What Is Mold

Asking yourself, "Just what is mold?" Look no further because we have the answer!

We asked ourselves that same question and decided to dedicate a whole site to the question: What is mold? Well, the answer is molds are various fungi that cover surfaces as a fluffy vegetative mass and usually produce masses of asexual, sometimes sexual spores. The presence of mold usually implies decay, although some molds are actually used deliberately in cheesemaking and for the production of antibiotics.

All the way back to Biblical times people have asked themselves our very same question of what is mold? They knew the answer back then too and recognized the fact that molds growing indoors are a hazard to human health. (See Leviticus 14:39-47 if you don't believe us.) This knowledge has for some time gone unrecognized by the modern construction industry and medical community.

In the 1930s, mold was identified as the cause behind the mysterious deaths of a few farm animals in Russia. The mold responsible was Stachybotrys. It was found growing on wet grains the animals were fed. Today, the agriculture industry knows the answer to our questions, what is mold? They closely watch mold and mycotoxin levels on grains to prevent contamination of livestock and of our food supply.

Later on in the 1970s, building construction techniques changed in reaction to the energy crises. As a result, buildings are more air-tight than they used to be. Also, cheaper materials such as drywall came into common use. The increase in moisture and the paper-based building materials can provide a natural growth medium for molds. As these buildings age, the two factors have resulted in an increase in indoor mold (including toxic mold) growth.

And be sure to check out our pages about Mold Testing, Mold Removal, Household Mold, and Effects Of Mold And Mildew, elsewhere on this site.