Everyone knows by now that basement mold in their homes can be a bad thing, some molds are toxic and can make your family very sick, even the less toxic molds can cause allergy symptoms and sinus troubles leaving your family feeling less than healthy. The problem is that often you may not know if you have mold or it can be extremely difficult to get rid of, not to mention its removal can cause even more health issues. If you have the toxic type of mold in your home it is highly recommended that you get a professional to help you remove it then you take steps to insure that it does not come back. The best thing you can do about mold is to try to prevent it from occurring in the first place, this starts by identifying if you have damp places in your home where mold and mildew thrive.

Basement mold must have moisture to grow, so by eliminating the moisture in your basement and crawlspaces you can ensure that mold and mildew will have no place that it can take hold. There are a number of ways to prevent basement mold from starting, but they all center on keeping your basement dry, this means inspecting your basement foundation for cracks and sealing them right away, checking doors and windows to ensure that they seal properly and make sure that you have adequate ventilation in your basement. Once moisture gets into your basement only eliminating it with a dehumidifier, or using a fan to move it out of your house will get rid of the moisture and keep it from coming back. Once you have basement mold before you try to dry your basement out you will need to kill the mold and remove it, if you do not do this properly you will have mold spores flying all over you home and making everyone sick, so make sure that you take the time to understand how to properly remove mold safely and effectively.

In most cases a mold remover is the safest way to remove the mold by killing it first, this keeps it from growing again, then you will need to remove the spores by using some sort of vacuum or air purifier to capture the mold spores and remove them from the environment. Be sure to seal off your basement, mold can travel easier through air ducts and cracks in doors can infect the rest of the house. Wear a paper mask to ensure that you are not breathing the mold spores or the mold remover. Once you have killed and removed the basement mold make sure that it does not come back by keeping your basement as dry as possible. If you have big leaks you may need to get those repaired, and certainly you should use some sort of ventilation fan in your basement to vent the damp air out. Tjernlund has ventilation fans that are made for this purpose can help your basement or crawlspace stay dry and help keep the mold from forming again.