Mold is a general term for fungi that can grow in various colors, including black, green, white, and red. Mildew is often powdery and white, while mold can be fuzzy or slimy.
Mold in the Charlotte Area
The general weather pattern in your area has a lot to do with the types of crawl space issues you may have to deal with, and if you live in the Charlotte area, mold can be a big problem.
Charlotte has a humid, subtropical climate with mild winters and hot, humid summers—the perfect breeding ground for mold.
Mold is a broad term that describes many different types of fungi that grow in various colors. Mold can be black, green, white, and red. While mildew is usually white and powdery, mold is fuzzy or slimy.
How Do I Know if My Crawl Space Has Mold?
House musty smell
An earthy or musty smell in your home is an obvious sign you may have a mold issue, indicating the need for a professional inspection to determine if you need Charlotte crawl space mold removal.
Visible mold
If you see white mold on walls, mold on floor joists, or black, brown, or green patches anywhere in your crawl space, you have a mold problem that indicates the need for cleaning a crawl space.
Another good rule of thumb for inspection is mold usually grows on joists, insulation, walls, floors, pipes, or your ductwork. Wood primarily feeds mold growth.
Warped Wood
Rotting or warped wood is an obvious sign that requires a professional inspection.
Respiratory issues
If you or anyone in your household experiences an uptick in respiratory problems or allergies, inspecting your crawl space for mold is a good idea. Mold can cause serious health issues and respiratory infections, especially in people with asthma and allergies.
Water stains
Visible water stains on your home’s joists, walls, or floors mean an inspection from Dry Otter Waterproofing is a good idea to determine the extent of the mold issue.
If you see any of these apparent signs in your Charlotte crawl space, mold removal is necessary.
Crawl Space Mold Causes
Many conditions cause mold growth in a crawl space. Several factors are typical weather conditions in Charlotte that increase your chances of mold growth: high humidity, consistent warm temperatures, and excessive annual rainfall.
Mold thrives between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and most crawl spaces fall within this temperature range.
If you live in the Charlotte area, your crawl space will experience the high end of this temperature range because mold thrives in a warm, humid environment with excess moisture.
Lack of sunlight and poor ventilation are other causes of mold. Sunlight is a natural mold killer, but most crawl spaces are dark and damp with little airflow.
Organic materials like wood floor joists, paper, and insulation feed and encourage mold growth.
Water damage is a significant cause of mold growth. Plumbing leaks, flooding, inadequate drainage, and condensation from soil moisture encourage mold.
Cracking or porous crawl space walls are a problem, as well as a lack of a vapor barrier and improper grading of your foundation’s surrounding area. Finally, insufficient ground cover, like gravel or mulch, can lead to mold growth.
Charlotte crawl space mold removal and the steps necessary to prevent further mold growth are required if you have any of these issues in your crawl space.
Our Solutions to Remove Mold
Dry Otter Waterproofing has a multistep procedure for removing mold in your crawl space.
First, we install a negative air fan in the crawl space. A negative air fan is a mechanism used to remove potentially dangerous air particles from your crawl space.
Second, when the HVAC system is turned off, we put an air scrubber inside your home. An air scrubber improves your home’s air quality by removing pollutants, allergens, and microorganisms from the air.
Air scrubbers offer significant health benefits in terms of air quality and comfort.
The final step Dry Otter technicians use is to remove all visible, raised fungus with an antimicrobial solution. This completes the mold removal process.
It is not enough to disinfect your crawl space; mold removal is necessary to ensure the job is done correctly to prevent future mold growth.
What are the Benefits of Removing Mold From Your Crawl Space?
Your health is the most significant benefit of removing mold from your crawl space.
Mold causes many respiratory issues, which can make a significant difference for those already suffering from asthma and allergies.
Addressing mold issues can also improve the integrity of your home. Mold can eat into and destroy wood joists, subflooring, and insulation.
Eliminating mold is the best way to ensure your home’s structural integrity and significantly benefits your home’s value.
Dry Otter Waterproofing specializes in crawl space mold removal.
