Whether heavy rains have leaked into your home or you’ve suffered a flooded basement, your first priority lies in getting rid of the excess water. While handling that, you may wonder, “How long does mold take to grow?” and when it might start causing health problems. It’s no secret that humid interiors create the perfect conditions for dangerous fungi to take hold, but many homeowners don’t understand how quickly mold can start growing.
Learn about the growth timeline of mold in a flooded home and the signs to look for so you know when you need mold removal services in Edmond.
The Mold Growth Timeline in a Flooded Home
Like any other type of biological life, mold has a typical timeline that it follows as it grows in a flooded home. Many aspects affect how quickly mold grows, including:
- Food Availability: Mold requires organic materials as a food source, including household building materials like wallpaper, wood, and insulation.
- Humidity Levels: A higher amount of moisture in the air makes it easier for mold to take root and grow. The more humidity, the more widespread the mold growth.
- Temperature: Warm air increases humidity and provides a beneficial environment for mold growth.
Different types of mold have their own timetables, but they generally follow the stages set out below.
1. Mold Spore Germination
Timeframe: 24 to 48 Hours After Flooding
Mold spores float in the air, dormant and safe so long as they don’t find a place to take root. However, when they find a moist setting, they germinate and begin to grow. Mold spores often find moist places to grow within one to two days after flooding.
Asking, “How long does mold take to grow,” may mean you need to clean up an area now. Property owners can clean affected areas by drying them, then using diluted bleach to spray where mold might grow. Since you can’t see the mold spores at this point, you may miss an area, which can cause continued mold growth.
2. Hyphae Growth
Timeframe: 3 to 12 Days After Flooding
Still too small for the human eye to see, the mold grows thin, root-like strands called hyphae. These hyphae take over the area and push into the surrounding building materials, including wood, drywall, tiles, insulation, and anything else with a porous surface. As the mold spreads, it eats away at building materials and weakens the property’s structural integrity.
Because hyphae digs so deeply into these building materials, removing it becomes much more difficult. Spraying with bleach won’t do enough damage to remove these roots. Instead, household cleaners may kill the skin of the mold but leave the hyphae to continue growing. Professional mold remediation specialists can best remove mold once the hyphae sets in.
3. Mycelia Visibility
Timeframe: 18 to 21 Days After Flooding
By the time you can see mold in its fuzzy or slimy form, it’s grown for over 18 days, meaning that it has deep roots in your home or building. These colonies can completely destroy a property by infecting drywall, flooring, carpet, and more. If not treated properly, you may lose portions or the entirety of a space infected by mold.
Besides infecting a building, mycelia can introduce mold into your lungs. Even if you’re not allergic to mold, these spores can trigger respiratory problems and put your health at risk. Hire a professional to help clean it up if you find visible mold in a property after flooding.
Professional Mold Remediation Services with Blitz Restoration
When your home floods, the last thing you want to deal with is a serious mold infestation. Blitz Restoration offers mold remediation and water damage restoration services to homeowners in Edmond, Oklahoma. Don’t risk your health with mold exposure; if you’re asking, “How long does mold take to grow,” call (405) 443-3110 at any time with our 24/7 service line.
