Your home's crawl space is an area where you store a sump pump and other items. This underground area can be susceptible to mold due to its location deep within your home's foundation. Since it's separate from the rest of your house you may not notice the signs of mold damage right away. Here are 4 signs you may have mold in your crawl space and what you can do to help keep it from returning.
Lack of insulation
Foam insulation around the cracks and crevices of your crawl space helps keep out moisture. If your insulation is weak or you have no insulation in your crawl space at all, you run the risk of having a mold problem now or in the future. An HVAC specialist can insulate your crawl space for you so it is well-protected from moisture buildup that commonly occurs in crawl spaces, basements, and even attics.
Even if your crawl space is well insulated, if you don't have any type of air flow in the room, moisture in the air can pose a threat to the space and allow mold to thrive. You can ventilate the area by cracking open a window (if there is one) or placing a dehumidifier in the room that you turn on for a few hours at a time when you are home. You can also have your HVAC specialist install a fan that blows intermittently to keep moisture content at bay.
Cracks in walls/flooring
Crawl spaces are typically outfitted with cement walls and floors, or may just have a simple wall structure and dirt flooring. Any cracks in the walls or flooring that make up your crawl space can allow moisture from your foundation to get inside. Touch your crawl space's walls and see if they feel clammy or damp. They should feel cool but not moist. If they are moist, then you may have minute cracks that need attention. An HVAC or cement technician can spray your walls with a waterproof material that can help keep foundation moisture from getting into your crawl space.
Musty odors/stains on walls
Mold smells like an old dish rag or wet dirt, which can be hard to notice in a crawl space at first sniff. However, mold also comes in many hues, such as red, yellow, green, and even black, and stains walls even after it's been removed. If you smell mold or see stains on the wall, contact a mold remediation company right away for assistance.
The best way to keep mold from returning is prevention. Keep your crawl space dry by insulating it, having proper air flow, and watching for signs of recurrence. Your HVAC contractor can give you further advice for crawl space encapsulation or any other way you can keep mold away.