RECOGNIZING MONSTERS IN YOUR HOUSE

You may see one or more of these issues pop up in your basement or crawl space, or you may notice their ill effects throughout your home. We'll help you recognize the difference between these issues and how to address them.

Efflorescence

Have you seen a chalky, white substance gathering on your brick or concrete walls? This is efflorescence and it's often a sign that water is seeping through your walls. It is caused by salt migrating to the top of a porous material, like concrete, and coating the wall. You can rest easy - efflorescence is not harmful because it is not alive and growing, just a side effect of too much moisture. As long as you don't try to eat the issue and you properly protect your basement from water damage, you should be fine!

Black Mold

Certain types of mold can be harmless but a good deal of the mold that finds its way into your basement or crawl space can have extremely negative effects on you and your loved ones. Black mold is especially toxic and grows in areas where the humidity level is higher than 55%. Mold spores can travel through your air ducts and aggravate the inhabitants of your home. It's important to carefully regulate the humidity in your basement or crawl space and remove mold as soon as you notice it's there.

Pests

There are two types of pests: the unseen and the seen.

Unseen pests, like dust mites, live in house dust and warm, humid environments, such as your crawl space. Once the mites get into your home, they set up shop in your bed or furniture and aggravate health issues like allergies and asthma. Early exposure to dust mites can increase the likelihood of having a dust mite allergy later in life.

Seen pests, or those you can see with the naked eye, include termites, spiders, rats, snakes, and bats. All of these pests love the quiet, dark, damp space within your crawl space and when the time comes, a dirt crawl space is a peaceful space to die and decompose!

The best way to keep all of these monsters away from your crawl space is by resolving your moisture and humidity problems so that bugs and critters will not find the space so comfortable.