Types of Crawl Space Mold and How They Affect Your Health

Types of Crawl Space Mold

There are at least 3 basic kinds of mold that grow in your crawl space:

• Black Mold: The deadliest type, appearing dark gray or greenish, with a fuzzy or powdery texture. It includes strains like Stachybotrys atra and Stachybotrys chartarum, which release harmful mycotoxins causing severe allergic reactions.
• White Mold: Grows on exposed soil and wooden joists, presenting as fuzzy. While less dangerous than black mold, it can still produce health-affecting toxins.
• Yellow Mold: Known as the “house-eating” mold, it feeds on wooden structures and organic materials, causing decay. It typically appears flat.

Understanding how mold enters your crawl space and its health effects is essential for taking measures like installing a vapor barrier for protection.

How Does Mold Get into the Crawl Space?

Mold in your home or crawl space signals a moisture issue, worsening if the area is ventilated or unsealed. It enters through doorways, windows, and HVAC systems, and can hitch a ride on pets, shoes, and clothing.

Mold thrives on surfaces with excessive moisture, including those affected by flooding. In crawl spaces, it favors organic materials like newspapers, cardboard, and wood. Similarly, in your home, it grows on wallpaper, damaged insulation, drywall, carpet, and upholstery.

How Can Mold Affect Your Health?

Exposure to damp, moldy environments can harm health, particularly for those sensitive to mold spores, leading to symptoms like wheezing, itchy eyes, and nasal congestion. Those with allergies or asthma may suffer more severe effects, including breathlessness and fever.

A 2004 Institute of Medicine study linked indoor mold exposure to respiratory infections, chronic coughs, and wheezing in healthy individuals, with increased risks of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in those with immune conditions and exacerbated asthma symptoms.

Individuals with allergies, mold sensitivities, compromised immune systems, or respiratory conditions, such as asthma, are at higher risk for fungal infections and may struggle to breathe if exposed to mold. If you or your family members have such conditions, seek medical advice for diagnosis and treatment, including potential allergy testing for mold. However, currently, no clinical test definitively determines the specific type or timing of mold exposure.

Is Mold in My Crawl Space Making Me Sick?

If you’re genetically predisposed to recycling toxins, come into regular exposure to mold, or have a high total body burden, then you’re the perfect candidate for mold-induced illnesses. Typical symptoms of mold diseases include.

• Shortness of breath
• Chronic/persistent coughs
• Redness of the eyes
• Skin rash
• Watery eyes
• Stuffy nose
• Itchy eyes
• Recurring sinusitis

Preventing Mold in Your Crawl Space

Step one is carrying out a crawl space inspection to check for this toxic substance. The next step you should take is to correct conditions that trigger mold growth, specifically water leaks and condensation. Some of the things you can do to control or prevent mold growth are: 

• Regulating humidity levels using a dehumidifier
• Promptly repairing leaking pipes, windows and roofs
• Cleaning and drying the crawl space floor after flooding
• Sealing and encapsulating the crawl space using a plastic vapor barrier
• Repairing cracks on the crawl space walls
• Replacing decaying wooden joists and beams

Schedule Your Free Crawl Space Inspection Today

Recommended Resources

Mold & Bug Feces: What You Need To Know

Not sure what kind of damage you’re looking at in your home? Consider these differences between bug feces—or an infestation—and mold growth.

Pets and Mold – How Do You Know They’re Exposed?

When your pets come into contact with mold, they’re likely to get sick or develop allergies due to their weak immune systems.

What’s the Difference Between Wood Rot and Mold?

Wood rot and mold negatively impact your home’s health and safety. Learn how to spot the difference between these types of damage.

6 Essential Things to Know About Mold

You know that a moldy home is unsafe, but why? What molds do you need to keep an eye out for, and how can you protect your home?

Phillip Mazzotta