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Mold Removal |
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| Here are some basics on mold and fungi. How you get it and what to do about it. Molds and fungus have one universal need to grow and that is moisture. Molds get a foot hold when spores come in contact with a surface with enough moisture for it to reproduce. The first thing to do is identify the moisture source and eliminate it as best as possible. Now it's time to clean it up. We strongly recommend use of a respirator rated for mold spores. Non porous surfaces like ceramic tile can be cleaned with soap and water. I suggest a 10 percent bleach solution. Porous surfaces like drywall will likely need to be removed. Once you do any removal clean the exposed ares with a 10 percent bleach solution and consider applying a preventative such as Tim-Bor (a boric acid solution). | ||
Crawl Space Mold |
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The most common thing seen in crawl spaces is fungi. Typically referred to as white rot or brown rot.
White rot is most often seen in older brick foundation homes. The bricks tend to wick up moisture and keep the sill plate damp all the time. If your sillplate has a dirty white growth along it you have this problem. If you can manage to keep the foundation area dry enough to prevent to brick from wicking moisture the growth should stop and the damaged caused should not get much worse. Chances are you won't get it that dry. But reducing the moisture never hurts. Keep the gutters clean, make sure water from down spouts is running away from the house. Next time it rains heavy get out your umbrella and walk around the house, Look for puddles near the foundation and adjust your grading to prevent them. Another thing you can do to reduce the fungus growth is drilling holes in the mortar joints in the foundation every few feet. That will help the bricks breath and stay drier. If the damage is severe and/or the growth can not be stopped the sill plate will need to be replaced. A few tips on doing this can be found on our Termite Damage page. Be sure to use treated wood. We also suggest applying a boric acid solution such as Tim-Bor to the top of the foundation before installing the new sill plate. Brown Rot is commonly found in excessively damp crawl spaces. It is especially prevalent in homes built on a crawl space using concrete block for foundation and having the crawl space dug out lower than the surrounding grade. If the crawl is only damp and does not get standing water a vapor barrier may be enough to lower the moisture. If you get standing water a permanent sump pump may be needed. If you catch it early drying up the crawl and cleaning the wood with soap and water or a bleach solution and maybe a boric acid treatment might be all you need. If you catch it late you may be replacing every piece of wood in the crawl. |
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