Molds love dark, damp basements but they can grow really quickly, spreading in all directions across the entire house. That foul odor from your basement won’t just go away on its own or stay confined to the basement. The mold colony behind it is marching out to other parts of your home.
Mold spores can quickly spread from your basement to other parts of your home, especially around other damp areas. Even when they’re not noticed on the walls and other surfaces, they can pollute the air in the space. Airborne mold spores can spread through air vents to other areas of the home, polluting breathable air, making your entire home less safe and less healthy.
In this guide, we’ll help you stop basement mold growth dead in its tracks in your basement. We’ll help you spot the early signs and squash it before it reaches dangerous levels.
Here’s all you need to know to control basement mold.
Can Mold in the Basement Affect the Whole House?
Mold is present everywhere, but it’s mostly imperceptible and innocuous. It reaches unhealthy levels when it leaves glaring physical signs on surfaces, or has a damp, rancid odor. If the mold in your basement reaches intolerable levels, the effects can quickly spread across the home, affecting your indoor air quality.
Mold can quickly latch on to any dark, humid spot around your home. Growth factors like moisture and low light, which commonly characterize basements, can quickly accelerate the spread of mold. Eventually, they’ll advance from the basement across every surface in your home, from the floors to the walls and ceilings, spreading from the ground floor upstairs.
And even before it appears physical upstairs, it can contaminate the breathable air there right from its base in the crawlspace. As all fungi, molds release microscopic, airborne spores that travel in air currents around the home. The microscopic, lightweight particles can be suspended midair indefinitely, carried around through vents, windows, and pocket of spaces around the house, including upstairs.
What Does Basement Mold Look Like?
Many different types of mold can grow in your basement. Each type manifests in different shades and colors, and it can be quite tricky for an untrained eye to identify the early signs of any particular mold type. In the beginning, they can appear as a tiny speck of dirt or small stains on the wall, floor, or ceiling. When left uninhibited, they expand overtime, changing in shape, size and color as they grow and are joined by other mold species.
Here are some of the most common types of basement mold and their physical appearance:
Chaetomium
Aspergillus
Alternaria
Penicillium
Stachybotrys
What Factors Support Mold Growth
As earlier said, molds thrive in damp, dark areas around the home. They need oxygen, warmth, and darkness. But moisture is the primary growth factor – leave moisture on just about any surface for long enough and you’ll soon notice mold infestation. Growth is catalyzed when the space is enclosed at warm temperatures with low light.
Water leakages around the home create a breeding ground for mold. The most common sources of moisture in a home includes:
- Floods
- Storms
- Leaky pipes (i.e., shower, plumbing)
- Water leaks through walls
- Crawl space
Other factors that can trigger mold growth include:
- Poor HVAC ductwork
- Dirty windows and doors
- Abandoned clothing and shoes
Can Mold Spores Travel Through Floors?
Mold growth around the home owes to three main environmental factors: moisture and low light, organic matter to feed on, and space to grow on.
Moisture and low light provide the background for the colonies. Mold spores floating around the air will settle down when they approach a moist surface with habitable conditions.
One colony can release airborne spores that are carried to other warm, moist areas. For instance, your basement mold can spread to a leaky shower upstairs, a leaky kitchen pipe, or sewer pipes. Airborne mold spores can remain suspended in the air indefinitely until they find a conducive environment to settle in or are removed by human intervention.
When they settle into a colony, they begin feeding on organic materials in the vicinity. In scavenging for nutrients and minerals, they break down the materials they feed on, leaving rot, stains, degradation, and other types of physical damages on their trail. And as they feed, grow, and reproduce, they reach for more space, expanding their colony surface area. On average, colonies grow about a square inch per day. That means in about a week, they can spread several square feet, and over time, the mold colony in the basement affect upstairs and other parts of your home.
The best way to conquer mold is preventing them from advancing into dangerous growth phases. Early intervention prevents air contamination from airborne spores and halts the unhealthy spread of mold colonies. As we’ll be explaining below, control measures include removing moisture, improving ventilation, and seeking professional assistance.
Can Mold in the Basement Make You Sick?
Mold exposure is inevitable in our daily lives, but there are dangerous levels of it. We live in a sea of molds and every type emits toxins. At higher concentrations, mold spores produce high levels of toxins and allergens, which can give rise to myriads of health problems. When you notice mold creeping up your bathroom walls, your concerns shouldn’t just be aesthetical but health conscious as well.
