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Household Mold and How it Can Destroy Your Basement

Mold in the basement of the house is the most common problem for the home owners in the NYC area.
You can confirm the growth of mold with a musty smell and if you and your family members have constant headaches, runny nose, irritation in eyes etc. The mold in the basement will appear in a white, blue or black spots. Mold can grow very rapidly in the basements, because there will be very less ventilation and in most of the homes it is the least used space. When the basement is not used and cleaned often, dust starts accumulating which feeds mold to grow quickly. Mold grows on all organic surfaces making it very difficult to clean.

There can be many reasons for the growth of mold in your basement. It can be a leaking pipe, crack in the wall that lets rain water seep or a bad landscaping. All these problems lead to constant presence of moisture in the basement creating perfect atmosphere for mold to grow.

If the slope of the landscaping is towards the house, the excess water will seep into the house. Always make sure the slope is away from the house or channel drains to remove excess water. Any leaks in the pipe inside the wall will give wet spots on the wall thus paving way for mold.

Thinking that an anti-fungal paint will kill the mold and stop it from reappearing is a bad idea. Mold loves to feed on paint and the anti-fungal paint can never kill the mold nor can it stop it from growing. So you need to act fast and take steps to remove the mold as soon as possible. Because mold reproduces through seeds called spores and Time Magazine states that there can be thousands of spores in one cubic meter of air in the indoors. If you don't get rid of the mold properly in its initial stages, there is every chance that it will spread throughout the house and cause severe health problems to the people and the pets living in the house.
The first step in the cleaning mold from your basement will be to make the basement clutter free. Usually we tend to dump all the unused or less used things in the basement. Remove all the objects and look for any signs of mold growth on them. If you find mold growing on these things, decide if you want to dispose of it or get it cleaned. The best thing would be to discard all the materials infested by the mold.

Look for the mold growth on the insulation, window panels, wooden studs, fibre glass, dry walls etc. mold can grow on all porous materials. All it needs is moisture and humidity to sustain.

Next, look for the source of the moisture. If you think the problem is inside the walls, then tear the walls and fix the problem. If the problem looks big, then hire a plumber to fix the problem. Once, the leaking problem is fixed, clean the mold with a mold killing solution. If you start cleaning the mold without fixing the problem, no chemical or biocide can stop the mold from re appearing.

Once all area is cleaned, wipe it dry with a clean cloth and let the area dry completely. If possible use a dehumidifier or a blow fan to dry the basement completely. Once you are sure there is no moisture left, use special paints and water proof coatings to secure the basement from future moisture intrusions. Be careful when you are moving the furniture back into the basement. Make sure you are not reintroducing mold to the basement. Double check the entire items for any traces of mold.

If the mold problem is big enough for you to handle, always hire a professional mold removing contacted to get the mold removed professionally and completely.




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