If I do not turn on AC ever, would I have mold problems? (Houston: rental, house)

[misterno]

I live in a large house in Stafford, TX and I don't like cold air or cold anything, so I let the windows open all the time day or night and let it breeze all the time either warm wind or cool wind does not matter. Even it gets too humid I did not mind.

Yesterday a friend of mine came to our house and said if I never use the AC the house will build up mold on the walls. Is this true?

Because the windows are open all the time and the air circulating all the time. So shouldn't this prevent mold?

Please help

[CSD610]

I believe if this were true every home built and lived in before air conditioning was invented and used would be completely covered in mold and not habitable.

Have you done any research on google regarding this issue?

[jasonamd]

It can happen. I've seen it. The chances of it happening probably aren't that great unless something inside the house gets wet though.

[misterno]

Originally Posted by CSD610

I believe if this were true every home built and lived in before air conditioning was invented and used would be completely covered in mold and not habitable.

Have you done any research on google regarding this issue?

Yeah I googled

but I guess there is no one else like me that loves hot and humid so no straight answers

[EasilyAmused]

It can cause havoc with clothing in your closet. One of the reasons people try to run fans during power outages from hurricanes with a generator. If anything, get a whole house dehumidifier. And yes, I really don't understand your love of heat and humidity. As a native, I run from it.

If it was a house built pre-Ac days, it will have proper cross ventilation. But modern sheetrock will be a mold attractor. Old plaster could handle it. Modern construction would become a petridish for mold.

[texdav]

Alot depends on now the house was built. Older homes where built with a lot of cross ventialation windows ;ceiling fans and certainly less tightly sealed in past. They basically breathe better. Moisture plus food to feed on such as dirt or other fiber equals good mold environment. Rent a dehumidifier from rental and see just now much moisture it removes in say a day. Air conditioning does that.

[westhou]

I'd probably be more concerned with leaving my windows open all day and all night in Stafford. Actually I wouldn't do that in any community in Houston but even more so not in Stafford.

[jereviens]

I lived in Baton Rouge (same climate as Houston) for several years while I was a "starving" graduate student. My home was a pre-AC-era (circa 1920's) cottage, and so designed with numerous strategically placed windows and was even built on piers - so plenty of cross-ventilation.

The cottage had been renovated to modern standards and actually had AC by the time I moved in. But I almost never used the AC, and just made do with open windows, to keep the electric bills as low as possible (not because I enjoyed sweltering in the heat and humidity).

I never noticed mold on the walls of rooms, but clothing sometimes felt a bit damp, there would sometime be a faint mildewy smell in the closets, and a coating of mold and mildew tended to build up on leather items (like shoes and belts). All this kept happening even if the closet doors were left open to allow for as much air circulation as possible.

[misterno]

Originally Posted by jereviens

I lived in Baton Rouge (same climate as Houston) for several years while I was a "starving" graduate student. My home was a pre-AC-era (circa 1920's) cottage, and so designed with numerous strategically placed windows and was even built on piers - so plenty of cross-ventilation.

The cottage had been renovated to modern standards and actually had AC by the time I moved in. But I almost never used the AC, and just made do with open windows, to keep the electric bills as low as possible (not because I enjoyed sweltering in the heat and humidity).

I never noticed mold on the walls of rooms, but clothing sometimes felt a bit damp, there would sometime be a faint mildewy smell in the closets, and a coating of mold and mildew tended to build up on leather items (like shoes and belts). All this kept happening even if the closet doors were left open to allow for as much air circulation as possible.

well you wouldn't notice mold because it takes time to build up

Wherever you lived, I am sure it has mold now on every wall. You just did not realize it because mold is inside the wall not outside

[Tech443]

Originally Posted by misterno

I live in a large house in Stafford, TX and I don't like cold air or cold anything, so I let the windows open all the time day or night and let it breeze all the time either warm wind or cool wind does not matter. Even it gets too humid I did not mind.

Yesterday a friend of mine came to our house and said if I never use the AC the house will build up mold on the walls. Is this true?

Because the windows are open all the time and the air circulating all the time. So shouldn't this prevent mold?

Please help

To grow mold in a structure you need 3 basic things.

1) cool
2) damp
3) dark


without any one of these mold can not grow.

For further reading...

Mold Growth