Mold in your basement can thrive almost anywhere that conditions allow and removing mold from your basement can range anywhere from a quick fix to a nightmare mold removal job that costs many thousands in replacement and repair costs.

Do I have mold in my basement?

Detecting mold in your basement is as simple as seeing mold or smelling mold. A moist, mold ridden basement has a distinctive odour that will not smell like other rooms in your home. These are your first clues that you have a mold or mildew problem that will need to be fixed for health reasons and to avoid huge costs associated with replacing everything in your basement that can range anywhere from carpet and drywall to all of your furniture and in some bad cases, even the framing will need work done to remove the mold.

Causes of mold in the basement:

Common causes of mold in your basement almost always stem from excessive moisture finding entry to your basement. This can come from a leaky foundation, improper landscaping around your home that traps water, poor ventilation that cannot circulate fresh air to help with controlling humidity, pipes that are left un insulated and form condensation, water seepage from other areas of your home that are letting in water from outside, and leaky plumbing.

Fixing the source of mold infestations:

Detecting the source of your basement moisture problem can be a tricky one, but it is important that you find the root cause of the moisture that is letting mold take over your basement before you begin any repair work. Simply covering up damaged areas with new carpet or wallpaper will only hide the problem for a short time and you will have wasted money on materials that will soon need replacing again. Carefully inspecting the foundation of your home and tracing plumbing for leaks can lead you to the source. If water is still finding its way into your basement, it is time to inspect other areas above your basement that could be leaking water.

Water does not always take a direct route, so when inspecting a leak that you suspect is coming from above, you will need to have a thorough look at the entire home to determine the cause. Sometimes it is as easy as not letting your clothes line dry in the basement. For a large family, air drying everything that is washed in a week's time can add up to an incredible amount of moisture in your basement.

When you have detected the moisture problem and have applied the proper fix, you can now begin the process of removing mold busters from your basement.

Removing basement mold:

Most surfaces that are porous, such as wallpaper, carpet, or furniture are very difficult to remove mold from and you will simply have to replace these things if you want to rid yourself of mold spores and a higher likelihood of mold returning to your basement after a cleanup job. Surfaces like wood should be sanded to remove the mold and smooth surfaces like glass or finished concrete will be even easier to remove mold from with a good cleaning solution and scrubbing.

You will have to thoroughly wash the area where the mold has established and then treat the area to help prevent future outbreaks of mold by using a borate based cleaning solution. Any water left from the cleaning process should be quickly taken care of with fans and lots of ventilation to remove excessive humidity.

If you are experiencing an overwhelming mold problem in your basement, hiring a mold removal contractor is always a wise choice to ensure that the mold is safely removed and any underlying problems are fixed so that it does not come back. Getting rid of mold in your basement will not only save you money in the future with the associated costs of replacing materials more often than you should need to, it will also reduce the health risks associated with mold and keep your family safe.

Cleaning Mold in My Home or Business - 3 Facts You Should Know Before Cleaning Mold Yourself

Mold can be one of the worst things to find in your home. It can ruin the air quality and it will only get worse until you take action against it. While it is possible to take care of the mold cleanup problem yourself, there are a few things you should know before you attempt to tackle the problem alone.

One of the first things to know is that the mold may be in multiple places throughout your home. You may only know about one of the areas because that is what's visible. Mold can linger under floor boards, behind walls and even in the attic of your home. Any moisture will allow the mold to grow, which is actually eating away at the infrastructure of your house very slowly.

A professional mold removal company will actually be able to use high grade sensors to detect where all the mold is. This will ensure that every area that mold is growing is properly addressed, removed and cleaned. If you are determined to clean the mold yourself, you will need to try and purchase a retail detection system so that you eliminate the entire problem.

Another thing to know is that mold will continue to grow unless the moisture problem has been properly rectified. If there is a slow drip from a pipe behind your wall, you might be able to perform mold cleanup but it won't stay gone for long. You must first ensure that the moisture problem is completely gone before you remove mold from home, otherwise it's just a waste of time and resources.

If you have located the moisture problem, you can then fix the entire problem. If it was because of one spill, then it is a fairly easy problem to correct. If it is because of a pipe, a hole in the roof or another issue, you will need to call in professionals to fix the problem before you continue to remove mold from home.

The third fact to consider when you start to clean mold is the chemicals that you use. Many of the retail products are designed to get rid of the mold but won't do anything about treating the wood or other area to prevent mold from growing there in the future. It's important to consider everything when you're taking the time to clean the mold and when you're not taking preventative measures, you leave yourself open to future threats.

There's a difference between retail and commercial products. A mold removal will use commercial products to ensure that the mold clean up is effective and will remove mold from home now and in the future because of the preventative barrier that they spray on to the surface.

You need to make sure that the mold cleanup is done effectively, otherwise you could be damaging your home as well as the air quality for you and your family. A mold removal company knows all the facts and can make life easier for you when it comes time to remove mold from home.