Mold is a serious problem wherever it transpires and can have serious impacts on your health and your property. Of course though, there are some places around the home that are more prone to mold damage – and these are the places where you need to be most vigilant in fighting it. The basement is one of the places where this is a particularly big issue, and so in this post we’ll see why that is a big deal, and what you can do about it.

The Danger of Mold in the Basement

The first reason that mold inspection is so important is that having mold (or mould) on your walls will damage your property. When you get mold on your surfaces this means you have tiny bacteria gathering on the walls and at the same time it means that you have condensation most likely which is acidic and corrosive. Mold looks ugly in itself – and we are evolutionarily programmed to be turned off by the site of mold and to regard it with caution (so guests aren't going to love it if you have mold in your property). However, at the same time the mold will also damage the wall itself so that you get more permanent damage. Your basement is at particular risk here, seeing as it is so close to the foundations of your home. That is to say that mold damage in a basement can be even more severe than mold damage elsewhere. Worse is that basements tend to include a lot of organic building materials like wood, making them particularly susceptible to damage. The other big issue with mold in the basement in particular is that we tend to store a lot of things here, such as cherished keepsakes and important documents. You know what else mold loves to eat? Paper!

Basement Waterproofing and Mold Remediation

Basements are unfortunately especially prone to mold damage for a number of other reasons too. For one, basements tend to suffer from poor lighting and ventilation – being located right at the bottom of the property. This also places them very close to places where water gathers. And this can lead to leaks. One solution is to consider waterproofing. If you have a leak then of course getting waterproofing as soon as possible is highly advisable as this can otherwise cause damage to you belongings and cause water to collect on you floor. This renders a room unusable and this will then require a large expenditure to repair. Of course basement waterproofing is far better as a preventative measure as this way you can avoid damage in the first place. Thus even if you don't have leaking difficulties currently it can still be advisable to get waterproofing. Another point to bear in mind is that it is not just full-blown leaks that are a problem but also general dampness which can still cause damage to your property and which can also result in health problems as it takes its toll on your immune system. Dampness can also cost you money by causing you to lose heat through the walls as the water uses it to evaporate - and this also takes its toll on the environment as you will be wasting energy. Waterproofing can fight mold and other issues then. And in the meantime, you should also look into mold inspection and removal to ensure that your property is completely free from those spores!