Mold is one of the most dangerous things that can lurk in your home. It’s one of those things that people tend to ignore because they don’t want to admit it’s there. However, ignoring a mold problem in your bathroom or crawl space can lead to serious health issues and expensive removal solutions.
At the first sign of mold, you need to take action. It’s better to stop the spread before it becomes invasive rather than wait until it’s a hazardous situation.
Keep reading to learn about preventing, removing, and the remediation of crawl space mold.
What is Mold?
You probably know enough about mold to know it’s a terrible thing to have in your home, but do you know what it is and why it’s dangerous?
Mold is a fungus. There are many different strains of mold, which makes it a difficult thing to understand and prevent. You’ll find mold growing in warm, humid, or damp places—so your crawlspace is an ideal place for mold to thrive.
When you have mold in your home, it can cause health issues. From mild coughing and sneezing to more severe lung issues or skin irritations, mold spores are harmful when inhaled.
Anyone who suffers from conditions like asthma or allergies are at risk of significant health problems when your home breeds mold. As soon as you experience symptoms related to mold exposure, or if you see signs of mold, take immediate action to remove it and prevent it from returning.
I Think I Found Mold
You might not spend a lot of time in the crawlspace of your home. That makes it a perfect place for mold to grow undetected for a long period of time.
Maybe you have a repairman working in the house, and they mention they saw mold in your crawlspace. Or perhaps you’re getting a few things out of the storage space in your home, and you notice something that could be mold. Here’s what to look for when it comes to spotting mold.
What Does Mold Look Like?
You might notice a musty smell first. You follow your nose and see something that looks like it could be dirt, but could be mold.
- Mold can be yellow, green, white, or black. Black mold is one of the most dangerous types of mold and is difficult to remove and prevent.
- Some mold is fuzzy to the touch, but we don’t recommend touching it if you see it.
- It can look like dirt that’s attached itself to a surface, but it won’t wipe away like a smudge of dirt.
If you see something that smells musty and looks like anything we described above, you probably have mold under your house in the crawlspace.
DIY is Dangerous
Even if you’re a handy person who likes to tackle home improvement projects on your own, mold is not something you want to mess with.
You can attempt mold removal on your own, but without completely removing and remediating a mold problem, it will return. When you see something that looks like mold, call professionals to diagnose the mold problem, and provide a solution.
Remove Mold Completely
If you can’t see it anymore, it’s gone, right? Not necessarily. Mold grabs hold of porous surfaces and like to hold on through any attempts to make it go away.
You might not see mold on the surface after you’ve “cleaned” it away by scraping or scrubbing. However, mold spores are hard to see and can stay behind after you’ve cleaned away the mold you can see.
Remediating mold from your crawlspace includes cleaning away visible mold and killing spores that you can’t see to prevent future growth.
Remediating is Critical
Remediating means bringing in the guys with the hazmat suits to use the right tools and chemicals to make sure your mold problem is completely gone. Professional mold removers use biocide to treat surfaces infesting with a mold problem.
The type of biocide used depends on the kind of mold in your home. The right professionals know what to look for and how to use a combination of EPA-approved chemicals and tools to remove mold and make sure it never returns.
Preventing Mold is the Best Way to Avoid It
While remediating takes care of your current mold problem and helps reduce the possibility that mold returns to your crawlspace, you’ll also want to take preventive measures to keep mold away.
Mold happens underneath your house when moisture seeps in. Combine moisture with heat, and mold grows.
- Make sure your gutters drain properly, and your roof is in excellent condition. A faulty roof or gutters can allow moisture to leak into the ground under your home.
- Check for foundation cracks. Repair cracks to keep moisture out of your crawlspace.
- Look for leaks around ducts and your HVAC system. Make sure your system doesn’t leak into your subflooring.
- Use a home dehumidifier. Humidity can get trapped underneath your home and cause mold growth.
Spending time and a little money on some critical home maintenance can save you from an expensive mold removal process and severe health issues.
Crawl Space Mold Must Go ASAP!
Mold isn’t one of those things you can ignore and hope it goes away. Crawl space mold must go as soon as you know it’s there.
Hero Mold Company knows mold in North Carolina. We deal with any type of mold problem in your crawlspace or elsewhere in your home. We also offer free estimates for our work with a recommended solution to treat your mold problem thoroughly and effectively.
We know you don’t want mold to come back to your crawlspace! Let us treat your mold problem the right way, the first time. Contact us for a free estimate, and let’s get rid of the mold in your crawlspace.
