Bag and remove the affected flooring.
White mold on hardwood floor.
Saturate the material to weigh down the mold spores then cut through the flooring with a reciprocating saw.
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.
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.
But the problem lies when the moisture is out of sight.
Heavy white mold growth on floor joists.
The following are some signs of mold under hardwood floors affecting your health.
How much water is too much water damage doesn t have to be severe for mold to grow.
Moisture left to set will quickly develop into mold spores.
The mold usually appears first as small dust like white spots.
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.
White mold on wood.
So let s look at the three signs of mold under hardwood floors.
Whereas white mold doesn t release as much mycotoxins.
Beyond its color white mold usually has less health risks than black mold.
White bloom under the finish of a hardwood floor won t wipe off and is usually a sign of moisture.
Discoloration in the form of white spots or blotches.
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.
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.
In cool climates mold growth on floor joists is rare.
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.
White mold on wood when you see white spots on wood they are almost certainly white mold since efflorescence cannot appear on wood.
Is mold on engineered hardwood floor dangerous to humans.
If you ve had a recent moisture intrusion keep an eye out for the most common sign of white mold on wood.
Unfortunately mold loves a damp wet environment.
If you ve noticed fungus on your hardwood flooring you are dealing with a mold infestation a type of fungi that is found indoors and outdoors and thrives in damp and dark conditions.
It could be that the floor was damp when finished or there could be a current moisture source below the floor.
With black mold the species found most commonly is stachybotrys chartarum which is very toxic due to the amount of mycotoxins it releases.
But when it occurs it s often white in color.
It can not only stain wood floors but also move below the surface to discolor rot or warp the wood.
Most surface mold can be removed with a rag and chemical spray.