Can mold grow on brick and hardwood floors?

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Q. Hi, I recently moved into an old building in eastern TN built around 1890. Since moving in, my asthma has flared significantly, and is worse when I spend a few hours or more in the building. I have been tested positive for moldallergy, however I cannot find any mold. The building was renovated 4 years ago and everything, except the brick walls (now exposed), and hardwood floors and beams were replaced. I haven’t been able to find any mold. Can it grow on brick? If so, what should I look for? How about hardwood floors? There are no apparent water leaks. Thank you very Much.

A. Hi Eastern TN, It sounds like you may have a humidity problem. Yes mold needs Water, Heat and a food source but the water does not have to be in the form of running water as like a burst pipe. High humidity, above 60%, will be sufficient to allow Mold to grow. Mold can grow on any organic material. We all have dust around the house and most of the dust we find in homes is organic. This dust settles on everything thus making it possible for Mold to grow on all surfaces. Remember stop the water stop the Mold.

Mold Question answered by Jim Thomas of MouldOff.com. Jim is a Master Carpenter and C.I.E. (Certified Indoor Environmentalist) with 35+ years of experience in the restoration industrial including a specialization in mold remediation.

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9 comments

Chuck January 6, 2009 - 4:06 pm
I live in Iowa have asthma and was also test positive for Mold Allergy. I will confirm what Jim Thomas mentioned that mold can grow on virtually any surface. I actually started Environmental Protection Technologies with a friend after I tried the purifier he lent me. It helped eliminate the allergens and mold in my home and enabled me to breathe freely. It is a very powerful purifier that produces high allotropes of Oxygen O4 to O15. It is much more powerful than Ozone (O3) and completely safe because it does not produce Oxides of Nitrogen as many Ozone machines do. You can visit our site at http://www.EPT-LLC.com; You will see many testimonials from our clients and Lab tests. Please feel free to call me.
what makes mold grow | Wet Carpeting January 14, 2009 - 2:14 pm
[...] Can mold grow on brick and hardwood floors? - The Mold Blog [...]
Chrissy Mann January 19, 2009 - 11:15 am
Hi Iowa, just wondering if it is possible that there may be mold behind or in between the walls of your home. Also if your air ducts could possibly have an allergen such as mold in them. We recommend that you hire a professional mold inspector and if mold is discovered then have a mold remediator treat the mold & mold spores. If you are renting, typically you are at the mercy of the owner. However, if you are a homeowner and have insurance for water damage, you may have a claim that could possibly cover for mold due to water damage. If the damage occurred prior to moving in and you did not have a full disclosure when you purchased the home and did not have a prepurchase inspection, then you may have to pay out of pocket for the remediation. We are http://www.moldremedy.biz and we offer groundbreaking technology in the treatment of mold & mold spores. We are certified and our testimonials speak for themselves. We have references with names and contact numbers.
Chuck January 27, 2009 - 3:38 pm
Hello Chrissy, Thanks for the suggestion. What I have done is to make sure that the Active Oxygen that our Pro Activ Ox machine produces gets into our air intake system. It kills Mold/Mildew, Bacteria and Ionizes dust and other allergens. This way it circulates through the house and keeps the duct work completely sanitized. It is possible that Mold was behind the walls. Rather than taking down walls, and using some toxic chemical like Chlorine Bleach, I will cut some 2"holes so the Active Oxygen can get behind the walls and kill any mold there, then patch them when I know the mold is killed. Even Black Mold will be killed within 72 hours of exposure to Active Oxygen. These and other solutions are discussed on our website, http://www.EPT-LLC.com.
Chrissy Mann February 2, 2009 - 9:15 am
Hi Chuck, I was looking at your website and was wondering if this is the same technology as the Aronizer machine on the internet? Are there anyone else selling these machines besides you? I coulnt't find any info on your product besides your sites. Also, where is your machine manufactured. I am really interested in your machine.
mold remediation March 29, 2010 - 2:20 pm
We remediated a 1900's colonial last summer.Wide planked hardwood floors with mushrooms growing between the slats.Floors were removed and mold found throughout subfloor. We find "fruiting bodies"coming out of brick quite frequently.
Lori Tondini June 23, 2010 - 6:52 pm
Check out The Environmental Solution on this site. You may have something growing in between the walls. If you do, they will find it! Safe and natural remediation process at no extra cost.
hardwood November 13, 2011 - 2:42 pm
Very nice information.I think it will be very help full for everyone.Thank you very much for sharing such nice article.
Tina Dole August 30, 2012 - 1:24 pm
I asked my calgary carpet cleaners this question. I know they can get rid of it inside but I thought I found some on my bricks outside and I was hoping they would be able to get it off. He said he wasn't sure what it was. So I still don't know.
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