Basement Mold Solutions - Concrobium Mold Treatment - Humidity Control Systems
Do you have a damp, musty or moldy
smell and visible mold on your basement walls? This can mean dangerous mold
spores in the air. This
health risk should be treated. Michigan basement mold
treatment company, StayDry® Basement
Waterproofing, treats dangerous mold. A wet, moist
basement is a breeding ground for mold, but StayDry® identifies
areas of mold
growth and eliminates mold
causing conditions. The air quality of your home will be
assessed for the
presence of allergenic and toxic molds, and we will inspect
for the presence of dangerous mold growth in your
basement. StayDry®
Waterproofing is your local basement mold solution
expert throughout Michigan
including Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Jackson, and the
west Michigan lakeshore. We now also service Northern Indiana including South Bend, Michigan City, Elkhart, LaGrange, and Angola.
With our well trained, experienced,
and reliable crew, we're always ready to help you out with
your basement mold
problems.
Effects
of Mold Exposure
Exposure
to mold can cause cold-like symptoms, respiratory problems,
nasal and sinus congestion, watery eyes, sore throat, coughing
and skin irritations, and can trigger asthma attacks. Because
some mold spores are very small and can easily be breathed
deeply into the lungs, it is not safe to live in houses
with high mold
levels. Exposure to high mold spore levels can
cause development of an allergy to mold. People can react to
mold whether it is living or dead.
 StayDry® restores your home to a healthy condition
with basement waterproofing that eliminates the sources of
moisture.
Everyone should minimize
their exposure to mold. Children, the elderly, pregnant women
and people with existing respiratory sensitivities are at
higher risk for adverse health effects from mold. Some people
are affected when exposed to very little mold, while others
may show no adverse health symptoms when exposed to mold. MOLD IS UBIQUITOUS. It can be found everywhere on earth. More than 250,000 species are found in nature, but only 20% of them have been identified and studied. It is estimated by several government and private health agencies that up to 18% of the general population is adversely affected by airborne mold spores and the poor air quality they propagate. It is also estimated that 80% of all asthmatics are adversely affected by airborne fungal spores. If you can smell a musty odor or see mold, you have a mold problem.
Where to Look for
Mold
Mold grows
on organic
materials, such as paper, dirt, wood and soap scum. Mold grows
on moist materials, so mold growth is likely in areas wet by
water leaks, flooding, humidity levels above about 70 percent
and condensation. Any flooded area that was not completely
dried within about one day is likely to have mold growth.
Walls need to be opened and rapidly dried to prevent mold
growth. Any area that is stained from water should be examined
for mold growth. Peeling paint may be an indication of wet
walls. Moisture seeping through concrete foundation walls and floors will
cause moist conditions likely to cause mold growth on or in
walls, carpeting and materials stored in the basement. This is
where we come in to waterproof your home to eliminate the mold
growth process. Mold often grows under cabinets, behind
base-boards, inside walls, in carpet padding and under vinyl
wall coverings.
An unvented clothes dryer creates a
very humid, warm environment conducive to mold growth. Closets
may have mold growth if clothing is damp or if there is a cool
outside wall in the closet. Also, there is a chance mold might
be growing behind furniture, particularly against an outside
wall.
Mold will not normally be found in furnace or
air-conditioning ducts unless they were flooded because the
heated or air-conditioned air is very dry.
 Moisture coming through a basement floor or wall may leave behind deposits of light-colored salt and other minerals once it evaporates, called efloresence, which are sometimes thought to be mold. The deposits are harmless and should quickly dissolve and disappear when wet with water if they are a salt. Efloresence is very common and is a definate sign that you have had water in your basement or crawl space. If you have had water in your basement or crawl space you most likely have a mold problem as well. The mold will continue to come back unless the moisture is eliminated.
Electronic Dehumidification Systems
Installing a waterproofing system will greatly reduce the amount of humidity in the home, but often times it is still necessary to install a dehumidifier to accurately control the humidity level. If you keep the humidity low enough, you can prevent mold growth. Maintaining relative humidity below 50% inhibits mold and mildew growth, dust mite infestations, and bacteria. This lower relative humidity also reduces the out-gassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). There are many types of dehumidifiers to choose from and these are the models we recommend and install.
|
The high capacity Sante Fe Compact provides up to 70 pints per day water removal at standard rating conditions*. Medium-sized crawlspaces (up to 1600) |
|
This high capacity dehumidifier removes up to 90 pints of water per day at standard conditions— enough water removal capacity for areas up to 2200 |
| |
This high capacity basement dehumidifier re- moves up to 110 pints of water per day—enough water removal capacity for areas up to 2,500 square feet. |
Mold Removal
Mold
can be removed from hard surfaces such as hard plastic, glass,
metal and counter tops. At This time StayDry® offers
basement waterproofing, concrobium mold treatment and Musty
Basement Solutions only, not mold removal
services or testing.
For professional mold removal and testing we
recommend contacting a specifically trained mold
remediation and removal company.
There can be steps taken to remove mold by the homeowner but
we highly recommend leaving this to the
professionals to make sure your familys well being is
maintained.
Preventing Mold
Growth
The moisture
problem in your basement must be fixed first to prevent future mold growth. Since
there are some mold spores everywhere and since mold grows on
any wet organic surface, the way to prevent basement mold growth is to
contact a basement mold solution company like StayDry® Basement
Waterproofing.
We offer a
free basement mold inspection and waterproofing estimate. Call us today at
800-800-7073 and schedule your free estimate.
|
|
