Mold: How Long Does it Take to Grow?

Excessive water in your home – whether because of a burst pipe, flooding, or a leaking roof – always causes lots of problems. It might compromise the integrity of a building, destroy appliances and electronics, and ruin carpeting, furniture, clothes and additional household items. Plus, as if the water damage isn’t enough, mold rapidly starts growing inside your home, and increases the damage and makes the restoration process costlier, harder, and longer.

If you suspect you have a potential mold infestation in your house, contact an experienced professional at Triangle Legacy right away at (301) 523-9419 for a free consultation and estimate.

Growth of Mold After Water Damage

Even if water intrusion is restricted and doesn’t cause significant damage, it still may result in a mold issue – any quantity of moisture accumulation inside easily can lead to growth in your home. Mold spores are in existence everywhere in the atmosphere; therefore, mold may begin developing as soon as the proper conditions – moisture and organic “food” – are present.

There’s an abundance of porous organic materials inside a home – insulation, drywall, paper products, paint, etc. – so all that’s necessary for mold to begin to grow is a bit of moisture. Only a couple of inches of water will create the required conditions for growth – then, it’ll take just a few days for mold to develop and begin to damage your home.

However, the issue easily can be avoided – all you have to do is eliminate all of the moisture before mold has had an opportunity to begin to develop. However, how rapidly will mold grow? How soon will you need to dry the premises in order to prevent the mold spores from taking root inside your premises?

How quickly can mold grow?

Under the ideal conditions, it’ll take 24 – 48 hours for mold to grow and germinate. Usually, the mold spores start colonizing in 3 – 12 days and become noticeable in around 18 to 21 days. That time differs for various kinds of mold and depends upon the actual household conditions – the kind of surfaces and household materials inside the impacted space, the quantity of moisture, the ambient temperature, etc. Nonetheless, the more time goes by, the higher the opportunity for mold to develop then spread to additional spaces of the house.

To prevent rapid mold growth, and for your mold remediation and removal needs, please contact Triangle Legacy Flood Restoration & Carpet Cleaning at (301) 523-9419 for a free consultation