Mold is a very problematic situation and if your house is showing signs of mold, especially in places like the basement, then that is a disaster and you must perform mold removal. After removal, you want to know how to prevent this moldy growth from targeting your basement, so here’s a guide.
How Do I Stop My Basement From Getting Mold?
Fix Leaks Right Away
The basement is not only the place where a lot of weird sounds come from. But don’t worry, this isn’t a horror movie. In fact, all of the banging and gurgling sounds come from the pipes in the basement.
A lot of basements have water and drain pipes, which is fine because it’s all concealed, but what is not is that they have the potential to leak. And when pipes leak, water is going to accumulate in this enclosed space and you don’t want that.
Water leaks are really common in the basement and what is also really common among people is the fact that they forget to check on the leaks. This causes the basement to get wet and dark, and since the place is all cooped up, there is literally no way for the water to evaporate. This causes mold formation. So, whatever you do, always identify leaks and fix them right away.
Ventilate The Basement
This is also another very important thing that you have to do when you want to prevent mold from taking over your basement. You have to ventilate the space. If your basement doesn’t have any ventilation, then you have to take measures to make one right away. This is going to be great for you in the long run.
See, the basement is a place where you only go when you need something, so obviously, you’re not going to visit it often. This is why you want to save yourself from the problem of mold by keeping it ventilated and getting rid of moisture. This is going to be a lifesaver for you and you won’t have to worry about checking the basement frequently.
Keep It Clutter-Free
A basement is probably the most disorganized place in your house. Well, even though you might think it’s not a big deal, it totally can be. Mold loves places that are cluttered and packed and have zero ventilation.
This makes it easier for mold to grow, thrive, and stay out of sight – the holy trinity of disaster. So, you must make an effort to get rid of any stuff that you don’t need in the basement and keep it as clutter-free as possible. You’ll see the difference yourself.
Check The Pump
A lot of the time, sump pumps are also situated in the basement and they’re usually put there to remove all of the excess water from the house’s foundation and drive it away elsewhere. But when a sump pump malfunctions, the water can find its way into the basement and it can get flooded, hence leading to mold formation. You definitely don’t want that to happen.
So, always check your sump pump to see if it’s working perfectly or not. This is going to save your basement from more than one disaster. However, if ever the sump pump fails and your basement floods, don’t delay calling in a water damage restoration Bethesda team.
Choose The Right Flooring
The flooring you choose for the basement can literally determine whether mold will be a pain in the neck for you or not. If you have really absorbent floors in your basement, then that is literally a sponge soaking up all of the water, and when you add basement and damp floors into one equation, then the result will be mold.
So, you want to choose floors that are water-resistant and repel water rather than giving them a home. Some options are ceramic, vinyl, or engineered flooring that are easily washable.
No Plants
If your basement is home to a lot of potted plants, then you have to remove them right away. See, plants need water and you will probably water them in the basement.
This can cause water to accumulate on the floors and if the basement is not ventilated, then that is a disaster waiting to happen. So, whatever you do, make sure that you don’t put plants in your basement. The basement is not the place to start a greenhouse.
Instead, you want to keep them in a palace that is ventilated and that has shade as well as sunlight. That will be the perfect place for the plants to thrive – not the basement.
Choose Fungus Repellent Paint
When you’re redoing the basement or even having your entire house painted, you want to make sure that you’re using a fungus repellent paint, especially in the basement, if not everywhere.
Fungus repellent paints and mold repellent paints are going to prevent the walls from trapping in water and they will create an impermeable layer on the wall surface and which will not allow mold to stick to the walls and grow further or deeper. This is a great way to prevent mold in the basement and in other places of the house too.
Basement Is Not A Place For Wood
If you like storing wood for the fireplace or if you live somewhere where you have to do that to keep yourself warm, then you need to place it anywhere but the basement. That is not a good idea at all.
Wood is not naturally dry. In fact, it contains a lot of moisture and when wood is all cooped up in a basement with no way for air to come in and out, then that is going to be an invitation for mold. The mold will start growing from the woods and in no time, the whole basement will be all musty and moldy.
Restore Quickly After Floods Or Leaks
One of the things that you absolutely have to do and cannot skip after a flood or leak or drain problem is to restore and mitigate. Mitigation involves removing all of the soiled and wet things in the basement, and restoration is the process of getting everything repaired, replaced, or dried.
This is a very important step that most people can forget about and if you do too, then this is the perfect time for mold to put down its roots and settle in the basement forever. It is literally a damp and dark dump, which is the ideal environment in which mold thrives.
Conduct Regular Inspections
You need to conduct regular inspections for mold in the basement. This is something that you can do after a really heavy rain or flood, or you can even do it as a yearly or bi-annual thing.
It is better to be safe than sorry and you definitely don’t want to be too late and find out that mold has already started infesting the entire basement. So, take timely action and prevent something bad from happening to your home.
Conclusion
Mold growth is really common in basements because these places go pretty much unnoticed. Well, now they won’t and now you know exactly how you can stop this literal parasite from ruining your home. However, if you’re already seeing mold growth, the best course of action should be to consider mold remediation Silver Spring.