Allergens from molds mostly affect the respiratory system, but the effects of mold exposure on the body can be more widespread.
Respiratory symptoms include coughing, sneezing, itchy throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, and asthma. Other symptoms include itchy eyes or red eyes, skin irritation, headaches, and congestion. You can experience these symptoms if you touch or inhale mold spores.
People with allergies, sensitivities, or asthma are especially more susceptible. They’re more likely to experience these symptoms at higher intensities, oftentimes coming down with a hay-fever-like condition. Children, seniors, and people with a relatively weaker immune system are also more susceptible
The reaction time can also differ from person to person. Some react instantly while others over time. They may also contract long-term chronic illnesses from exposure.
Is It Safe to Live in a House With Mold in the Basement?
You should always be concerned about mold buildup in any part of your home. You might think that mold is contained to the physical growth site, but it isn’t – it’s probably already filling your lungs and kidney with toxins. Every type of mold produces toxins – substances that can cause health problems, possibly leading to chronic or irreversible health issues. They’re even more dangerous when they lurk in hidden or concealed spaces like your basement. You may be able to cover the mold marks on your walls and ceilings, but it could leave you with permanent scars or injuries.
Early detection and treatment not only helps stem mold growth but also prevents complex health concerns. Mold removal experts use special technologies to probe mold in hidden spaces. An effective mold treatment sweeps through every nook and cranny of the home to remove every dangerous mold buildup from its hiding place. If you allow mold to keep on growing uninhibited in your basement, not only will it spread sporadically around the house, but the buildup of airborne toxins is then carried around the house. The air is increasingly polluted while you’re oblivious to it.
Some of the more serious physical issues include:
- Respiratory symptoms like a blocked or stuffy nose, shortness of breath
- Asthmatic symptoms, including life-threatening asthma attacks
- Cognitive issues like memory loss and difficulties concentrating
If you experience any of the symptoms above and don’t have a history of allergies or respiratory issues, it’s imperative to go for medical intervention immediately. Reporting early not only helps bring quick relief but also prevents further complications and lingering issues.
How Do You Get Rid of Mold in the Basement?
If a pungent stench is coming from your basement or molds are marching down any part of your home, you generally have two options – tackle it alone or get professional help. The second option is strongly advised if there are serious underlining water damages and the mold has covered an extensive area. Small buildups are less dangerous to tackle without much professional help.
If you’re going to do it on your own, the first thing you should do is find and eliminate the moisture buildup. Again, serious water issues should be left to professionals – besides the likelihood of failing to tackle them effectively, a botched job might leave you with even more water damage.
Using Dehumidifiers
A moisture control system like a dehumidifier can help with minor water issues. Simply leave the humidifier turned on in your basement until the waterlogs are gone. Also, open up the vents and windows in the basement to optimize airflow.
Removing Mold With Bleach
To remove the mold, you can use mold-killing agents like bleach or vinegar. A mix with equal parts of bleach and water should do.
Before getting down to it, make sure you have the proper personal protective equipment gear – a safety suit, a mask, protective eyewear, rubber gloves, and snug shoes. Soak the affected area in the solution for 20–30 minutes, then scrub and rinse out.
When to Call in a Mold Remediation Company
For a more effective, thorough cleansing, professional mold removers use special tools and mold-killing materials to eradicate mold. They’ll use special visualization tools like infrared technology and drones to locate the mold spots wherever they may be hidden. Professional removal services operate with clinical precision, providing a thorough, lasting solution. By beating back mold thoroughly, they can save you time and money down the line, forestalling any further appearance and spread of mold in your house as well as any serious health issues from prolonged mold exposure.
You can easily stay on top of the mold in your basement or any other part of your home. Just make sure it doesn’t grow to dangerous levels – nip it right when you notice it. Early detection and intervention are key to conquering mold in your property. You can keep every part of your home safe from mold by keeping it at bay in your basement. Cleaning out your basement also helps make the rooms upstairs safer and healthier.
To achieve this, you need to identify and plug water issues leading to basement moisture, and then stop the mold growth dead in its tracks with mold-killing agents like bleach, vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide.
However, you’ll get the best result with professional intervention. At Moisture Masters Pros LLC, we’ll help you deal with mold growth of any shape or size. We’ll engineer the most effective solution for underlining water problems before using state-of-the-art tools and equipment to zero in on every mold spot around your home.
Call us today for a thorough mold inspection.
