Why would mold want to grow in the crawl space under your house of all places? The answer to this question is that the crawl space under your house has the prime conditions for mold and mildew to grow. Mold requires warm dark and moist conditions, and nutrients for optimal growth.

Crawl spaces are usually dark. They are a nutrient paradise, as they contain dust and wood. It is also a hard task to control moisture there. This means that crawl spaces have a higher chance of forming mold colonies than any other part of your house. It is therefore really important that you do regular investigations of the area, as this can affect the stability of your house. Look out for back growths growing on wooden materials. Especially watch out for the mold on frames, as this would be the easiest route for it to spread to other areas of the house.

Another tell-tell sign of a mold problem is a musty smell the fungi produces. Once it has reached the stage where you can smell it from your house, then the problem is escalated. Something needs to be done before beams supporting your house begin to collapse.

The problem can largely be solved by ventilating the crawl space adequately. A clearance of about 4-5 feet will reduce the problem dramatically. It is also important to make sure that all the walls of your foundation have vents.

Decks contribute to the moisture in the crawl space. This is because the soil under the decks receives very little air and remains moist. This moisture eventually seeps its way into the crawl space.

There are several courses of action that you can take:

1. Cover the entire of the crawl space surface with some sort of porous material like gravel
2. Use a fan to make sure that the air is well ventilated and circulating well.
3. Use a dehumidifier to constantly draw water out and replace air
4. Install a vapor barrier – Warm air travels upwards.

This same principal applies to the air in the crawl spaces. It is sucked up into the house through cracks. Remember that the air in the crawl space contains spores and other dangerous toxins. A vapor barrier is a waterproof lining that covers the soil on the surface of the crawl space in the stale air from the crawl space from rising into the house. This also prevents that musty odor that mold causes from entering the house.

The reasons to clean up the mold in your craw space are endless. The primary issue most people are concerned with is their health and how the mold may affect it. Apart from spores, fungi also produce toxins that can cause a number of different reactions. One of the most common reactions to mold is asthma, but toxins from mold in crawl spaces has been linked to several other more devastating diseases.

Keeping your crawl spaces mold free doesn’t have to be difficult. Many different measures can be put up to prevent mold from destroying your house and ruining your health.