Ask the Builder: It’s Not Mold—It’s Salt

Salt is found in sand, soil, and more.
Ask the Builder: It’s Not Mold—It’s Salt
You may see a flaky residue like this in your garage or basement and think it’s dangerous mold. In almost all cases, it’s just harmless salt crystals. Tim Carter/Tribune Content Agency/TNS
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The seasonal tumblers are all clicking into place here at my home. The same thing might be happening where you live. My central New Hampshire town, much to my dismay, uses rock salt to fight ice and snow on the roads. Yes, it works, but it also corrodes cars and trucks. The salt also creates anxiety for many a homeowner in the spring. They think their garages have a horrible toxic mold bloom.

I know this to be true based on the hundreds of comments on one of my YouTube videos. A few years ago, I had a marvelous efflorescence bloom in my garage. I decided to record it and share how to make the pesky white growth disappear. The comments on this video have astounded me. The vast majority of commenters are relieved to learn that they don’t have an expensive and toxic mold outbreak. I’m grateful each time I see one of these comments, knowing I’ve saved that person lots of money.

Tim Carter
Tim Carter
Author
Tim Carter is the founder of AsktheBuilder.com. He's an amateur radio operator and enjoys sending Morse code sitting at an actual telegrapher's desk. Carter lives in central New Hampshire with his wife, Kathy, and their dog, Willow. Subscribe to his FREE newsletter at AsktheBuilder.com. He now does livestreaming video M-F at 4 PM Eastern Time at youtube.com/askthebuilder. (C)2022 Tim Carter. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.