As you may have seen in our previous ‘how to’ posts, mold in your home can cause serious health implications if it is not dealt with in a quick time. This remains true for the crawl space, due to potential for mold to grow in these spaces. This post looks at what might cause mold to grow in your crawl space and how you should remove it.

What Causes Mold in The Crawl Space?

Basement Cracks & Flooding

One of the ways mold can grow in your crawl space is through cracks in your basement floors or walls and potential flooding which could happen in your home. If you do have any cracks in your basement floor or walls then you should look to see if there is any moisture within these cracks which could cause mold growth.

Also for some crawl spaces, you may use plastic sheeting on the floor, which could trap water against the foundation walls. In addition, due to the nature of plastic and how it breaks down over time, holes could develop which allows water to seep through into the soil.

Humidity & Condensation

Another way mold can grow in your crawl space is if the humidity levels are high. The crawl space of a house can be the perfect environment for mold to grow. As a result, you should keep your humidity levels below 50% by using either fans or dehumidifiers.

How to Remove the Mold from Your Crawl Space

1. Where the Correct Protective Clothing

The first thing which you should do whenever you are going anywhere near suspected mold is to ensure that you are wearing the correct protective clothing. This includes wearing goggles, gloves, and N95 mask and coveralls.

2. Find the Source of the Mold Growth

The next step which you should take is to identify the source for the mold growth in your home. If you are able to find where the mold is growing then you will need to take steps at the end of the mold removal process to prevent it from growing back.

3. Choose the Mold Remediation Solution You Use

Vinegar

If you decide to use vinegar to remove mold from your crawl space then you need to mix it with water in a 1:1 ratio spray bottle.

You should then spray it over the affected area, leave to sit for a few minutes before scrubbing the area and rinsing with water afterwards.

Baking Soda

Should you decide to use baking soda as a mold-killing solution, then you should apply it over the infected area and leave to sit overnight.

The next day you should clean it all with water thoroughly.

Using baking soda is good because, not only does it kill any dead mold but also any other dirt that is in the affected area.

Mold Killing Agent

The final thing you could use to kill the mold is a mold killing agent, which you can buy at any hardware store.

You should follow the instructions which are on the bottle.

How to Prevent Mold Growth in a Crawl Space

Preventing mold growth in your crawl space is the best way to go, rather than having to fix mold growth in your home. If you have a crawl space in your home, then you should keep the area dry and well ventilated. You should also insulate your pipes and keep them sealed to prevent water from seeping into the dirt.

In addition, you should insulate your crawl space, which can be purchased from any hardware store. You should also use mechanical fasteners to attach insulation before sealing the seams with weatherstripping to prevent air from getting in.

If the current ventilation system doesn’t work that well then you should install a new one. If you do install another ventilation system, then you should check with your HVAC contractor as you don’t want the fresh air to be pushed into the crawl space.

Call the Experts To Remove Mold From Your Crawl Space

If you have mold growing in your crawl space and do not want to remove it yourself, then why not call Above & Beyond. We offer mold inspection & mold remediation services for customers across New Jersey state & New York City. We have also been offering our services for 25 years to Tri-State region and are certified professionals. If you have any questions or would like to get in touch with an expert, then contact us today.

As you may know, mold is not good for your home or your health. When it goes undetected, mold can cause unsightly stains and bad odors in areas of your home, but also reduce the air quality, which can badly affect your health and cause breathing difficulties. One of the most common areas where mold can grow is in the basement. This is because of the typical humid conditions that you get in the basement, the potential for pipes to leak and water condensation on cold surfaces. This guide looks at how you can remove mold from your basement.

What You Will Need

• Protective Equipment (Gloves, Mask, Boot Covers, Safety glasses)
• Drop cloth
• Contractor bags
• White vinegar
• Bleach
• Baking soda
• Concrobium
• Sandpaper
• Steam Cleaner
• Dehumidifier
• Fan
• Pry bar

Before You Begin

Before you start removing the mold from your basement, it is important that you identify what caused the mold to grow in the first place and you fix that issue. This is crucial because, if you are unable to solve the root cause of why mold grew there in the first place, then it could keep coming back.

In addition, each problem will require a different solution. For example, if a large amount of mold is growing in hidden locations which you may struggle to access (such as behind a wall), then it will continue to grow unless it is fully removed. For some repairs, you might be able to do it yourself, however if the repair requires removing drywall, then you might be better off calling a local expert.

Step 1: Preparation

The first thing you should do before you begin removing any mold, is prepare the room and get yourself protected. This includes, wearing all the protective equipment which is mentioned in the above list, opening any windows and turning on the fans to ensure the room has proper ventilation and laying down drop cloths to protect the flooring.

Step 2: Remove & Dispose of Damaged Materials

The next step is to remove any materials which have been damaged by mold and disposed of according to the regulations of your local legislation. This could include removing drywall from your home, which can be done using a pry bar. In addition, you might have to remove fabrics which show signs of mold, such as curtains or carpets.

