Video Transcript
Some of the first snow of the season. Sort of pretty. That’s not why we’re here today though. We are here to install some dehumidifiers in the crawl spaces. And this home actually has three crawl spaces and they’re not connected. But we found a little bit of mold in the crawl spaces and it was pretty easy to clean up.
Part of the reason for the mold was high humidity at some point in time. So we cleaned up the mold and recommended ventilation. Ventilation wasn’t an easy option, especially with the HOA on this property so they had us install some dehumidifiers, and here’s one of the three openings.
Crawl Space Mold In Your Home
Spending time in the crawl space of your home can be unpleasant. With a damp and dank atmosphere that’s always covered in some sort of debris, it’s not exactly a great place to hang out. But the crawl space is more than just an eyesore—it could also be a potential health hazard.
In order to avoid such dangers, you should know the signs that indicate there might be mold in the crawl space and what to do if you discover mold.
Molds are usually found in dark, warm places where there’s a lot of moisture present. The crawl space is ideal for this as it is typically dark and covered in water from humidity or rain, but there’s no ventilation to help get rid of excess moisture.
In addition, there are many areas inside the home that can become moldy over time if they aren’t properly maintained. This can include wood like cabinets, floors, and furniture and even materials like insulation or wallpaper that are subject to excess moisture or humidity. This humidity can come from sources such as leaks or spills from appliances or plumbing fixtures, or from a poorly-ventilated crawl space which allows excess moisture to remain trapped inside.
When you think about mold, your mind probably goes to the gross and ugly stuff that grows on food or bathroom grout. But it’s actually a very common problem in homes, and it can be much more serious and costly than the patch of mold on the back of your refrigerator.
Mold is a type of fungus that grows in warm, moist areas—it needs a temperature of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as a lot of moisture to survive. In the past, it was thought that mold could grow anywhere, but this isn’t true anymore: with better ventilation and more advanced construction techniques, mold growth has largely been confined to crawl spaces and other areas where there’s a lot of moisture.
Like many other types of fungi, mold needs water to grow—this is why you’ll see black or white fuzzy patches growing on food that’s been left out for too long. It also means that if your crawl space is humid, mold can form and spread on your belongings if they’re exposed to enough moisture. To prevent this from happening, make sure you have proper ventilation in your crawl space. If it’s not properly vented, moisture will build up over time and eventually lead to mold growth—not only might you find the stuff growing on the walls and floorboards, but the spores it releases into the air can travel throughout your entire home.
Crawl spaces are common in older homes because they can be more economical and easier to construct. In some cases, however, crawl spaces also provide a breeding ground for mold. Mold is an opportunistic organism that will take hold wherever there is moisture. Crawl spaces are particularly susceptible to mold due to the high humidity often prevalent in these areas, as they are completely enclosed and do not allow for ventilation.
If you have mold in the crawl space of your Northern Utah home, call Bio Clean of Utah at 801-335-3227.
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