Maybe it was the smell that tipped you off, or worse you see it on the surface of your carpet. But you think you might have mold. Just the idea of it makes your skin crawl. Luckily, odds are you can deal with it yourself though. We’ll going to walk you through next steps, from identifying if it is really something like black mold, to the removal process, and future prevention.
Identifying Mold Under Your Carpet
Depending on your situation, mold might not even be what you’re dealing with. Before we do anything else, let’s try to figure out what we’re up against.
Any visible spots, especially dark ones(black mold), that you can see on the surface of your carpet is a telltale sign that extensive mold growth is already well underway. Who knows how much more is hiding underneath.
But if you aren’t seeing any obvious signs here are a couple more things to look out for.
Odors Are Always Your First Clue
Everyone knows it. That old basement smell. Believe it or not, that smell is associated with basements because of mold.
Mold will have a distinct musty odor. The area in question could also smell stale, damp, or earthy. It’s possible this smell is even permeating the entire room.
Peel back the Carpet or Padding
If you think there’s a potential trouble area, it’s important to peel back the carpet or carpet pad from the floor.
It’s not uncommon for there to be black stuff under your carpet pad. But this is not necessarily mold. This can be pieces of glue or old rubber left over from your last carpet that naturally blacken over time, or some other type of stain.
However, if you have mold, this will be the first place it appears. For mold to grow it needs:
- Any area devoid of light
- Moisture
- Proper Temperature
- And an adequate “food source”
The area under your carpet can provide all of these things.
When you peel back your carpet check for signs of black mold. This is usually the most common. Black mold has spots that are darkest and densest in the middle. The mold can look like a stain, or be fuzzy, or even slimy looking depending on the wetness of the surface your carpet sits on top off.
If you see any of these signs, it’s time to take action.
Why Mold is Dangerous
Let’s be honest. Nobody wants to associate the idea of mold with their home. It just leaves a deep feeling of being unclean. But there are far bigger reasons than this to get this fungus out of your home.
Mold Causes Health Problems
When molds grow, they release spores that spread out across their surface area, but can also be released into the air.
Exposure to these mold spores can cause a variety of mild and moderate health problems, including the following:
- Fatigue
- Mental Fogginess
- Classic Allergy Symptoms(Eyes, nose, and throat acting up)
- Difficulty Breathing
While likely not immediately life threatening, prolonged exposure is strongly discouraged.
Before proceeding any further, make sure you’re equipped with proper safety gear such as a mask, goggles, and gloves.
How to Get Rid of Mold Under the Carpet or Carpet Padding
Alright if you’ve gotten this far you definitely have a problem. Depending on the degree of the growth, mold removal can be a difficult process. You probably can’t save the carpet. You don’t have to call a professional, but it will definitely give more peace of mind. However, if you think you’re up for it, here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Remove All Furniture
First, remove all furniture from the affected area.
This can be tricky. If it’s just under your carpet, probably nothing to worry about.
But worst case, you could potentially spread a contaminated piece of furniture to another area of the house if you aren’t careful. Mold spores released into the air could have landed on an unsuspecting piece of furniture, where it will lie dormant until conditions are suitable for growth.
Luckily, this is unlikely, because the number 1 factor contributing to the mold growth is the excess moisture. Other areas of the house hopefully won’t have that. If they do, you’ve got bigger problems.
Step 2: If Possible, Clean The Area of Mold
If excess moisture coming from one corner of the room has caused the mold under carpet, you may be able to salvage it.
If you go this route, its extra important to make sure you use adequate protection.
To remove mold begin with dampening the area. We know, we literally just said moisture causes mold! Bear with us, this will make it come out easier.
Then scrub the area with a soap and water or detergent and water mixture. Anything stronger should be tested on a small area of the carpet that is unnoticeable to avoid damaging the carpet. Do not use a rag. A brush works nicely. Something causing heavy friction
Make sure to scrub both the carpet and the floor underneath thoroughly to ensure all the mold is removed. Then disinfect the area with bleach to ensure mold doesn’t return. This is for the wood or concrete. Don’t bleach your carpet.
