Crawlspace Mold Detection and Remediation – 3 Areas to Check

60 Percent of Homes Have Mold in Their Crawlspace

We are often asked the question is crawl space mold dangerous?  The simple answer is absolutely!  !Mold can result in a negative impact on your health and continued exposure to crawlspace mold can lead to a range of health issues. These problems may include eye irritation, coughing, wheezing, nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, eye irritation, or even skin irritation

How Mold Found in a Crawlspace Effects Your Health

It is important for the health of inhabitants of a home, including pets, to detect and eradicate mold. In most structures, some type of crawlspaces exists where the access to ducts, pipes, electrical, and flooring is located. Mostly these crawlspaces have poor ventilation and they are prone to the buildup of moisture. According to studies, about 60% of homes have crawlspace mold. Wooden wall framing or sub-flooring, dirt floors, and insulation of fiberglass are the common places where mold grows because these materials give a source of food to crawlspace mold colonies. Moisture may easily get into the crawlspaces by coming inside from the outside gutters and the storm window wells, or leaky interior plumbing and air conditioning systems. Mold will be inevitably present wherever there’s moisture.

Why Do Crawlspaces Have Mold?

Often, the first sign that crawlspace mold might be present is the musty or pungent odor, which is often associated with basements and crawlspaces. Fuzziness or discoloration might be visible on the ceiling. This is mold. Due to dirt floors and insulation, it is likely that you won’t be able to detect the crawlspace mold visually because mold grows within layers of the material. Mold tests at home are available but we cannot stress enough, the importance of your health and the possibility of spreading mold when you’re testing an area.

Mold Can Spread Easily from a Crawlspace

Crawlspaces provide access to numerous areas of the rest of the building via cracks in subflooring and ventilation networks. The mold spores which get disturbed may easily travel to other locations and the problem becomes worse.

Areas you should look to find Crawlspace Mold

• Thoroughly check all framing, girders, posts, and joists and inspect their exposed sides.
• Check the subflooring of the floor overhead and do an inspection of the exposed underside of the subflooring.
• You can have special screening tests. They can help in evaluating the condition of crawlspace mold which are inaccessible.

What Happens If You Have Mold in Your Crawlspace?

When mold takes over the crawl space, it releases toxic microscopic spores that can float into the living space. When you or your loved ones inhale them, it will trigger many problems including itchy eyes, asthma, bronchitis, and even migraines. Mold can also make breathing a problem for your loved ones

Crawlspace Mold Removal

After the mold is confirmed in crawlspaces, you must take proper steps in order to make sure that mold does not reappear. A professional mold removal team will seal the spaces properly in order to make sure that the spores don’t make their way into another location. The next step in stopping the growth of mold is to locate and remedy any moisture sources in the crawlspace mold. After this important step, reputable restoration companies such as Gold Coast Flood Restorations suggest the clients replace any insulation of fiberglass with that of less porous and less penetrable materials in order to prevent further mold growth. Finally, dirt and wood surfaces will need to be cleaned properly with the antifungal.

How Much Mold in Crawl Space is Acceptable?

Mold doesn’t belong in a crawlspace, period.  There is no acceptable level of mold in a crawlspace. Even a tiny amount of mold in a crawlspace will grow and spread, and since – as we noted above – some of the air in the crawl space enters your home, you need to aim for zero mold in the crawlspace.

 

What to Do If You Have Crawlspace Mold?

 

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