One of the most common issues with basements and subterranean spaces is the musty smell and presence of mold. Not only can the presence of mold be unsightly, long-term it has the potential to cause both health and structural issues. They become a problem when the levels of mold growth become high.
Our cellars readily provide all the ingredients for mold to prosper:
• Moisture – Moulds are found everywhere, and can grow on almost any substance when moisture is present. Basements are particularly prone to moisture problems because they are nearest the dew point. Moisture from the earth can migrate through the cellar walls causing them to remain damp.
Relative humidity above the level of 70% appears most favorable for mold growth. As warm air can hold much more moisture than cooler air, the water molecules condense on the cooler walls of a cellar. Lower levels of humidity reduce the rate of mold growth.
• Temperature – In general the optimum temperatures for mold growth is within the same ranges that make us feel comfortable, between 10 – 300C. Though some growth may occur in temperatures as low as 10C or as high as 350C.
• Dark spaces – Moulds typically thrive in shady environments. Windowless basements are ideal.
• Nutrient source – Moulds and fungi find food in many common building materials. They feed off cellulose-based materials such as wood, cardboard/paper found on the facing of drywall and other organic matter found in our homes.
A traditional solution to dealing with mold in basements has been to cover the walls with a material, which deters the growth of mold. In Victorian times, when the majority of properties containing cellars were built, the method was to apply several layers of lime wash to basement walls. The theory being the high PH levels of the lime acted as an anti-fungicide and meant microorganisms could not survive. This principle leads to our modern anti-mold paints.
While true, anti-mold paints do contain antimicrobial ingredients that help prevent the growth of mold on painted surfaces, they, however, require the surface to be dry and mold-free before their application. Anti-mold paints do not address any of the conditions required for mold growth, and so anti-mold paint alone cannot resolve your basement mold problem.
To correctly address basement mold, we need to address the sources of the problem. By significantly changing one of the environmental factors (above) for mold growth we can control (or eliminate) new mold growth. At Yorkshire Basement Systems we target the control of moisture through a carefully selected range of damp-proofing systems, which have been tried and tested.