Mold is one of the most dreaded and nastiest home invaders known to man. It silently creeps into inconspicuous parts of the house and starts rotting it from the inside out. It discolors walls, creates spots on the ceilings and floors, and rots any damp wood it seeps into. More importantly, mold infestation can be bad for your health. The spores that it releases can cause allergic reactions, asthma, itching, congestion, and rashes. It also releases quite an unpleasant odor.
One of the areas of your house most susceptible to mold is the basement. It’s an avenue of moisture and humidity basically making it heaven for mold. The basement drywall, in particular, is quite vulnerable. It absorbs moisture and provides the perfect breeding ground for mold.
Two common causes of mold in your basement are humidity and moisture. These can come from rain, groundwater, and floods from the outside. And it can also come from high levels of humidity inside the house caused by certain indoor activities like drying clothes inside and cooking. It can also come from unnoticed leaky pipes. Even if your basement seems dry, mold can go beyond your walls and ceilings. The worst part is that when mold does start growing on your basement drywall, there are minimal signs on the exterior. In many cases, the only solution to remove mold from the basement drywall is to replace the drywall itself. So, before anything like that needs to happen, it’s better to check up on those drywalls and apply some preventive measures.
Tips To Prevent Mold From Growing In Your Basement
1. Direct Water Away From Your Home
The first thing to do to protect your basement from the unwanted molds is to make sure that rain and groundwater don’t flow into it. Ensure that your downspouts are located at a certain distance away from your home. Check the basement windows and entrances for any leaks. And also check that your drainages are well-maintained.
2. Take Care of Spills and Leaks Immediately
Always check your pipes for leaks, especially the ones that aren’t visibly noticeable. Listen for suspicious dripping water at night, inspect that sudden increase in your water bill, and check your pipes for rust. If you can, insulate your basement pipes to avoid the condensation that forms on their exteriors from getting to your drywalls.
3. Avoid Humidifying Factors
When using your basement, make sure that appliances you bring down have exhausts directed to the outside. Things like dryers, stoves, air conditioners, and heaters can significantly increase the humidity in the room without a proper exhaust system. If you dry your clothes in the basement, make sure that there is plenty of ventilation. Open the windows or install dehumidifiers. Or simply dry your clothes outside to prevent the molds as long as the weather allows it. You should also avoid having plants and storing wood in your basement because they provide the right diet for mold and mildew.
4. Reduce Clutter
Aside from wood and plants, mold can also grow on the things you store in your basement. Things like your clothes, furniture, books, toys, and carpets are food sources for the mold. In addition to that, too many things in the basement prevent good airflow and reduce ventilation. So, instead of just dumping everything down there, try getting rid of the things you absolutely don’t need anymore. Avoid overstuffing your basement. If you have no other place to keep things you aren’t currently using, make sure that you store them properly and mold-proof them. Make sure they’re dry and keep them away from the walls.
5. Use an Exhaust Fan
To help prevent too much humidity in the basement, make sure to keep the air flowing. Use an exhaust fan and keep the doors and windows open. You can also try running a fan down there for a couple of hours to get rid of the humid air and welcome fresh air to the space. This would be a really helpful tip especially when you’re not actively using your basement.
6. Monitor Humidity Levels
Keeping tabs on the humidity levels in your basement would really help you stop molds from growing on places that you couldn’t regularly monitor like your basement drywall. Use a hygrometer to measure the humidity level in the room and make sure that it is within acceptable levels. A reading of 45 percent or more is more than enough for molds to flourish.