Crawl Space Mold Care

Crawl spaces that are left exposed to the ground or the outside air are ideal breeding grounds for mold and mildew. As humidity rises from the ground or enters through crawl space vents, wood and insulation collect moisture and form a habitat for fungi. The wood or insulation create food, and the moisture provides the water that mold and mildew need to survive. If you aren’t focusing on mold care for your crawl space, you’ll more than likely encounter this damaging scenario.

Why Mold and Mildew in Your Crawl Space Are Problematic

Many people believe that because the mold and mildew are in the crawl space (where they never go), these fungi aren’t problematic. Unfortunately, this belief just isn’t true. Mold spores are microscopic and can easily travel through the air as it rises up from the crawl space into the upper levels of your home.

Once mold spores are in your living areas, they can cause a variety of physical symptoms, including coughing, eye irritation, and headaches. For those who have allergies, these symptoms can be severe.

If mold is allowed to thrive long enough, it indicates that moisture is likely rotting the wood in your crawl space. Eventually, the deterioration may result in structural failure, which is extremely costly to repair.

What Causes Crawl Space Moisture?

If you have a severe mold problem, you may wonder how enough moisture gathered in your crawl space to produce such a high amount of mold. There are a few ways that water can get into crawl spaces.

Most crawl spaces are built directly on the dirt below the home, which allows moisture from the ground into the crawl space. This moisture fills the air as humidity and gets into the sub-structure. Surface condensation adds to this moisture if the crawl space isn’t sufficiently ventilated. If a home isn’t properly graded, rain can also enter the crawl space. Every time there’s a heavy rain, water flows in, creating puddles.

How We Prevent Mold in Your Crawl Space

First, you’ll need to make sure you don’t have an existing mold problem. Mold may not be immediately visible, particularly if it’s residing in insulation. It’s a good idea to have an inspection to identify if mold needs to first be removed.

Once all mold has been removed, you’ll want to make sure it doesn’t return. Mold care treatment is a liquid that is applied to the wooden substructure of a crawl space to prevent mold from growing on the floor joist, sills, and subfloor. We use Bora-Care with Mold-Care, which is one of the industry’s leading products for the control of mold fungi. It is also helps prevent an infestation of termites and other wood destroying pests.

This treatment pays for itself many times over, as it protects your home from damage that can impact your home’s value and be costly to repair.