Mold is a common concern for homeowners. Black mold specifically is very concerning. We’ve been hearing more and more about black mold and the negative health effects associated with it. It often shows up where you can’t see it at first. If it’s showing up in building materials and items in your basement, then you can see the mold most of the time. However, some of the areas that you can’t see are hiding an even bigger problems.
Mold Is Bad For You And Your Home
In addition to the indoor air quality concerns, mold is also bad for your home. When mold starts growing on building materials it feeds off of organic materials. Anything that was was once a tree is at risk. Any 2x4s, 2x8s, paper facing on the front and back of drywall, structural beams, structural joists, your sub floor, all of these things are susceptible.
The reason why mold is able to grow in the first place is the elevated relative humidity in and around wood building materials that are exposed over long periods of time. These materials are also susceptible to being weakened by the penetration of that moisture and vapor into the wood.
Mold Can Cause Structural Damage
Many times we’ll see homes that have sagging floor joists or sagging beams. That’s creating uneven an unlevel floors on the main level of the home. If you are experiencing musty smells in your basement, or if you’re experiencing kind of a damp feeling in your basement, or any musty or moldy smell, that could indicate a risk of mold. If your allergies are acting up more than what they have in the past, or even triggering some asthma flares then it’s a good idea to have someone come out and test your air quality. There’s a chance you have mold.
We can test your relative humidity. We can test the contents of your basement, and the building materials in your basement to see how much moisture they are holding. This will allow us to assess the risks that you have. Preventing vapor and groundwater intrusion from your home or crawl space, and dehumidifying your home with a proper basement air system will protect your home from mold and dust.
