Air Quality
The air quality in your home can be affected by excessive water in your basement or crawl space. Musty odors often accompany mold and mildew growth resulting from moisture. These odors may be most noticeable in the basement, but can spread to upper areas of your home, including bedrooms, when the furnace or air conditioner is running.
The growth of mold or mildew poses a serious health hazard for your family. Mold appears as a fuzzy growth on moist materials and mildew is mold growing on fabrics. Molds reproduce by spreading microscopic spores. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on damp organic material, such as wood, paper, feathers, hair, cellulose, petroleum products, rubber, carpet, etc., they may begin growing and digesting the material. Mold spores are inhaled by people living in the home, triggering varying degrees of allergic reactions, asthma and other health concerns.
Excessive moisture also creates a breeding ground for insects and termites. Many insects live in wood with high moisture content. Given the right conditions, beetle bugs and termites will live in, breed and eat away the wooden structural components of a home.
Poor air quality contributes to the following:
- Excessive mold and toxic mildew
- Allergic discomfort
- Humidity throughout your home
- Increased energy costs
- A breeding ground for termites and other insects
- Musty air in basement traveling to upper living areas