Black mold removal is something that you have to be careful with because black mold is toxic. You really do need to have good information about what black mold looks like and how it forms. It only takes a short period of time to do the required testing and inspection of your home to make sure that it is a safe place for your family. You should be particularly aware of any allergies that someone in your household has. This could be your first hint that you need to look at black mold removal.

Basements and bathrooms are the prime places for black mold testing and inspection in homes. This is because these are the places in the house most known for being damp and having a lot of moisture. Black mold can form on any surface – cement, tiles, or even the countertop if you don’t take special care to keep it clean and dry. There are testing kits for black mold that you can use yourself, so testing and inspection of your home is not a costly proposition. There are also excellent products on the market for black mold removal.

Once you do the black mold testing and inspection and find some places where there is black mold, before you start black mold removal, make sure the area is well-ventilated. If the black mold is concentrated in a small space, you can easily clean it with bleach and water, for difficult jobs you will need to use a commercial black mold removal product. You do have to make sure that you dry the area completely because any excess moisture will only be a new breeding ground for the black mold to return.

Testing for black mold firstly requires looking to see if there is any visible mold on the walls or floors of your basement. However, mold is not always visible because it can form in cracks and really small spaces. With black mold testing and inspection, you are really testing the air quality in your home because once mold spores are present they will be air-borne. Simple testing using a petrie dish containing a disc will let you know within two days if you have to consider black mold removal.

When you get ready to start black mold removal, wear a facemask and rubber gloves so that you don’t breathe in the black mold spores or let them touch your skin. This could cause serious respiratory problems. There are removal products on the market that kill the black mold. But make sure you always read the label and make sure that you follow all safety procedures for use of the product. Black mold removal is something that you may have to do several times to make sure you kill all the mold spores.

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When constructed properly and with the appropriate air conditioning and ventilation, a basement should be dry. But many basements are particularly prone to dampness because of their poor design and ventilation. Dampness like this is a perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew, especially in basements where old books, magazines, clothing and suitcases are stored.

When the humidity level goes over 50%, the water vapor in the air can cause furniture to warp, moisture to condense on walls and floors and promote growth of fungus. It will also accelerate wood rot. For those family members with allergies, a basement dehumidifier is crucial to lessen the health risks linked to toxic mold and fungus.

But before you go off to purchase a basement dehumidifier, consider taking some time to investigate the reason behind the high humidity, and then repairing the underlying problems. For example, your basement should ideally be the same temperature as the rest of your house, and not an isolated cool temperature zone. Try adding weather-stripping to any basement doors and windows. If the basement is uninsulated, you’ll have to weigh the costs of adding insulation against that of running a basement dehumidifier.

Buying a basement dehumidifier will require a little planning. Know the cubic footage of the basement space that it will be going into. Also you will need to decide on getting a permanently installed unit versus a portable dehumidifier. An other shopping point is to consider are the size of the unit- will it fit in the space you are planning for it? Also be aware that some models are noisier than others, so ask for a demonstration before you buy.

A dehumidifier works on the same principle that refrigerators and air conditioners do. They pass the humid air over a bank of cold coils and in the process extract a good portion of the moisture via condensation. This condensation drips off the coils into collection pockets inside the dehumidifier. Meanwhile the dry air flow, heated somewhat by the extraction of humidity, is directed out of the unit back into the room.

Since the dehumidifier is in the basement and out of the way, many people forget that it requires some maintenance. It is important to empty and clean the collection container inside the unit periodically, otherwise it will be prone to bacterial growth. Some companies manufacture basement dehumidifiers which have no inner collection container, but simply a hose that can be run to a floor drain, and these are a perfect solution to the problem.