Black mold takes hold when water sits somewhere it shouldn’t. Drywall paper, wood framing, ceiling tiles, and carpet backing are its favorite meals, especially after a slow leak, flooding that never dried properly, or a basement that stays damp longer than anyone realizes.
If you’re seeing dark greenish-black growth with a musty smell, and anyone in the house has headaches, sinus problems, fatigue, or a cough that gets better the second they leave, stop guessing and get it looked at.
In Mapleton we find it most often behind walls after old water damage, in finished basements below grade, and around water heaters and softeners that have been leaking quietly onto a foundation wall. Dry outside air doesn’t help once moisture is trapped in a wall cavity.
Whatever you do, don’t scrub it yourself. Disturbing black mold shoves a huge load of spores into the air you’re breathing.