Black Mold in your Corinth/Iuka Crawlspace

3/9/2018 (Permalink)

What causes black mold damage in crawlspaces?

What causes black mold levels to become elevated in any environment are the same things, whether it’s in your bathroom vanity or below your home. Listed below are a few things mold needs to grow and expand inside a home is:

(1)The right temperatures

(2) food

(3) moisture

Unfortunately for us, mold is most comfortable in the same temperature range that we find comfortable, but can also thrive in considerably colder temps. And as for food, mold spores love  wood. That means the main components of your crawlspace, the floor joists and beams supporting your home, are the perfect food for toxic mold. So where does that leave us? Trying to measure and manage the one factor we can control: moisture. Here’s the main ways moisture enters your crawlspace:

Water pooling in your crawlspace

Most of your crawlspace resides underground. That can be troublesome when you have a water drainage problem outside of your home. 

In homes with crawlspaces, there is another potential cause of excess moisture: plumbing pipes. Both the supply lines and drain pipes that service your home’s plumbing systems are housed in this space. So if either develops a small leak, it can lead to a lot of water being dumped into your crawlspace.

Evaporating ground moisture

Depending on where you live your soil is going to naturally hold some moisture. If that is the case, that moisture can evaporate into your crawlspace.

Air from outside coming in through your vents

Your crawlspace needs to breathe. That’s why you’ll notice vents located around your home that allow air to exit your crawlspace. It also allows air to come into your crawlspace. In many cases, the air inside your crawlspace is cooler than the air outside. Cool air can’t hold as much moisture as warmer air, so the moisture trapped in the air turns to liquid as it cools in your crawlspace. Overtime, the moisture can create serious water issues that can allow for black mold growth.

If you suspect black mold in your home give SERVPRO of Corinth/Iuka a call today at (662)287-7881