If you’ve ever walked into your bathroom and noticed a musty smell, or spotted dark patches creeping along your window frame, you know how unsettling mold can be.
Here in Clearwater, our warm, humid climate creates the perfect breeding ground for mold, especially if water finds its way into your home and lingers.
At Mold Solutions, we’ve seen it all, from small closet infestations to entire walls or rooms needing remediation.
These are seven of the most common reasons mold becomes a problem here in Clearwater, so you can spot the warning signs early and protect your family’s health and your home’s value.
1. Florida’s Year-Round Humidity
Clearwater’s tropical air keeps our skin from drying out, but it also keeps surfaces damp. When humidity levels inside your home stay above 55-60%, mold can grow on walls, ceilings, clothing, and even stored papers and books. Bathrooms, laundry rooms, and closets are especially vulnerable, as well as areas of the home where dust accumulates. Your air conditioner should provide all of the dehumidification needed to prevent mold problems, but if you were on vacation and left it off, or if it briefly stopped running or was turned off, mold or mildew is likely to become a problem. If parts of your home feel humid over longer periods of time, you can place a small dehumidifier in them — but this shouldn’t generally be necessary. (The A/C should handle dehumidification effectively if properly sized for your home, but a garage or closet is a good use-case for a “dehu.”)
If you could do one thing to prevent 90% of mold problems at home in Clearwater, it would be to be sure your A/C is working and running. That and mopping up spills or burst pipes quickly and completely.
2. Roof Leaks After Heavy Rain or Storms
Our summer thunderstorms and hurricane season can be brutal on roofs because even a small leak can let rainwater seep into attic insulation, wood framing, and drywall. Then, mold can grow in as little as 24–48 hours. Inspecting your roof (or hiring someone to do it) before hurricane season, or after every major storm would be a great idea. Look around flashing, vents, and any skylights if you have them.
3. Plumbing Leaks in Kitchens & Bathrooms
A dripping pipe under the sink or a leaking toilet line might seem small, but when water trickles into hidden areas, mold thrives unnoticed. By the time you see discoloration or smell mustiness, the growth may already be extensive. What you see is the surface problem, but if water has been leaking for a while, there’s mold under carpeting or inside of sub-flooring more often than not.
4. Flooding & Poor Drainage Around the Home
Low-lying yards, clogged gutters, and improper grading can direct water toward your foundation. In Clearwater’s rainy season, this can lead to standing water and saturated exterior walls. To prevent this, keep gutters clean and clear, be sure gutter downspouts reach away from your house, and that your yard drains properly—away from your home’s foundation.
5. Poor Ventilation in Bathrooms & Laundry Areas
Hot showers and dryers release a lot of moisture and without proper ventilation, that steam lingers, condenses on cool surfaces, and feeds mold spores. Running your exhaust fan for at least 20 minutes after showering or doing laundry will help prevent this.
6. Air Conditioning Issues
Ironically, a poorly maintained AC system can make mold problems worse. Dirty coils, clogged condensate lines, and uneven cooling can create damp spots and encourage microbial growth inside of air ducts, as well as in certain rooms of your house.
7. Past Water Damage That Wasn’t Fully Dried
Sometimes water damage seems “fixed” because the surface looks dry. But if trapped moisture remains inside walls, floors, or insulation, mold can grow unseen for months or years. When this gets bad, things like moving furniture into and out of the house, or hanging picture frames can cause mold spores and mycotoxins to stir up. Most of our clients who’ve had this particular problem noticed it because it affected their younger children, who are typically more prone to adverse reactions from mold.
Mold Prevention Starts With Moisture Control
We can’t change Clearwater’s climate, but we can control what happens inside our homes. By staying alert to these common causes, you’ll be able to catch moisture issues early and stop mold before it becomes problematic.
Listed above are some of the most common causes of mold (and mildew blooms) we’ve seen across Clearwater. Leaks and A/C issues are the main causes of mold for homes that aren’t on the water. Closer to beaches, these problems can be a bit more exaggerated. There, we see snow bird homes that are affected most by not having someone check on the property while you’re away, and by turning your A/C entirely off while you’re out of town — something you want to avoid. If you’re heading out of town, please leave your A/C running and A/C fan on to prevent mold, even if you won’t be home. This will make all the difference in ensuring you return home to a fresh, mold-free environment.
Featured photo by Duren Williams
