{"id":336,"date":"2014-08-20T09:00:29","date_gmt":"2014-08-20T09:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.assuranceenvironmental.ca\/blog\/?p=336"},"modified":"2014-08-26T13:21:11","modified_gmt":"2014-08-26T13:21:11","slug":"basement-mold-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.assuranceenvironmental.ca\/blog\/2014\/08\/basement-mold-free\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Keep Your Basement Mold Free"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"mold<\/a>People think that a little\u00a0mold\u00a0is not that big a deal. However, a\u00a0mold\u00a0problem can appear to be focused in one\u00a0little area\u00a0when it is festering behind walls, underneath floors, or behind appliances. Once water enters your basement or\u00a0crawlspace,\u00a0mold\u00a0can appear within in as little as 24 to 48 hours. When it comes to mold\u00a0inspection, professionals spotting a little\u00a0mold\u00a0will realize you may have a bigger problem than you think. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to not let it start in the first place.<\/p>\n

Precautions You Need to Take to Pass a\u00a0Mold\u00a0Inspection<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In general, to pass a\u00a0mold\u00a0inspection, you need to take care of three different parameters in your basement or\u00a0crawlspace. The level of humidity\u00a0should be low. The temperature should be on the cool side, as warmth generates a better environment for\u00a0mold to thrive. Also, make sure to control any aspects that can contribute to a more humid and hot environment.<\/p>\n

Keep Water Out of Your Basement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is your top priority. Without dampness,\u00a0mold\u00a0won\u2019t grow. Basements and\u00a0crawlspaces\u00a0can be sealed against moisture. Here are a\u00a0few precautions\u00a0to take to make sure water doesn\u2019t enter the basement or\u00a0crawlspace:<\/p>\n

Cover\u00a0crawlspaces\u00a0with moisture barriers<\/em><\/strong> – Put a sheet of plastic down in a\u00a0crawlspace\u00a0to keep the natural moisture from the earth from traveling up into your floorboards or joists.<\/p>\n

Look into a dehumidifier<\/em><\/strong> – If you still have some dampness, add a dehumidifier to the basement area.<\/p>\n

Pump out excess water promptly<\/em><\/strong> – If your basement is subject to flooding, install a sump pump so that you can pull the water out of the basement quickly, before\u00a0mold\u00a0has a chance to grow.<\/p>\n

Wrap exposed piping<\/em><\/strong> – Pipes have a temperature differential that\u00a0encourages\u00a0condensation of moisture in the air. Wrap the pipes and you\u2019ll eliminate that problem.<\/p>\n

Maintain a Cool Environment<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Keep the air moving<\/strong><\/em> – Stalled air can also lead to\u00a0mold\u00a0issues. If you want to make sure your basement or\u00a0crawlspace\u00a0has the necessary ventilation in it to keep things dry and cool, make sure to add fans and venting.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t vent your dryer into the\u00a0crawlspace<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0– Home appliances, like a dryer, can end up creating more problems when vented into a\u00a0crawlspace\u00a0due to the way they raise the temperature.<\/p>\n

Control the Environment<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Slope water away from the\u00a0basement<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0– Grade the property so water runs away from the foundation, not towards it.<\/p>\n

Keep your downspouts pointed away from the basement<\/em><\/strong> – If you have gutters, rain chains, or spouts, make sure that they are kept free of debris so that they move water away from the home, not into it.<\/p>\n

Keep landscaping bare near basement foundation<\/em><\/strong> – Avoid heavy bushes or trees planted near your foundation as they can collect water and keep it in an area close to the basement.<\/p>\n

If mold has already grown in your basement, contact a mold removal company<\/a> to first test whether there is indeed mold and if there is, to remove it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

People think that a little\u00a0mold\u00a0is not that big a deal. However, a\u00a0mold\u00a0problem can appear to be focused in one\u00a0little area\u00a0when it is festering behind walls, underneath floors, or behind appliances. Once water enters your basement or\u00a0crawlspace,\u00a0mold\u00a0can appear within in as … Read More »<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[30,28,29],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.assuranceenvironmental.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.assuranceenvironmental.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.assuranceenvironmental.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.assuranceenvironmental.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.assuranceenvironmental.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=336"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.assuranceenvironmental.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":338,"href":"http:\/\/www.assuranceenvironmental.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336\/revisions\/338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.assuranceenvironmental.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.assuranceenvironmental.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.assuranceenvironmental.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}