My House Smells Like a Musty Old Basement - Help!

The sun is shining, the temperatures are rising,the air. You're probably wondering how moisture is
and with some condensation and humidity youreven getting into the air when it's hot outside and
basement could house an abundance of moisturethe air down there is cool.
whose prime resident is mold.Well, if the air outside is a bit humid, then because
There's nothing to it, mold can grow in thethe air is cooled when it is in the basement or
simplest of conditions. Did you know that if acrawlspace, you are increasing the relative
space has more than 60 percent humidity then it'shumidity by 2.2 percent with each degree of
just the right condition to harbor mold?cooling!
Your basement or crawlspace doesn't have to beSo, the summer is a prime time for mold growth
flooded, it just needs that moisture, and thenbecause the humidity in your basement or
comes the must; that stinky, old smell. Guesscrawlspace is making the air probably the wettest
what? If your basement or crawlspace smells,it will be all year.
then it will radiate into the rest of your home. NotThere are several specific ways to lessen or
a pleasant thought, huh?completely remove the mold in your basement or
Do you want to get rid of the traces of mold incrawlspace.
your basement or crawlspace? Is it time for aVapor Barrier Protection
change and a makeover?Some basement contractors will use a vapor
Learn about how you can lower the mold count,barrier to become the layer separating the home
the smell, and improve the air quality all in oneand the earth from one another. By utilizing a
shot!vapor barrier, your basement or crawlspace will
What's the problem?be completely protected from the moisture that
It smells. It makes you sneeze. It's mold.tries to inundate such spaces.
But, the good part is that it's controllable, betterSump Pump System
yet it's preventable.In addition to a vapor barrier, a sump pump
Mold is a kind of fungi that survives by eatingsystem can be installed to remove the water
organic materials and living in a moist environment.that collects beneath the vapor barrier. The sump
So, when we say organic that means materialspump will take any water from leaks or broken
like wood and plastic. An organic compound ispipes and steer it far from your home's
something that had come from an object thatfoundation. Speaking of leaks, you can rely on the
was once living. Thus, when you finish your homesump pump alarm to notify you if there's ever a
with materials that are organic you are looking atleak in your crawl space. This is especially
a tasty environment for a mold family.important because plumbing leaks in crawl spaces
Mold is definitely a guest that can wear out itscan go years unnoticed!
welcome and never gets the hint. You canConclusion
remove it once, twice, even three times andNow that you have learned about the importance
return to the scene a day later to find the moldof removing moisture from the air of your
has returned. So how do you get rid of this stuff?basement or crawlspace, it is equally important to
Mold Removalfind a contractor who can do the best job of
You can remove the mold from your basementwaterproofing, repairing and dehumidifying your
or crawlspace by removing the moisture frombasement or crawlspace.