The Importance of Removing Mold From Your Crawl Space

Mold is devastating to your home and health. However, many homeowners don’t know where to look for mold, so they don’t know if they need mold removal services. One of the most common areas of the home where mold grows is the crawl space. Below is more information about why removing mold from your crawl space is so important.

Why Does Mold Form in Crawl Spaces?

Out of all of the places in your home for mold to form, why does it grow so often in crawl spaces? One of the main reasons is because of water buildup or dampness. Mold thrives in damp areas, and many crawl spaces provide the perfect breeding ground. Also, mold growth here often goes unchecked because many homeowners don’t treat their crawl spaces as part of their actual homes. As a result, they never check it for mold growth.

Health Hazard

Another big reason to remove mold from your crawl space is because it’s a health hazard. When mold grows in here, it starts to contaminate the air. This air can travel upward and infect the air that you breath every day.

In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency says that nearly 50 percent of the air inside of your home comes from the crawl space or basement. This is because warm air rises and escapes via the roof. Then it’s replaced with the cool air from the crawl space or basement. As the air circulates into the house, it brings mold spores with it.

Structural Damage

Besides causing you harm, mold also causes damage to the structure of your house. Mold can destroy the wood studs that act as the foundation for your home. Once the wood suffers damage, it puts the entire integrity of your home at risk. In some cases, the home becomes unlivable, so the wood studs have to be replaced.

Mold is a silent killer. To make matters worse, most homeowners aren’t even aware of the mold in their crawl spaces. Consider having a professional check your crawl space for mold growth. You may find that it needs waterproofing to prevent future mold growth.