Carpeting that has light mold or smells like mold might be described by an inexperienced inspector or a building owner as mildewed carpeting.
What does mold under carpet look like.
Mold you can t wish it away and you can t really avoid it.
The easiest way to detect mold in carpet is to smell the carpet to see if it has a bad odor.
First thing first you should be aware when a black mold on carpet starts to grow or when it s rapidly spreading.
What does carpet mold look like.
You can read more about mold under vinyl flooring.
To identify carpet mold you ll want to keep your eyes peeled for the following characteristics.
Positive results from a mold testing kit.
There are more than 100 000 kinds.
And if you suspect you have mold it s best to get a confirmation from a certified cleaning professional.
Experiencing bad allergies can also be a sign that your carpet has mold in it.
In fact mold will probably only be visible on the surface of carpets in unusually severe cases of growth such as carpet damaged in flooding that has remained wet for some time.
Just because mold is not immediately apparent or visible on a carpet s surface does not mean that mold growth is not in progress.
You can read more about moldy carpet here.
How to get rid of mold under flooring.
Mold grows abundantly in areas where humidity is high.
However when it does it can be worse if you are just leaving them just like that.
If it does look for visible signs of mold on the top and bottom of the carpet like black green or white growth.
Identifying mold in carpeting.
The mold spores if any will land on the testing kit.
Plumbing leaks that deposit small amounts of water on or under carpet provide a fertile growing medium for mold and mildew.
Look for any musty odors or discolored patches on the underside of the carpet which are definite signs of mold growth.
If the padding is moldy discard and replace it.
If removing mold from under the carpet lift up the carpet to examine the padding and flooring below.
You can use a mold testing kit to test the airflow across a carpet.
Here s how to sense when the worst is about to happen.
Lift your carpet and thoroughly examine the floor under it.
However you can get rid of it and keep it from coming back.
Fungi can create bad odor to your carpet.
Using a stiff scrubbing brush apply a soap and water mixture to the area.
How to tell if there is mold under carpet.
Mold cannot be adequately removed from carpet either so that must be removed and replaced.
Scrub the area thoroughly until all of the residue from the mold is removed.