If necessary, we can also address the underlying causes of mold growth by installing a crawl space dehumidifier, vapor barriers, sump pumps, and crawl space encapsulation.
At Dry Otter Waterproofing, we offer real solutions that last.
Get Your Charlotte Crawl Space Inspected for Free
If you’re looking for the best Charlotte basement waterproofing available, then the best place to start is with a free basement inspection from Dry Otter Waterproofing. Our team will map out the best course of action for waterproofing your basement as well as identify and address any other concerns.
What Our Customers Are Saying
EXCELLENT Based on 347 reviews Nancy Buckman2025-10-03Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Fantastic crew of Trey, Jonathan & Desmond. Knowledgable, professional and a great help of understanding the process. David Stephens2025-09-27Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Will and Josh did an excellent job, they were extremely knowledgeable and careful with the areas outside the crawl space. They answered all our questions and wanted to make sure we were absolutely satisfied before they left. Also appreciated the daily communication with arrival times and daily work plans. Amy Minacapelli2025-09-25Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Dry Otter did a great job! They went above and beyond and would definitely recommend their services. We had the pleasure of a fantastic crew, Noah, Corey, Jam and Tristen are top notch. Call as soon as possible because they are extremely busy! Vicki Gurley2025-09-25Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. After reading many great reviews, we used Dry Otter to remove mold and mildew from a newly purchased older home. Dry Otter then expertly encapsulated the crawlspace and installed a dehumidifier (Thanks Johnathan, Trey, and Desmond!!) and did the needed structual repairs. Great job!! The dehumidifier monitor now assures us that the crawlspace remains dry. THANK YOU, DRY OTTER! Rick Dunlap2025-09-24Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The work done by Will and his crew was excellent. I can sit in my crawlspace with a sense of calm as it is so clean. Cheryl Waggener2025-09-18Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Had several companies quote me a price...dry otter was the best price, with the highest quality materials being used! For ex...20mil vapor barrier....just one thing....Will & Josh were extremely informative, knowledgeable, professional & helpful with any and all questions! They did an excellent job! They are from the Denver NC office! I highly recommend them! Dry otter is blessed to have them! I am very happy with the job they have done! And last their guarantee is excellent...they also clean up extremely well after themselves! Thank You Dry Otter! ...Will & Josh! Kimberly Jones2025-09-17Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. After researching crawl space encapsulation and asking neighbors, I found Dry Otter. I contacted 4 companies and 2 didn’t even respond. Dry Otter came out and presented photos, info on their process & system and a quote on the spot. I appreciate their professionalism and responsiveness and the price was not only the better option but most importantly was a better material used and I like the fact they are independent family-owned. The team that did the work was Noah, Corey, Jam & Tristen. A group of very nice hard working young men. Noah was especially great and easy to work with. They called both days 20 minutes out, communicated during the process and explained everything in detail with instructions, etc. With our house being a new build only a year old, we wanted to make this important investment to protect the support beams and trusses for the long term. I’m looking forward to some energy saving as well. And, no critters or bugs will be especially nice too! I highly recommend Dry Otter! Joey Tirak2025-09-05Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My crawlspace needed some attention had pretty high humidity and condensation on duct work. Decided to go with an encapsulation with foam board on walls. Dry otter was great to work with. Will and Josh were the installers and their communication and professionalism was outstanding. The crawl space looks great now and thet explained everything very well. They even checked back in a couple days after the install to make sure the humidity has dropped. highly recommend Dry Otter if you need a crawl space encapsulation
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Schedule Your Free Inspection
Our process includes the following inspections:
Crawl Space Inspection:
- Moisture and Water Damage
- Mold and Fungus
- Insulation Condition
- Vapor Barrier
- Structural Issues
- High Humidity
- Condensation on Ducts
Basement Inspection:
- Water Intrusion
- Cracks and Wall Leaks
- Foundation Integrity
- Sump Pump Operation
- Mold and Mildew
- Basement Floor Cracks
- Hydrostatic Pressure
Our expert will personally visit your home and examine the issues you are having with your basement or crawl space foundation.
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