[Restorer]

My question to you is...are sheetrock walls more prone to this kind of damage than plaster walls? If so, is the paper content in the sheetrock the reason?

BINGO!

Plaster is chemically close to concrete. Molds cannot eat it, since it is inorganic.

Drywall is paper made of cellulose (the fibrous portion of the wood) with the other mold repellent parts of the wood (lignins, tannins) removed. Paper is like baby food for mold. Then they laminate this paper onto both sides of a sponge (gypsum) and seal at least one side of it up inside a wall cavity so it can dry only very slowly.

BTW, some scientists have used drywall from Home Depot as a growth medium in laboratories for Stachybotrys. It grew better on it than on anything else they could find.

[VermiciousKnid]

Thank you for your reply.

Do you have any advice for someone who has experienced a water heater leak that soaked the basement?

The standing water was removed immediately by the homeowners (three shopvacs going at the same time), the insurance company sent a water damage team to the house, and the basement carpet and pad were all removed and discarded within hours, along with anything that was truly damaged beyond repair. Then they set the big blowers going for 72 hours (being moved around every few hours), the whole basement was sprayed with an antifungal agent, and mold and mildew paint was applied to the affected (sheetrocked) walls. In addition, the owners kept the basement well-lit and ventilated for a few weeks, the theory being that mold doesn't like light. This was a few months ago, and the homeowners have checked and rechecked for mold and have found none. There have been no further problems, but how long would it take for such mold to show up?

Thanks again,
Regards,