Mold And Your North Carolina Crawl Space

By Author: Bradley Nixon
Total Articles: 45
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Is your North Carolina crawl space damp or moist? Your crawl space is the perfect neighborhood for mold to move right on in and start growing. Most molds begin to grow when the temperature is at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit and has a relative humidity of 60%. Sounds like your crawl space, right? Relative humidity is the amount of water vapor present in the air. This moisture that provides life to your crawl space mold comes from water vapor passing through the pores of concrete, groundwater flooding, crawl space vents, and the dirt floor in your crawl space.

Mold Vs. Your Home

Mold prefers dark areas, limited airflow, and little disruption. It feasts off of damp and organic materials. This means any glues, paint, cardboard storage boxes, dust, fabric, and fiberglass resins can become mold food. Because of this, mold has been known to cause various types of structural damage as it eats away at floors joists. This is one more reason to act sooner, rather then later, when it comes to mold. As the damage gets worse, the expense to repair the damage will increase.

Eliminating mold can be tough! There are many ...
... different temporary solutions for mold cleanup -- including bleach solutions, biocides, and specialized cleaning agents. Unfortunately, these solutions tend to be ineffective on porous surfaces like concrete, wood, and mortar. Also, when you clean up the mold with these temporary solutions, you do not target the root of the problem. Instead are just creating a delay until the mold returns.

As mold advances into its reproductive age, it releases seedlike spores into the air. These spores can last for years, waiting for the right conditions for to begin growing. When these conditions present themselves, they can begin to grow in as little as 24-48 hours. This is why it is best to call in a mold remediation specialist that will solve your crawl space mold problem once and for all.

Mold Vs. Your Health

Mold not only harms your home -- it also harms the people living in it. Mold causes headaches, stuffy noses, fatigue and more. Mold exposure creates a higher risk in:
* Those with Asthma or Allergies
* Pregnant Women and Infants
* The Elderly
* Individuals Taking Medication
* Children 6-12 Years old.

Time Magazine reports that hundreds of thousands of mold spores may be present in a single cubic meter of air, with the average person inhaling 10 to 12 cubic meters of air each day. Approximately 50% of homes have at least one resident with allergies, and 90% of people with allergies show sensitivity to mold spores. These people can react to mold when they are exposed though inhaling, ingestion or skin contact.

Mold cleanup can be hazardous to your health. One type of mold, Black Mold, can have spores with a fungus that produce carcinogenic “mycotoxins” that are linked to liver cancer, lung cancer, chronic liver damage, endocrine problems, and many others. This is not a problem that will go away when ignored!

It is best to call in the professionals when dealing with crawl space mold in Charlotte, and other surrounding areas. Visit Dry-Pro Basement Systems online for a free mold removal inspection and estimate.