Household mold can be the leading cause of the white fuzzy spots on the surface of your floor. It can affect the color of your floor and even pose a severe health risk. It can be seen under any floor, including vinyl and wood floors. For those that seek to prevent mold infestation in their house, you can do this by taking good care of your floor.
So, is mold dangerous when it’s under your floor? Those that have suffered living in a house infested by mold would understand how dangerous it can be under the floor. The more serious part is that mold can be dangerous to people (young and old). Research shows that those exposed to mold can develop a lung infection.
Common Signs of Mold under the Flooring
Below are the common signs you should watch out for to confirm mold infestation under your flooring:
- Strange smells: If you perceive a strange, earthy, and pungent odor from a specific area in the house, it may be due to a mold infestation. The scent from the spots will be unpleasant to the nose. By examining the area closely, you can confirm another related sign.
- Visible indication: If you notice a water-damaged or discolored flooring section, you should investigate by checking under the floorboards for mold.
- Warped floorboards: Warped, distorted, and discolored floorboards are an obvious sign that mold has infested your house. Mold usually features staining, discoloration, or white fuzzy growth on floorboards.
On several occasions, a flooding incident in the house could precede a mold infestation, which could be an overflowing tub, a backing toilet, or a leaking sink. The presence of mold might cause damaged floorboards depending on the infestation level.
Why is Mold Harmful to the Floor?
Molds can be harmful when found on floor surfaces. They are in numerous types, of which some can affect the human body. Mold endospores can dissolve in the air easily, and if inhaled, they can have short or long-term health implications ranging from illnesses and allergies to death.
The growth of molds in the moist spot can be on the floor of your bathroom or house. The fact remains that there are lots of homes facing unknown damp issues. Most times, the molds on the bathroom and walls are overlooked. You can also see more mold problems if you check the back of your attics, basements, or furniture.
The most harmful molds are those indoors. It’s advisable to get rid of them when you discover their infestation regardless of whether they produce toxins or are dangerous.
Is Mold under Flooring Dangerous?
Mold under the flooring in your house is dangerous. It can affect older people and even children. Getting in touch with it can, in fact, result in a lung problem. How serious the conditions are would be determined by the term of exposure.
- Short-term exposure: A short-term mold exposure can lead to difficulty breathing, nose bleeding, nasal congestion, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. Other symptoms of this exposure could also include eye irritation, rashes, and sore throat.
- Long-term exposure: Getting exposed to mold for a prolonged time can be very dangerous to the human body. Also, mold infection can have deadly side effects. Some of the symptoms of long-term mold exposure include cancer, acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage, cardiac and neurotoxicity conditions, and hypersensitivity fibrosis during illness.
The more dangerous situation is when the exposure is long-term. It should be noted that mold infestation can pose serious health risks to expectant mothers and children. Therefore, children must be prevented from getting exposed to mold infestation. You need to be very watchful and monitor your kids since the infested spots may not be visible sometimes. You should see your doctor if a terrible infection occurs due to a large amount of mold.
Tips on Removing Mold from Underfloor
To keep your house mold-free, you can go through the following helpful tips:
1. Use the moist-free approach
The primary factor that usually results in mold growth is moisture sources. Therefore, to have a mold-free home, you need to remove every moist agent that can enhance mold growth. For instance, you need to keep your floor moist-free if the water damages it. To ensure your hardwood floors are dry, you must observe a good cleaning system.
2. Seal the doorways off with plastic
Another feasible way to make your home mold-free is by sealing the doorways off using plastic. Use heavy plastic tape to seal the whole entrance and doorways off. You can do this to prevent the mold from spreading to the other parts of the house.
3. Take precautionary measures
Before proceeding with the removal process, you must take some precautions. These include wearing a facemask/respirator and glasses. Besides, you don’t want to forget your protective clothing, which prevents you from landing the mold spores.
Ensure most parts of your body ( legs, arms, head, etc.) are covered. To avoid mold causing serious harm to your health, you must make your protection thorough.
4. Clean the mold
Some needed things to clean the aisle include a heavy-duty soap and sponge. Ensure you use the sponge and the soap very well on the mold.
Moreso, there are mold removal products you can get to do the job efficiently and effectively. You can purchase them at your local hardware store.
Note: Your surroundings must be cleaned since some molds may yet be invisible.
5. Dispose of the used materials appropriately
Every used material must be disposed of appropriately in the garbage. This is because they could cause reinfestation, affecting the human body. However, the sponges and protective clothing can be reused for other purposes.
Conclusion
You have every reason to ensure your home is mold-free. Molds can affect your floor and your health. So, it’s important to be conscious of the mold signs that could indicate their presence to know how to deal with them on time when detected. By getting rid of them, you can offer yourself and your family a healthy life to enjoy.