13 Guidelines to Prevent Mold from Damaging Your Home and Health

 

How to Prevent Mold

The services of mold removal are costly and have a lengthy process. Not to mention, presence of the mold in the home can cause serious health problems including asthma, wheezing, allergies, and many more. Prevention is the best way of avoiding the growth and spread of mold. Here are some methods to prevent mold.

13 Guidelines to Mold Prevention

The following are some guidelines that you can follow in case you have a home that is susceptible to high levels of moisture, or you live in an area with high humidity. However, even the homes which are located in the drier climates may have moisture problems:

• Homes with exposed crawl space present a significant risk for mold growth. One can install a specialized polyethylene sheet in order to prevent the moisture from seeping through it and o prevent mold from growing on surfaces of the crawl space.
• Check the foundation. Make sure that it slopes away from home so that rain and the groundwater do not move towards your home.
• The drainage systems of the home must also slope away from the home. If these systems are incorrect your home may be at significant risk of water damage and mold growth by the runoff from the gutters and the downspouts.
• If you have a damp basement, you can use a dehumidifier in order to keep it dry and prevent mold growth.
• You should keep an eye on the household clutter, and pare down the stuff. As a result of the clutter, the airflow is blocked and the HVAC system can be prevented from circulating the air. Condensation is caused by the furniture and the draperies which block the vents. Microclimates are created in the home by all this moisture and it welcomes and feeds the growth of mold.
• Avoid carpeting areas like basements and bathrooms. In case the moisture soaks into these areas, it’s difficult to dry and mold grows well in carpeting.
• You should make sure that venting for the clothes dryer is directed outside of the house. The dryer should not be sending the moist, warm air back into the house. The same should be done by the vents for the exhaust fans in your home.
• Moisture can also be harbored by houseplants. In case you have a lot of houseplants around your home, combined with a few other components that produce moisture, they can be contributing to levels of moisture that are higher than necessary.
• Make sure that you always run the exhaust fan after bathing or showering to swiftly get rid of the moisture produced as a result of these activities. Lingering moisture helps to prevent mold growth and contributes to the mildew in crevices and corners of caulk, grouting, and so forth.
• When you open the doors and windows, the air conditioning escapes, money is wasted and humid air is invited into the cooler home. Condensation is caused by it, and it’s loved by mold. So you should keep the windows and doors shut when AC is on.
• Moisture can also be generated by simply cooking food on the stove. If a stove exhaust fan is present, make sure that you run it when cooking. Also, run it for several minutes after cooking. In case your home does not have an exhaust fan in the kitchen, you might open a window while cooking.
• Inspect condensate drain pipe (It’s the white narrow pipe that sticks out from a side) on the air conditioning unit in order to make sure that it is dripping regularly. If the pipe is not dripping regularly, it might be blocked and the water might be accumulating inside the air conditioning unit – or on the floor. In case you suspect there is a problem, you should call an HVAC professional. In order to prevent the blockage and the buildup of mold, annually pour one cup of bleach that is mixed with water down this drain.
• You should periodically check the hidden areas for plumbing leaks. Pools of water that are left unchecked can grow mold quickly. In case you find any water leaks, make sure that you fix them quickly.

Significant risks are posed by mold to your health as well as to the structural integrity of your business or home. It may also lead to costly and time-consuming cleanups of mold. In case you discover any mold in the home, you should contact a certified, mold removal specialist in order to resolve the problem quickly and safely.

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