5 Signs of Basement Mold

June 18, 2017

Basement mold is a homeowner nightmare! But what is there to truly hate about these unsightly colonies of fungus? Here’s a refresher course:

Mold destroys the stuff you store in your basement.
Mold can cause health problems (particularly if you suffer from a respiratory illness like asthma).
Mold hurts your property value/makes it difficult to sell your home.

Basement mold, like mold in all other parts of your house, is caused by water infiltration. So if you’re looking for mold, you’re looking for places where water easily invades – i.e. your basement.

Since mold can often hide behind walls, looking for the triggers and signs of mold is often easier than hunting down the culprit itself.

Look for these signs of basement mold growth:

5 Signs of Basement Mold Growth

1. Visible Mold

Naturally, the most obvious warning sign of mold growth is mold itself. Seeing a smattering of black texture anywhere in your basement means it’s time to do something.

2. Musty Smell

Catching a whiff of something musty and foul whenever you enter the basement is a sign that some serious mold growth might be underway. If you have this sign in conjunction with a few others, you need to keep your guard up.

3. Your Drywall is Peeling

Since water infiltration is the catalyst for mold, other signs of water damage are a tip-off. Take a peek behind a peeling wall or peeling wall paper and chances are you might see some mold damage.

4. You Have Trouble Breathing in Your Basement (And Dust Isn’t the Cause)

Since mold irritates the airways, struggling to breath in your basement can be a sign that mold has gone airborne. For people that have asthma, mold exacerbates symptoms. However, if you find yourself uncharacteristically out of breath, mold might be to blame.

5). Your Basement Floods

In addition to the water damage, a flooded basement also proves to be one of the most common causes of mold. While most home water leaks are isolated in just one spot, a flood soaks the entire basement, leaving a breeding ground for the nasty fungus.

If basement floods are an issue for you, we can help.

Benjamin Franklin Sump Pumps

Want to ensure you’ve seen your last flooded basement? You’ll want a Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Sump Pump.

These electric pumps divert water from your basement to the outside. Whether your basement sits below the water table and is a constant flood risk or if you just need help during rainstorms, a sump pump is your answer.

If you have a professionally installed sump pump in your basement, you can count on it to stay bone dry.

The only Achilles heel of a sump pump is a power outage—which unfortunately often occurs with torrential rainstorms. If the power goes out during a storm, your electricity-dependent pump will shut off – meaning a flooded basement and the risk of mold.

To combat the sump pump’s kryptonite, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing offers battery backup sump pumps which keep you dry, whether they are electrically powered or not. If you want to put an end to flooded basements and hunting for basement mold, we can help.