularly if the effected component does not readily dry out. Current construction techniques are resulting in “tighter” buildings, inhibiting outside-to-inside air circulation. Building components such as more effective insulation and vapor barriers reduce the building s ability to “breathe.” Additionally, the widespread use of central air conditioning and heating systems creates a rapid transit system for mold spores to be distributed throughout the building. For example, in one case familiar to the author, a hole in the air intake of a home s HVAC system located in a mold-infested crawl space picked up the mold spores in the crawl space and carried them throughout the house via the duc
