How to Protect Your Driveway From Mold, Mildew, and Water Damage

While you may be aware of how black mold, regular mold, and mildew can wreak havoc on the interior of your home and your health, many homeowners don’t know that these hazards can do as much damage to the driveway. If you’ve scheduled a mold removal after mold remediation before, you probably know the drill for protecting your home against mold. There are some similarities and some differences when it comes to keeping mold and mildew away from your driveway, but we will delve more into them below.

Learning how to spot the differences between regular mold versus black mold takes a level of skill and expertise that the average homeowner shouldn’t expert to have. As a result, if you suspect you may have moldy wallpaper and want to see if that mold also affects the exterior of your home and driveway, scheduling mold testing is a good idea. In general, it can be hard to tell the difference between regular mold and black mold or even identify mold until it becomes a larger problem, so if you’re having symptoms of mold poisoning or believe it’s possible that there may be mold on your driveway, you should keep reading.

Did you know that your driveway could be a breeding ground for mold and mildew? According to CNN Money, more than 30% of new homes have some form of mold in them. We are always careful to prevent mold infestations from permeating our houses, but too often we neglect to take preventative measures with other external parts of our homes.

If you notice mold creeping up your driveway, read on to find out how to get rid of it.

Driveway Cleaning Procedure

What You Will Need:

• Rubber gloves
• A bucket
• A push broom
• A stiff-bristled brush
• A garden hose
• Chlorine bleach

Instructions:

1. Put on the rubber gloves to protect your hands.
2. Fill the bucket with 2 gallons of water and one cup of chlorine bleach.
3. Dip the stiff-bristled brush into the bucket and use it to apply the bleach and water mixture to the mold growth on the driveway.
4. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes in order to thoroughly kill the mold.
5. Scrub the driveway with the push broom to loosen and remove the mold.
6. Spray the entire driveway with the garden hose, making sure that you direct the water towards a drainage area away from the house and any plants and grass.

For more serious cases of mold, or for a more thorough wash, it is wise to call a driveway cleaning service to perform pressure washing.

The best thing you can do for your driveway is to have it sealed by a professional driveway sealing service. Sealant will protect the asphalt from cracks that occur as a result of weather and automobile traffic-related wear and tear. When moisture enters those cracks it damages the asphalt and can make it a more hospitable environment for mold and mildew to grow and spread.

Mold is a serious issue and must not be taken lightly. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 100% of mold types have the potential to cause negative health effects. For example, the Mayo Clinic says that 93% of chronic sinus infections can be attributed to mold.

Do not neglect your driveway. If you have any additional tips, tricks, and cleaning strategies for getting rid of mold and mildew, feel free to post in the comments section below. Continue reading here.