Is Mold on the Exterior of Your Home a Cause for Concern?

Causes of Outdoor Mold Growth at Your House

Mold can potentially grow anytime high levels of moisture are present on the exterior of your home. Some of the most common reasons why you may develop this moisture include:

• High humidity levels in the environment
• Leaks in your roof or siding
• Improper drainage around the foundation of your home
• Overhanging trees that provide excessive shade to certain areas of the house, preventing them from drying properly
• Poorly functioning gutters

If you have any of these issues at your home, it’s critical to address them at once to prevent a mold problem from developing down the road. Taking these proactive steps is the easiest way to mitigate the risks of external mold growth.

Dangers Associated with Exterior Mold Growth at Your Home

There are a variety of potential issues that can develop when you have mold on the outside of your home, including:

• Health risks
• Structural damage
• Diminished property value
• Potential to spread inside the home

Health Risks

Even when mold is only present on the outside of your home, there is the potential for family members with allergies or a history of respiratory issues to develop health issues. These may include:

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Throat irritation
• Difficulty breathing

Structural Damage

Mold feeds on many of the organic materials used to build homes. If left unchecked, mold can penetrate these materials and weaken the structural integrity of your home. Wood siding is particularly susceptible to damage from mold growth, but other materials such as drywall, wood studs and floorboards can be impacted as well. Over time, these structures may begin to rot and collapse, creating significant safety hazards.

Diminished Property Value

Anytime there is mold growth at your home – either on the inside or outside – it can negatively impact your property value. This can make it difficult to receive top value for your home if you decide to sell it and in severe cases, it may be extremely challenging to even generate an offer to buy your house.

Potential to Spread Inside the Home

Mold spores spread easily and over time, they can find their way inside your home. It’s common for exterior mold to enter your home through vents and once these spores are inside your HVAC system, they can spread rapidly throughout your house. Exterior mold can also enter your home through windows, cracks, gaps and poorly sealed areas. Once mold is inside your home, it can lead to more serious problems, including the exacerbation of any mold-related health issues already impacting your family.

How to Identify Mold on the Exterior of Your Home

The best way to prevent a small amount of exterior mold from spreading into a large problem is to identify the mold early and take the proper steps to get rid of it. When inspecting the outside of your home for mold, it’s important to understand the difference between mold, mildew and dirt. All three can have a similar appearance on the exterior of your home, making it challenging to know for sure whether you have a mold issue.

Visual Appearance

Mold growth will typically have several distinct visual features:

• Black, green, gray or white patches
• Fuzzy or slimy texture
• Grows in circular patterns
• Adheres firmly to surfaces
• Has a more organic, living appearance than dirt or mildew



Mildew typically has a similar appearance but is often white or gray in color, not black or green. In addition, mildew is usually powdery instead of fuzzy, and it remains on the surface of your home’s exterior, while mold often penetrates the surface. Dirt will generally not penetrate the surface of your home’s exterior (it can be more easily brushed off than mold or mildew). It also won’t grow in circular patterns the way mold does.

If you’re unsure whether you have mold, mildew or dirt on the exterior of your home, contact a mold remediation company who can perform the proper mold testing to determine the cause of your issue.

Key Locations to Check

When looking for mold on the exterior of your house, make sure to check the following areas:

• Shaded sections of siding
• The area around your gutters and downspouts
• Areas with poor drainage
• Along the edges of windows and door frames
• Sections of your house with limited sunlight exposure

Preventive Measures to Reduce the Risk of Mold on Your Home’s Exterior

While early detection is an important step to minimize the damage caused by exterior mold growth, there are also preventive steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing mold. The most important preventive measure you can take is to control the moisture along the exterior of your house. You can do this by:

• Ensuring you have proper drainage around your home’s foundation
• Keeping gutters and downspouts clean and functional to prevent water overflow
• Directing downspouts away from the house to divert water away from the foundation
• Sloping landscaping away from the house to improve water runoff
• Trimming overhanging trees and bushes to reduce excessive shade that may prevent moisture from drying

The materials used for the exterior of your home will also play an important role in preventing mold growth. If you decide to renovate the outside of your home, choose mold resistant materials such as cedar. If you’re unable to use a mold resistant material, make sure to treat the exterior of your home to provide enhanced protection against mold growth. When painting the outside of your home, make sure to use high-quality paints containing mildewcides to help deter mold growth.

Staying on top of regular home maintenance tasks is also essential to preventing exterior mold growth:

• Repair any leaks in the roof, windows or doors as soon as you detect them
• Ensure proper insulation to reduce condensation on exterior walls
• Regularly inspect vulnerable areas such as shaded corners, as well as areas under eaves and behind bushes
• Check for cracks or damage to your siding, especially around butt-joints and window headers
• Wash exterior surfaces such as siding and roofs periodically using a mild bleach or vinegar solutions

Burke’s Restoration Can Help Eliminate Mold on the Exterior of Your Home

If you detect mold on the exterior of your home, it’s important to work with a professional mold remediation company who can address the problem correctly. Burke’s Restoration has been the leading mold remediation company in the Spokane Valley since 1985. Our team uses the most advanced equipment and follows a meticulous process that adheres to industry best practices. This ensures all mold on the outside of your home is completely eliminated and any potential regrowth is prevented.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment. Burke’s Restoration serves customers in Spokane, Washington, Post Falls, and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and the surrounding areas.