Mold in the garage is a pretty common problem. While homes usually have good ventilation to help prevent mold growth, garages are another matter. In addition to poor ventilation, simply driving a car into the garage in rainy or snowy weather tracks in a lot of water that can lead to mold growth. Mold can be found in many places in garages, though, not only on the floors or walls. Boxes of stored belongings and stacks of magazines or newspapers can get moldy. Camping equipment or summer supplies may get moldy, especially if put away damp.
Risks with Mold in the Garage
Most people know, or at least have some idea, why mold in the house is dangerous. It can lead to serious health problems, including asthma attacks, pneumonia, other respiratory disorders, migraine headaches and allergic reactions, as reported by the Environmental Protection Agency(1).
Mold in your garage can cause all the same health problems as mold in your house. Mold in your garage may pose a lesser risk initially, though, simply because most people don’t spend a lot of time in their garage. However, garages are not airtight. Just as carbon monoxide can seep into your house if you leave your car running in your garage, so can mold spores and mycotoxins (harmful chemicals produced by mold) make their way into your home from the garage.
Not only can this make you sick but mold spores can then settle in your home and start growing. While mold in the garage may be a slightly less urgent problem than mold in the house, it’s still something that needs to be taken care of in a timely manner.