Journal
Mold colonizes buildings when a spore finds the coincidence of moisture, nutrient and shelter. Susan Doll1 conducted a series of experiments at the Harvard School of Public Health demonstrating, among other things, that building materials from the retail supplier arrive already inoculated with mold spores. Other portions of the research support the idea that mold growth can be expected in sheltered locations where materials containing carbon (especially sugars and starches) are exposed to liquid water for several days or relative humidity levels of 95% for several weeks.