We have discussed mold activity at length in previous posts and videos. Mold contamination has become the most common indoor air quality issue we encounter, both in commercial and residential buildings. And the lower building areas, such as basements, crawlspaces and slab on grade areas, most frequently develop mold amplification. Since we know that moisture is the limiting factor in mold growth, we arrive at the following question:
Why does mold like the lower building areas and where does the moisture come from? [Read more…]
In my last discussion I focused attention on basements and crawlspaces where there may not be liquid water but where the relative humidity frequently reaches above 70%. As we discussed it all comes down to temperature. The humid outside air in summer is cooled to the prevailing temperature of around 60 F in a basement, automatically increasing the relative humidity. If the relative humidity outside is 50%, it may increase to 70-80% in a cool basement or crawlspace. That puts the air in the range of the dry-tolerant molds. Basements and crawlspaces are susceptible to mold activity simply because they are, well, basements and crawlspaces.