How to prevent mold in your basement or crawl space.

Worried that you might get mold in your basement or crawl space? Or have you had mold in the past and want to learn how to better prevent it?

In case you missed the first mold prevention post we'll start at the beginning.

Let's start with the basics. Mold needs three things to grow.

1. Mold Spores

2. Food Source

3. Excess Moisture

You can't control No. 1 since mold grows naturally.

You're probably wondering what kind of food mold likes to eat. Well you can't control No. 2, the food source, since our buildings are constructed with materials that are food sources for mold.

So let's concentrate on the only thing we can control - excess moisture.

What causes excess moisture that enables mold to grow on surfaces within our homes and commercial buildings?

Basements are often damp.

They are built underground so naturally the chance of excess moisture is increased.

What can you do?

Let's start with the most important item you can purchase, a dehumidifier.

Dehumidifiers can help maintain an ideal humidity near 50% in the basement. be sure to get one with a built in pump, if possible, so the dehumidifier can run continuously without needing to empty the condensate collection bucket.

Moisture along block walls can cause efflorescence to form on the walls or possibly even some mold growth. Applying a masonry waterproofer can help inhibit efflorescence and mold growth on the block walls.

What if you have a crawl space?

Damp crawl spaces can provide necessary conditions for mold growth. Mold growth in a crawl space can easily infiltrate into the living areas of the home.

What can you do?

For starters crawl spaces should have a vapor barrier on the floor, and sometimes the walls, to prevent water from getting in. The vapor barrier isn't effective unless it is sealed to be air-tight.

For very wet areas a sump and pump may be necessary to keep water from accumulating under the vapor barrier.

Just like a basement, a dehumidifier may be necessary to keep the relative humidity near 50%.