4 Things You May Not Know are Lurking in Your Basement

Whether you have a finished basement, unfinished basement or crawlspace, there are four things that could be threatening your home and your health. You may think, “But I never go into my basement or crawlspace.” Unfortunately, you are still at risk. Due to the stack effect, up to 50% of the air we breathe in our homes comes from beneath our homes.

• Mold

Nearly everyone can imagine that musty basement smell. Believe it or not, not all basements are musty. That smell comes from the mold growing in a wet basement. Mold needs optimum temperature, moisture and organic material to grow. Within 24 hours of wood becoming wet, mold can begin to eat away at your home. Mold spores are an allergen to many and breathing moldy, musty air can be a threat to your health. To prevent mold, it is important to waterproof your basement.

• Dust mites

Like mold, dust mites love moisture. The fecal matter produced is an allergen and can be irritating to many.  When the relative humidity of your crawl space or basement is 60% or above, dust mites thrive. To keep humidity low and dust mites at bay, a dehumidifier is necessary.

• Termites

Termites love wood, but they love wet wood even more. Termites bore into wood and threaten its integrity as they accelerate the rotting process. To prevent termites, schedule annual pest inspections. Sealing off the crawlspace not only keeps it dry, but it ensures pests like termites stay out.

• Radon

Radon is a naturally occurring gas found in the soil. It can leak into your basement, and because of the stack effect, it can enter your upper levels too. Radon is a known carcinogen as it is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Thankfully, radon testing is available and a radon mitigation system can be installed to ensure your home is safe.

It can be scary knowing that these four things could be lurking in your basement or crawlspace. Thankfully, Woods Basement Systems has the solution to each of these problems. For questions, give us a call at 1-800-638-7048, or request a FREE QUOTE.