Mold is invisible to the human eye as an individual spore. When these microscopic spores congregate, a colony is formed, which human can detect visually. The colonies grow on the material in which the mold spores are feeding. This includes any materials which contain cellulose—ingredients that mold colonies thrive on. In addition to feeding, all molds need warmth, moisture, and oxygen in order to survive. Locate these elements and you will soon find mold.

Basements, bathrooms, and ventilation ducts are common places for mold growth. The spores accumulate on items such as old wallpaper, carpet, and ceiling tiles that are damp from improper storage. Standing water aggravates the situation, and creates perfect growing conditions for the most toxic mold, stachybotrys.

These mold spores collect on water logged materials to form black colonies that appear slimy. It eats through the tile, carpet, or sheetrock on which it grows; creating heavy damage in the process. After prolonged exposure, eradicating this mold may require replacing that sheetrock, tile or carpet.

Mold is typically identified by the characteristic black or reddish colonies that are velvety or slimy in appearance. These colonies grow as they feed to eventually engulf a wall, floor, ceiling, or duct. It eats away at the surface, and if left to grow, will weaken or disintegrate the structure on which it is feeding. Mold spores are released into the air when the colony is agitated. They travel through the air, landing in another suitable place to grow yet another colony. In the right conditions, a structure can quickly become overrun by mold infestation.

Mold removal in mild cases can entail a simple cleanup with bleach. After the infestation is removed, the feeding ground must be disassembled by removing any excess materials that are damp, and eliminating the source of the moisture. More extreme cases toxic mold may entail replacement of any structures weakened by the colony. In extreme cases, rooms must be stripped to the studs and rebuilt to ensure that the mold is gone.

The best way to avoid a mold infestation is prevention. Remove any materials that toxic molds feed on, usually building materials that contain cellulose. Eliminate any sources of moisture, and routinely maintenance the area to catch mold growth before it becomes a very expensive problem.