Molds are a group of organisms that belong to the kingdom Fungi. Fungi are neither animals nor plants and are classified in a kingdom of their own. Fungi include molds,yeasts, mushrooms and puffballs.

Molds live in the soil, on plants, and on dead or decaying matter. Molds are found in virtually every environment and can be detected, indoors and outdoors, year round. You are exposed to them daily in the air you breathe. Molds lack chlorophyll and must survive by digesting plant and other organic materials for food. Without molds, our environment would be overwhelmed with large amounts of dead plant matter.

Molds make tiny spores to reproduce, just as some plants produce seeds. These mold spores can be found in both indoor and outdoor air, and settled on indoor and outdoor surfaces. When mold spores land on a damp spot, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. Since molds gradually destroy the things they grow on, you can prevent damage to building materials and furnishings and save money by eliminating mold growth.

Moisture control is the key to mold control. Molds need both food and water to survive: since molds can digest most things, water is the factor that limits mold growth. Molds will often grow in damp or wet areas indoors. Common sites for indoor mold growth include bathroom tile, basement walls, areas around windows where moisture condenses,and near leaky water fountains or sinks. Common sources or causes of water or moisture problems include roof leaks, deferred maintenance, condensation associated with high humidity or cold spots in the building, localized plumbing failures or heavy rains, slow leaks in plumbing fixtures, and malfunction or poor design of humidification systems.