• Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    It’s not perfectly symmetrical around the socket, kinda makes me think of someone spreading wall patching/repair material and/or paint, so maybe the mold didn’t like a different material that was made to look the same around the socket?

    • skisnow@lemmy.ca
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      17 hours ago

      Yeah, I think this is a lot more plausible than the wall heating theory that someone further up got way more upvotes for.

    • cynar@lemmy.world
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      14 hours ago

      Most likely.

      The box tends to sit slightly proud of the wall. When they plaster it in (particularly retroactively) they need to build up the plaster around the socket.

      Thicker plaster means more insulation, and less condensation. Less condensation, less mold.

      The ring around the socket also supports this. The edge where the new plaster gives way to the old. That point tends to be rougher, and so more prone to capturing mold.

      It could also be thicker paint causing the same effect. Most people do the wall with rollers, but sockets with a brush, leading to a thicker coat.

        • cynar@lemmy.world
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          13 hours ago

          The ring around it makes that less likely, though still plausible. It would also have to leach through the paint.

    • glitch1985@lemmy.world
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      11 hours ago

      Thousands of species of mold appear black (actually dark green). The one that is usually singled out in this made up category is Stachybotrys chartarum. The whole “black mold” thing is the result of several irresponsible people who are drumming up fears about mold and then profiting off of those fears. Don’t believe the hype.

      The color of a mold has no correlation to how dangerous it may be. This is frequently stated by agencies throughout the world including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

      There is no evidence that otherwise healthy individuals have any reason to fear getting sick from general mold growth in buildings, mold inhalation, or any other type of exposure even to the so-called toxic molds. Yes, being around mold may cause minor effects like a stuffy nose or coughing for some, especially those with asthma or mold allergies. Typically, it only seriously affects patients who have underlying health conditions such compromised immune systems who are at risk of systemic fungal infections. But unless you’re in one of those rare categories, you really don’t have much to fear about exposure to any mold species.

      That said, we should not have mold growing in our buildings. It is an indication of something wrong and will lead to the degradation of building materials. Regardless of color, all visible mold should be removed from buildings and homes.

      • whiskers165 [she/her, she/her]@hexbear.net
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        11 hours ago

        The issue is that without paying for lab analysis its really hard to differentiate between toxic and nontoxic molds. It’s not something you can see or smell. Not to mention white, green, and brown molds can also be toxic so unless you wanna gamble with your quality of life it’s best to consider any visible mold growth in an indoor living area as a health hazard.

    • Khrux@ttrpg.network
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      11 hours ago

      Mushroom circles grow in circles because they drain the nutrients from the ground, and eventually you have a nutrient barren center that grows with the ring of mushrooms around it.

      I wonder if this is something similar, although I’ve not heard of mold using up a resource before.

  • RoabeArt [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    17 hours ago

    Sometimes mold growing around the perimeter of a socket or switch is a sign of moisture behind that wall (poor insulation, water seeping from a leaky pipe or a hole in the roof…). I’ve never seen it form a ring like that though, usually it’s right on the edge of the outlet plate.

    • TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today
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      16 hours ago

      I’ve seen similar things with homes with water damage. One of the shitty things about water damage is that you have to redo a lot of the electrics throughout the house because it can cause corrosion. Corrosion in connectors in things like outlets increases resistance and can become a fire risk.

      I’m guessing the whole wall got sustained water damage causing corrosion in the outlet, increasing resistance, which caused it to throw off some heat. The heat dried out the plaster and prevented mold growth.