Why does my recently renovated row home have black mold spots on some walls and ceilings?
A combination of things make mold. The spores that cause it are everywhere. They just need food and water to thrive and form colonies (ick). Usually that involves an unventilated, insulated area that is below an outside surface (wall or roof) that has water or moisture present. Sheet rock, saw dust, insulation paper and other organics provide the food and growing medium for the mold to flourish. The water gets in from a small, leaky opening on a roof, window or wall which wets first the sheathing, then the insulation and lastly, the back of the sheet rock. Mold shows quickly and should be dealt with by adding ventilation to the closed cavity, proper waterproofing of the roof or wall and removal of the moldy insulation or sheet rock. Often, mold will grow in areas where bathroom fans and other vents are not ducted to the outside and when run, will throw moist air from bathrooms and kitchens into blind spaces between studs and rafters. Mold will not readily grow on plaster as it is not o
