How To Tell If Floor Joists Are Moldy

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How to tell if floor joists are moldy.

Many homeowners experience mold and mildew on their lumber as houses are built or room additions are constructed. Some people think mold only grows in an old house with old wood floors. Removing the problem depends on the type of fungus responsible and the degree of infestation. A variety of fungi can result in mold or mildew on floor joists.

Look at the floor surface in the room. Mold removal from wood joists process. Here is a simple breakdown of how a professional may remediate mold. You will need to pull up the flooring and repair or the spot will continue to not only spread on the subflooring but also damage the flooring itself.

It can occur in both old and new buildings. There are several ways you can get mold. It s not always possible to remove and replace moldy joists and in that case the moldy wood should be scrubbed with a fungicide to remove as much mold as possible. In some cases altering the conditions around the wood can stop growth but in more severe situations a visit from a professional is required.

You can get mold in a basement. This is a myth. Your mold specialist should provide you with information specific to your property on how the process of removing mold from floor joists will work. If you don t know anyone with a meter you can probably find an inexpensive one at harbor freight or the big box stores.

Work over top of the subfloor excess solution will merely add to that engaging the mold on the subfloor. Then the wood should be encapsulated to seal in any remaining mold. Before rebuilding the subfloor examine the joists carefully for signs of mold. Mold can live on your hardwood floors whether they are new or old.

Significant areas of rot were noted in framing along exterior wall the inspector was able to pass a 3 5 knife blade completely into the rim joist along the back foundation wall. You don t really need a fancy one for this. If you can get you hands on a moisture meter you might want to get some readings on the floor joists. Thirty percent moisture content is saturated wood so when the joists get this wet you have a serious problem and need to be installing a crawl space encapsulation system.

So don t ever agree to pay for spraying for mold on floor joists unless the pest control contractor insists the moisture content of the floor joists are 25 or higher. You would like the joists to be less than 20 or so. Inspection of crawlspace revealed moderate mold growth throughout significant areas of subfloor and floor joists. If there is an area that has not had a spill which caused a spot then it is likely that the wood in the subfloor is rotting.

Develop a mold redemption plan.