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Mold: nobody likes to find it on that produce that they swear they just bought, and nobody likes to find it on their flooring. While certain types, like vinyl flooring, are rather impervious to this threat, even the most waterproof flooring can fall prey to mold growth behind them. That’s right—right underfoot, in the spaces you can’t see!
Luckily, preventing unwanted mold growth is simple with a few precautionary measures. E Hardwoods & Flooring, where you can buy hardwood flooring online, has a few helpful how-to tips below.
Lots of flooring mold growth is caused by moisture seeping up from the subfloor, creating the perfect frenzy sone for fungi. While this might not be a huge issue with plywood subfloors, concrete subfloors, because they’re porous, will need to be at the proper moisture level if you want to install any type of flooring over them. Recommendations on average levels vary, but it’s generally accepted that they should be no more than 12% when measured with a relative humidity meter.
You’ll also need to use a moisture barrier when installing over concrete to prevent mold issues. Because concrete is, again, porous, it needs the extra barrier between it and your vulnerable flooring should humidity levels suddenly spike.
High home humidity doesn’t just pose problems for the area behind your flooring; it makes your entire home more vulnerable to opportunistic mold species. No matter if you have hardwood flooring or vinyl flooring, you’ll need to always make sure your home is at acceptable humidity levels if you care about your flooring’s longevity; Bobvila recommends that it’s kept between 30 and 50 percent.
Whole-home humidifiers installed by an HVAC company are a great route to take if you’re struggling with managing humidity.
As wintertime rolls around, homes in colder climates are now at a higher risk for burst pipes—which spill gallons upon gallons of water and can very well lead to mold issues behind your flooring if they aren’t quickly cleaned up. Prevention is the best medicine; make sure to insulate exposed pipes to avoid this issue, as is recommended by the American Red Cross.
Looking for a hardy, long-lasting flooring type that supports your family well throughout its lifespan? Our massive online stock of solid hardwood flooring has the perfect fit, so shop it today.