Dangerous Types of Mold & How to Prevent Them

Some molds, like those that appear on bread when you leave it out for too long, are harmless unless you ingest them. Others can cause severe health problems just by being in close proximity to you and your loved ones.

Dealing with dangerous molds is never fun, but it’s an important task that can be handled by professional. After reading, you’ll know why mold appears in the first place and how you can prevent it from coming back.

Mold in Your Home: What Does It Mean?

Mold on its own is unpleasant to deal with. However, its presence indicates a larger problem affecting the rest of your home: high moisture content.

Mold can only survive in places with high amounts of moisture. Without a damp environment, mold can’t thrive—so mold is a sign that your home is too wet. You can imagine how this ends up being an issue for your home. Besides the mold, you’ll also deal with higher energy bills, wood rot, and sagging floors as moisture permeates your living space.

How Does Mold Get into Your Home?

If you live in a home with a crawl space, mold can easily grown down there. Over time, mold releases spores which get caught in the air current moving up into your home from the crawl space. Mold will latch onto the dampest areas of your home, usually in a bathroom, behind a kitchen sink, around windowsills, or near air vents.

Common Molds to Find in Your Home

There are multiple types of mold that you may find yourself contending with. The most common include:

Cladosporium
Penicillium
Alternaria
Stachybotrys chartarum

Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Alternaria can all cause respiratory problems in individuals with poor immune systems or previous health conditions. These molds tend to impact the quality of the air in your home while leaving your structural supports alone.

Stachybotrys chartarum, or black mold, is one of the more severe mold types you may find yourself contending with. This mold can not only cause severe health conditions in everyone who comes into contact with it unprotected, but it can also cause structural damage to the home it’s found in.

How to Remove Mold From Your Home

Small amounts of mold can be handled by homeowners with the proper tools and protection. For tiny clusters of mold in your home, follow these steps:

1. Use eye protection and cover your skin
2. Create a solution of bleach and water or use commercial mold remover products
3. Scrub the affected areas with rags or sponges
4. Pat the area dry

However, mold that has overtaken a large area (or is causing health issues) should only be handled by professionals. Call a trusted mold removal company in your area for quotes and details to get a big picture view of the process.

Preventing Mold Growth in Your Home

Removing mold is a necessary step, but it can’t be the only step you take. After all, the only way to stop mold is to cut off its access to moisture. If you truly want to keep mold out of your home, you’ll need to take a few steps. Here are the best ways to prevent mold from growing in your home:

Install a Crawl Space Dehumidifier

Mold thrives in dark, damp crawl spaces. One of the best ways to control mold in a crawl space is with a dehumidifier.

With one installed, you can avoid having high humidity in the crawl space itself, and by extension, in your living space. Without humid air, mold won’t be able to grow and your home will stay fungus free.

Install a Vapor Barrier

Another way to keep your crawl space free of mold is with a vapor barrier. Placed along the perimeter walls of your crawl space, it does exactly as its name describes: it creates a protective shield against moisture. Without moisture and humidity seeping in from the outside, mold won’t have a chance to grown in your crawl space and spread into your home.

Installer sealing vapor barrier in crawl space.

Install Crawl Space Drainage

Groundwater is a major source of moisture for any crawl space. Having a leg up on it keep the area dry and prevents mold growth.

Installing a crawl space drainage system is the best way to quickly capture and remove groundwater before it has a chance to pool below your home. Without water, mold won’t be able to take root.

Keep Mold Out With Crawl Space Repair From Alpha Foundations

Mold spores are prevalent all across the nation. It’s up to you to determine how you want them to interact with your home. By taking a few steps to protect your space, you can make your home uninhabitable for ambitious spores and preserve both your space’s structural integrity and overall value.

If you want help dealing with mold or related damage, you can reach out to the foundation and crawl space repair professionals in your area. Our team at Alpha Foundations can provide a home inspection and a free quote on the repair services you may need. Put water back in its place and keep mold out!

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Ted Dryce

Content Writer

Ted is an SEO Content Writer who has been with Groundworks since 2021. He’s covered home repair topics ranging from crawl space encapsulation to regional soil conditions. When he’s not working, Ted is performing improv comedy and working on his own creative projects.