Mold in Crawl Space What Are Your Options?
If you’ve ever had a problem with mold in the crawl space then chances are you know it’s not an easy do it yourself task. And you know that hiring a specialist to remove the mold is almost out of the question due to the lack of mold insurance or if you do hire someone you’re going to be taking that cost out of your savings. So what’s a homeowner to do?
If you’re not allergic to mold, you may be able to do the work yourself, however don’t expect the mold to disappear forever since a professional is required to help insulate and remove the moisture levels that are a common problem with this area.
If there’s not a lot of mold infestation you can clean the wood surfaces of the affected areas using a product designed to permanently kill mold. Before using always wear rubber gloves, goggles and a surgical (paper) mask and always follow the manufacturer’s directions listed on the product.
If the mold seems a little stubborn you may need to repeat the directions on the product if it’s safe. If however, you find the mold is still there; you’ll need to call in a professional for help. Otherwise your mold problem can become much worse by causing severe structural damage to your home.
Once you’ve applied the product, you can wipe away any moldy residue using disposable wipes or a clean rag. Be sure you use a clean side every time you swipe at the affected area or you will just contaminate everything again.
Once the wood surface is dry, you can use the hose of a HEPA vacuum to dry and clean up any remaining fungus spores.
If you want to try to minimize moisture in the area, you can lay a film of plastic over the soil to help reduce humidity, but you should still call in an expert if you want to reduce the mold in the crawl space even further.