Mold in Your Basement
As you might suspect, basements are hot spots for mold in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. Basements are magnets for water and basements are magnets for humidity. This coupled with all food sources for mold that people typically have in their basements, is why the basement is one of the first places an American Mold & Restoration mold inspector checks when people call us in to inspect a home.
There are many possible causes for water intrusion in a basement, here are just a few:
- As homes settle, foundations can crack
- Rain or melting snow seeps in from window wells
- Poor grading around a foundation
- Hydrostatic pressure cracks from a high water table
- Water seeping through block walls
- Clogged or cracked gutters
- Clogged or un-extended downspouts
Not to mention the fact that the basement is a common location for central air conditioning units which have condensation drains that tend to block up. Many people do their laundry in the basement, which adds to the humidity as well as poses a flooding risk (hose burst, etc). The list goes on and on, so please be cognizant of these factors and be watchful of either rapid leaks or the slow, sponge-like water intrusion through concrete walls or floors.
Damp basements are not only susceptible to mold, but cause a number of other problems, including warped paneling, musty smells, mildew on furniture, lifted floor tile, ruined carpeting, etc. Dampness also promotes vermin, insects and termites! Termites are attracted to moisture and can invade your home through cracks in your foundation or walls.
If there is such a thing as “mold candy” it’s typically the stuff we store in our basements or use to improve the
living space.
Mold will colonize wet cardboard boxes and wet wallboard faster than almost any other material. To mold, the processed wood that we make sheetrock and cardboard out of is like a partially digested snack and the mold will tend to grow very quickly and spread to other areas. In finished basements, it’s common to find mold growing behind walls that are against the foundation, under carpets, behind cabinets, and under vinyl wall coverings.
Preventive Maintenance
It may be stating the obvious, but keeping your basement dry is the key. Not just keeping an eye out for the obvious leaks around window wells, outside doors, cracks in the walls or floors, but also for the more insidious intrusion of water in your air!
Basements are magnets for humidity, not just because it’s the lowest spot in the house, but because they are generally cooler. Why is that a factor? Well without getting too technical, relative humidity increases by 2% for every one degree that air is cooled. In other words, if the humidity on your first level is 50% and the basement is 5 degrees cooler (not uncommon) the relative humidity in the basement will be 60%. This is a fact that not many people know, but almost everyone has sensed it. How many times have you gone down into a basement and you feel that it’s damper than the rest of the house?
Check the relative humidity in your basement often and if it is consistently above 60%, you may want to consider running a dehumidifier. But remember to empty the dehumidifier collection container frequently (if it has one), as that is yet another source of a possible water leak!
Think you might have a Mold problem?
If you spot areas that are discolored or have three dimensional growth, it is generally best not to disturb it and call a professional (please think of us). The EPA recommends that you not touch it with your hands or disturb it in a way that will cause the mold spores to spread through the air. If it’s a very small area and you want to tackle it yourself please follow the EPA precautions and read our section on Our Mold Remediation Process.
Having a professional company like American Mold & Remediation solve your mold problem will give you peace of mind that your home will not be contaminated in the mold removal process. We will block off the unaffected areas of your home with plastic and use negative air machines to keep airborne spores from reaching other areas of your home. It’s never enough just to kill the mold, it must be removed to keep your home healthy!
