The following are some signs of mold under hardwood floors affecting your health.
White mold on hardwood floor.
Mold grows on organic materials in environments with high humidity or trapped moisture.
To keep the mold from spreading first cut off the source of the moisture.
It can not only stain wood floors but also move below the surface to discolor rot or warp the wood.
Beyond its color white mold usually has less health risks than black mold.
If you let the mold grows it can become bigger white blotches and even into fiber like component if the mold colony grows too large.
How much water is too much water damage doesn t have to be severe for mold to grow.
Attach new subflooring cut to fit with screws.
White mold is often found in two locations in a crawlspace exposed soil and the lower portions of the floor joists.
It could be that the floor was damp when finished or there could be a current moisture source below the floor.
Unfortunately mold loves a damp wet environment.
Unfortunately for your hardwood floors that means they are vulnerable to damage and mold growth underneath them when there has been water or flood damage.
But the problem lies when the moisture is out of sight.
If the water accumulates in between the hardwood planks and the sub flooring then of course you won t be able to mop it up.
But when it occurs it s often white in color.
White mold on wood when you see white spots on wood they are almost certainly white mold since efflorescence cannot appear on wood.
White bloom under the finish of a hardwood floor won t wipe off and is usually a sign of moisture.
Unfortunately white mold loves wood which means that your hardwood floors furniture cupboards and structural components of your home beams joists etc are at risk.
The mold usually appears first as small dust like white spots.
Discoloration in the form of white spots or blotches.
Is mold on engineered hardwood floor dangerous to humans.
Most surface mold can be removed with a rag and chemical spray.
So if water comes in contact with your floor it is only appropriate to spring into action and mop up and dry the affected area.
Moisture left to set will quickly develop into mold spores.
Whereas white mold doesn t release as much mycotoxins.
With black mold the species found most commonly is stachybotrys chartarum which is very toxic due to the amount of mycotoxins it releases.
Bag and remove the affected flooring.
Mold grows on wood floors when it has appropriate moisture warmth and food.
So let s look at the three signs of mold under hardwood floors.
In cool climates mold growth on floor joists is rare.
White mold on wood.
If you ve had a recent moisture intrusion keep an eye out for the most common sign of white mold on wood.