It doesn’t matter whether you live in a new or old house. Mold doesn’t discriminate. It can pop up and thrive practically anywhere if the conditions are right.
A telltale sign of hidden mold under flooring materials is a change in how it feels when you walk on it. Does it feel soft and squishy? Perhaps moisture got trapped underneath your vinyl flooring, and now mold has had a chance to develop.
Another sign to pay attention to is the development of a musty odor without any visible evidence of mold. This could indicate something that is concealed and growing without intervention
But is mold under flooring dangerous or it’s nothing to worry about?
Mold that is left to propagate and hide under flooring materials is not something we recommend taking lightly. This is because mold under vinyl, carpet, or wood flooring can cause considerable damage to the subfloor and framing components. In the process, it could also pose health risks.
Our team has put together the top four risks of having mold hidden under your floors and what you can do to tackle them head-on!
Mold growth under flooring almost always starts with one thing: moisture. Once moisture seeps into the flooring, it creates the perfect environment for mold to thrive.
The presence of mold in hidden areas like under bathroom floors can lead to several issues.
For example, mold can warp the underlying materials and cause your flooring to buckle and deteriorate over time. It is not the houseguest you want.
Mold under flooring is a common issue in homes, especially in places with high humidity or water damage. Even though mold is concealed under floor materials, it can still release spores into the air, which may lead to a range of negative health effects, such as:
If you were wondering, is mold under flooring dangerous for reasons other than health issues, the answer to that isn’t pleasant either.
In addition to the potential danger mold can pose to your health, it may also lead to structural damage of your property.
Mold is an apex consumer of organic-based materials. Mold produces enzymes that break down organic materials for nutrition. Many building materials like wood, oriented-strand board (OSB), and drywall contain organic compounds. The enzymes secreted by mold can decompose these materials, leading to structural integrity issues.
What’s the result? Structural issues like buckling walls, sagging floors, and even complete collapse if left unchecked.
Have you ever walked into a room and noticed a musty smell that put you off? Chances are mold could be the culprit.
Mold emits an unpleasant odor that can permeate the air and make it uncomfortable to be in the affected place. Nobody wants their home smelling like an old and worn basement, right?
Worse yet, these odors can adversely impact indoor air quality, which can lead to health hazards, though that’s a topic for another day.
As mold grows, it metabolizes the substrate it’s growing on (like wood subflooring underneath your carpet) for energy. During this metabolic process, mold releases various byproducts, one of them is called: Microbial VOCs (mVOCs), which are specific Volatile Organic Compounds produced by fungi and bacteria.
Compounds like geosmin, 1-octen-3-ol, and various alcohols, ketones, and terpenes are common. Geosmin, for instance, is particularly known for its earthy smell.
As mold breaks down organic material, this decomposition process can release additional compounds. The decay of organic matter itself can produce a range of gases like ammonia or sulfur compounds, although these are more associated with bacterial decay than mold specifically.
Is mold under flooring dangerous, even if it doesn’t smell musty? Even if there are no musty odors, the dangers of mold under flooring can still be present.
Mold growing under modern vinyl ‘click’ flooring or even carpets is often hidden from view and goes unnoticed.
This sneaky nature and the occasional lack of smell can make mold under flooring challenging to detect until it has already caused considerable damage.
After all, how can you know there’s mold in your house if you can’t see it (like under your floor)?
It can silently grow and spread behind the scenes. This can affect larger areas in your home and create bigger problems without immediate signs.
Detecting mold under flooring isn’t always easy because it is great at hiding. However, there are a couple of telltale signs that can help you spot mold before things get out of hand.
You should keep an eye out for visible discoloration or warping on your floors. Are they looking a little lumpy or discolored in spots?
If yes, you may have some unwanted mold guests beneath the surface. Also, a persistent musty odor in certain areas is a classic sign that mold is present.
If you notice these symptoms, you can use moisture meters to detect hidden dampness, which could indicate mold growth.
However, DIY solutions like moisture meters or mold detection kits are not effective detection solutions.
If you suspect mold in your home but can’t confirm its presence, don’t take any chances and hire a professional mold inspection service.
It’s best to leave mold detection to the experts because DIY mold detection methods tend to miss hidden mold colonies.
Professional mold testing labs, like Axxonlab, specialize in identifying mold in hard-to-reach areas. So, why resort to DIY methods and take a risk when you can get an accurate diagnosis?
Here at Axxonlab, we have state-of-the-art technology and seasoned mold detection professionals who are familiar with the signs of mold under hardwood floors and other types of flooring, including laminate and vinyl.
One of the tools that we utilize at Axxonlab for detecting hidden mold under floors is air quality testing.
By trapping microscopic airborne particles (like mold spores) onto an air cassette, we can then analyze them under a microscope to determine what type of mold is present and in what concentrations.
This also allows us to test your indoor space without ripping up the floors, potentially exposing occupants to greater concentrations of mold spores.
Don’t let mold silently spread and take over your home—get in touch with the professional mold inspection team of Axxonlab to know exactly what’s happening under your flooring.