Step 3: Spray A Mold Killing Solution onto the Surface

After that you should spray a mold killing solution onto the surface which has been affected by mold. The different solutions which you can use includes;

• White vinegar- use diluted white vinegar on nonporous surfaces, such as tiles. You should apply the white vinegar directly onto the surface, leaving for an hour then scrubbed off with a brush. This solution should not be used on drywall, insulation or concrete as it could break down these materials
• Baking soda- Mix 2 cups of water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda and apply the solution to the affected areas with a cloth or scrub brush. You can also create a more powerful mixture by mixing 2 parts baking soda, 1 part vinegar and 1 part water. You should use this solution on grout, drywalls and more porous surfaces
• Bleach- Add 1 cup of liquid bleach to 1 gallon of warm water and mix. The solution can be applied with a scrub brush to clean mold from tiles, appliances, pipes and other nonporous surfaces.
• Concrobium- This solution is a specialized mold removal spray and can come as a spray or a powerful solution, which has to be mixed with water.

Step 4: Scrub Off the Mold & Allow to Dry

The last step is to choose which solution you are going to use to kill the mold from those above before applying with a stiff bristle brush.

If you are cleaning a porous surface, you should use a cloth instead to avoid damaging the material.

Once you have scrubbed the surface, you should allow the area to completely dry before you sand down and repaint.

Too Much Hassle? Ask a Professional

If you are wary of removing mold from the basement yourself, then why not consider choosing a professional to do it for you. At Above & Beyond, we offer 24 hours mold inspection, testing and removal for all areas of your home, including the basement. We have been operating for 25 years and serving the homes and businesses of New Jersey & New York. If you would like to find out more, then please contact us today for a quote.

When there are moist conditions in your air duct, then it can become common that you will start to see mold developing in them. The moisture can develop from when cool air from your air conditioning condenses inside the air duct units and mold spores begin to form. This blog post looks at the different signs that you may have mold growing in your air ducts and how you can remove the mold from the system.

How Do I Know I Have Mold Growing In My Air Ducts?

• You can smell mold throughout your home
• Black mold is visible around the air ducts, vents or drip pans

There are also some longer-term health effects which you may notice:#

• Allergy-like symptoms (watery/itchy eyes, runny nose, throat irritation)
• Headaches when you are at home but no anywhere else
• Fatigue, nausea and dizziness when you are at home

What Are The Steps To Remove Mold From The Air Vents?

1. Find a mold removal agent and mold inhibitor

Firstly you will need to get some mold removal agent or mold inhibitor. You can either:

- Buy an EPA approved product. You can buy this from most hardware stores.

- Make your own by mixing a tablespoon of household detergent, half a cup of baking soda and a cup of water for porous surfaces.

- Alternatively, for non-porous surfaces mix 1 part bleach with 16 parts of water

2. Wear protective clothing

One of the essentials that you must wear when you remove mold from the air ducts of your home is an N95 mask, protective eyewear, rubber gloves and coveralls.

This is so that you are fully protected from the mold-killing agent and the mold itself.

3. Turn off your HVAC system

Next you should turn off the power of your HVAC system so you can have safe access to your air ducts, heating and cooling systems, evaporator coil and drip pans.

4. Choose your removal option:

i) Scrub & Vacuum- If you decide to scrub and vacuum the mold away, then you should soak the mold in the ducts and around the vent opening with your cleaning agent before leaving for 5 minutes.

After 5 mins, you should then use a brush or rags to scrub the area in a circular motion to remove the mold and clean any excess solution with paper towels.

Next you should vacuum the area as an extra precaution and to ensure that the vent is fully dry.

Finally, you should remove all disposable air filters and dispose them by placing them, paper towels and used rags in thick trash bags.

ii) Use a mold removal fogger machine- Alternatively, you can use a mold removal fogger machine, which can either be bought or rented from a hardware store. The machine works by turning the mold solution into a fine mist and evenly applying the solution across the surface.

If you use this method, you should follow the insutructions from the manufacturer and you will most likely need to cover all of the hearing vents in your home. You can use cardboard and masking tape to keep them covered.

5. Apply the mold inhibitor

After the duct has been cleaned, you should then apply the mold inhibitor to all the components of the HVAC system to mitigate any new mold growth.

6. Install new air filters

7. Monitor for new growth

Finally, you should keep an eye out for new mold growth and if you see it coming back, you should do it all again. If the mold keeps coming back then you should have the system professionally evaluated in case there is a hidden mold or moisture problem which needs to be repaired.

Professional Mold Removal from Above & Beyond

Mold in your air ducts can cause serious health problems for you and your family and, quite often, mold removal is a major DIY project. However, if you feel this could be a bit too challenging for yourself or would like the certainty of a professional to effectively remove the mold from your air duct, then why not get in touch with Above & Beyond. We offer mold inspection and mold removal services across New Jersey state and New York City. We also offer 24/7 emergency service, so you can have peace of mind you can get in touch any time of day.