16 | July 2019
Build It, and They Will Come
F
ungi can grow in a variety of environmental condi-
tions, from sopping wet to somewhat dry, through a
broad range of temperatures, and on a variety of or-
ganic materials. The common link is that fungi require
nutrients and moisture to grow. Lacking any internal
digestive systems, they gather and break down their
"food" from surrounding surfaces. Such sources may
include attacks on dead organic materials and even other living or-
ganisms. Many of what we consider to be problematic molds in our
indoor environments have an appetite for cellulose.
Unfortunately, our dilemma lies in the fact that we've taken to
building our homes, offices and schools literally out of paper-- in
the guise of gypsum wallboard products (even the Three Little
Pigs knew enough not to build their houses out of paper). Since
many molds have an appetite for cellulose, any paper, cardboard,
lumber or other "was-wood" products (manufactured wood prod-
MOLD:
Separating the Facts from the Fiction
1000X microscopic view of Mold "Poster-Child"
Stachybotrys —Photo by IAQ Technologies
