The most common type of mold you’ll find in your home is mold in the basement. The basement is underground and is usually not as well developed as the rest of the house, making it the perfect breeding place for mold. It’s usually a storage area with little heat, and it’s also a place where moisture can accumulate due to condensation on pipelines and even a leak. If you do not keep an eye on the conditions, such as excess moisture and dampness, which are good breeding grounds for basement mold, mold can really grow in the basement.
How to Eliminate Basement Mold
Basement mold is a common problem in houses. When interior humidity is high and moisture from water leaks exists, mold thrives. Mold can be identified by the existence of black specks on wet, water-damaged places. Here are some easy yet effective techniques to eliminate mold in your basement.
1. Wear protective clothing.
Wear protective clothing before starting. All are recommended to wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants or overalls, boots, latex or workingman gloves that reach up to the forearm, cap, and a full-face respirator mask. Eye goggles will increase your protection even more. After donning your protective clothing, you will be completely protected from skin disorders, asthma, allergies, and eye irritations.
2. Find the source of the water leak.
Identify all possible entry points for water and get them repaired or sealed. Possible causes include leaking flooring, ceilings from above, pipelines and water system leaks, and access sites during floods. In addition, water seeps in due to faults in the construction and poor maintenance.
3. Identify all infested areas.
Locate all mold-infested areas in the basement. These are usually seen on the backsides of paneling, wallpaper, carpets, and wood and wood products. Basement mold is most likely to be present without any visible evidence of mold, however, a musty smell abounds. Click this link to know more about mold removal.
4. Scrub the surfaces.
Scrub hard surface areas with a brush or scouring pad soaked in warm water and mild laundry detergent if mold shows up. Allow time for drying. Then wipe the area with a home-remedy fungicide and wait 20 minutes. Repeat and wait for 20 minutes. Lastly, use a detergent solution that contains borate as one of its ingredients to wipe the surface area. There is no need to rinse.
5. Spray some fungicide.
Fill a sprayer with fungicide and apply two coats to the basement’s walls, pipes, ceiling, and other mold-infested spots. Then, for one to two hours, quickly fan-dry the space to get rid of excess moisture. Visit PuroClean to learn more about mold remediation.
Conclusion
When you see that you have mold in your basement, the first thing you need to do is identify the source of the mold. If you find leaks or excess moisture, you should address the problem immediately to avoid the moisture from returning and the mold from spreading.
Then you’ll need to take care of basement mold elimination. Mold removal can be accomplished with a variety of sprays and cleaners available on the market. Lastly, you should ensure that the area is completely dry after cleaning to avoid basement mold from returning.