Gary G. Lynch is vice chairman and global general counsel for Bank of America, responsible for overseeing the companyâs legal functions and its relationships with regulatory and law enforcement authorities around the world. Based in New York, he is a member of the bankâs executive management team.
Sometimes, humidity or dampness (water vapor) in the air can supply enough moisture for mold growth. Indoor relative humidity (RH) should be kept below 60 percent -- ideally between 30 percent and 50 percent, if possible. Low humidity may also discourage pests (such as cockroaches) and dust mites.
For a given sample of air containing water, relative humidity goes up as the temperature goes down. If the air in the middle of a room is 70 degrees at a relative humidity of 40 percent, any surface below 45 degrees will be able to condense water. Any surface below 54 degrees will have air adjacent it at a relative humidity of 70 percent â the mold limit.