Other potential options include:
- Using a handheld steamer. This is perhaps the easiest, especially for spot treatment. Heat from the steam is very effective at deactivating mold. You can also buy specific steamer meant for mold removal on amazon.
- A classic vinegar and backing soda mix
- Zep Clear Shell. This chemical mix destroys mold and mildew and inhibits further growth by leaving a protective layer over the surface once it dries
For best results, use a combination of these.
Unfortunately, none of these methods are guaranteed. For two reasons.
One, the nature of mold makes it grow plant like roots deep into surfaces. Chemicals cannot reach far beyond the surface. This may mean the end for your carpet if black mold has penetrated deep within its fibers.
Two, unless the original source of moisture is removed, you will unable to prevent mold.
Therefore, if you’ve chosen to wash carpet with a water mixture, doing everything you can to ensure it dries is vital.
Step 3: Remove all Damaged Carpet
If you’ve cleaned the mold, skip to the end. Otherwise, carry on.
When the problem is small this can mean just removing a small section of your carpet and disposing of it in any container. Anything will do. Even a trash bag will contain the mold properly. Surprisingly nothing fancy here.
Unfortunately, if the mold has grown into your carpet pad, and you can’t be sure as to the extent of the spread across your flooring and carpet, it is probably best to remove all of your carpet entirely. Once it has grown into large portions of padding it will probably never all come out.
Step 4: Address the Cause of the Mold
Nothing you do will be more important than this.
If there is moisture you must get rid of it. This can be caused by a number of things from a foundation leak to plumbing issues. If you are unable to diagnose this yourself call a professional for help.
One of the most common places mold can grow is in basements. Aside from low light levels that something like black mold thrives in, mold often occurs without leakage here due to unique properties of airflow and condensation in these below ground locations, usually during the summertime.
To combat this do not install wall to wall carpeting in your basement. Having floor decor that can easily be rolled up and moved out of the way to clean under will go along way from preventing these problems in the first place.
This can be done by dabbing the carpet dry, hanging it, using a carpet blower, or a wet/dry vacuum.
Step 5: Install new Carpet and Carpet Padding
Once you’re certain the cause of the mold growth has been removed, call a contractor to install fresh carpet.
If you’re still concerned, many companies will have special packages for carpet pads that should protect better against potential future molds or mildew.
How does Mold Get There in the First Place
So a little background first. Mold is actually a kind of fungus. They grow in strands called hyphae. While mold does reproduce, it is all one connected organism. To spread mold produces spores.
Unlike the mold itself these spores are not condition dependent for survival. This is why you need to be careful transporting furniture from a moldy room. It could contain these spores, which in a suitable environment, could start a new colony.
What Causes Mold Growth Under Carpets
When mold spores get under or on a carpet, they can lie in wait for quite a long time. Dormant until warm temperatures and excess moisture.
When suitable conditions do arrive, growth can begin.
The mold will use dust collecting under the carpet and carpet pad as food. Any carbon composed materials will act as food to fuel growth.
Unless something changes, the mold will continue to grow until conditions are no longer suitable. Unfortunately, it can grow for a long time underneath the carpet before it ever becomes noticeable, and by then, it’s usually too late.
How to Prevent Mold in the Future
There are several things you can do to prevent carpet mold in the first place. It’s all about proactive prevention of a suitable growth environment.
As we’ve mentioned throughout this article, address any leaks and excess moisture. I know we keep repeating it. But it’s important. If something is spilled on the carpet, do not assume it will dry. The same structure that make carpet and carpet padding good for insulation and trapping heat, make them equally effective at trapping moisture.
For basement’s use carpets that can be moved and cleaned under
Humidity monitors can be bought for around $40 on amazon. These will give you readings on the air in basements and other parts of the house, informing you when air moisture may be ripe for mold growth.
While mold doesn’t always require an expert to deal with, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Leaks causing the mold however, should not be dealt with personally. Call water proofing specialist to take care of these properly.