Mold
Mold grows whenever the following three things are present: moisture, excessive humidity, and organic materials to feed off of. Typically, these three things can be found inside of a crawl space environment which isn’t sealed off from the outside world.
An un-sealed crawl space lets in an abundant amount of moisture whenever it rains, or when there is melting snow on the property. This moisture gets inside, and mixed with high humidity levels and organic materials, mold thrives.
What Does Mold Look Like?
Mold is a dark green or black fungus, and it can be seen growing on floor joists, support beams, or anything made from wooden materials below the home.
Dangers Associated With Mold
This fungus is incredibly harmful to both humans and pets. When it grows, it releases spores up and into the air. This air eventually makes its way into the living areas of the home. When individuals and pets breathe this contaminated air in, it can cause a variety of problems.
Mold has been known to cause: headaches, severe fatigue, sinus infections, skin irritation, eye irritation, allergies, asthma attacks, respiratory problems, coughing, sneezing, and many other serious medical conditions which can easily be avoided.
Additionally, this mold can make a home smell very musty, and it’s known for having an odor that is similar to dirty gym socks. This can have a negative influence on a home’s indoor air quality.
Also, this mold growth indicates that there is moisture in the air. This moisture can cause a lot of problems for wooden materials, including support beams and floor joists. These materials are partially responsible for holding up the weight of the home. When they start to deteriorate, it can cause a lot of issues for the building’s overall structural integrity.
Removing the Mold
The best and most effective way to get rid of the mold is to prevent its growth entirely. This will involve sealing the crawl space off from the outside environment so that moisture and humidity can’t get inside.
The process of sealing the space off is known as crawl space encapsulation. This will involve the installation of several systems and devices, including: vapor barriers, floor liners, drainage systems, sump pumps, vents, insulation, and dehumidifiers. All of these products will guarantee that the CS stays dry so that mold and mildew cannot grow and cause issues below the home or inside its living areas.
Importance of Getting Rid of Mold
When this fungus is growing under a home, it causes a lot of damage to the building’s structure and to the inhabitants’ health inside the home. Additionally, this can cause the value of the property to drop significantly, and this is bad news for a homeowner who is considering selling their home soon and must get an inspection done beforehand. As mentioned earlier, the mold can also cause a lot of issues for indoor air quality, and it’s important as a homeowner to make sure that your family is breathing in the cleanest, freshest, and healthiest air possible.
