The Dreaded "Humidity Bloom" in Miami

8/17/2019 (Permalink)

The white-ish / green-ish substance seen on this chair in Miami shows mold colonization. Its growth was fueled by high humidity over a period of time.

Have you ever left your home or office, perhaps looking to get away for a week on vacation? Even for those of us who live in the paradise of Miami / Miami Beach, it's fun to get away.

Have a great time! One thing though -- make sure your AC remains on, and better yet have someone come check it while you're gone.

This is what can happen.  We call it a humidity bloom. The customer here went away, and the AC went down.  This allowed the humidity level to rocket upward -- yes, the humidity in the air was enough of a moisture source to fuel mold growth on this -- and many others -- content item inside the apartment.

Mold needs two things to grow -- an organic food source, and moisture. Typically we associate water intrusions with the moisture part. For example, let's say a pipe bursts or a water heater bursts. That definitely happens too.  

But paradise has its price.  Humidity levels are sky high in South Florida. Unless controlled by appropriate, well-maintained AC systems, humidity can be enough by itself to spark a serious and costly mold problem.