Last Updated on December 3, 2014
Over the last few years, mold and mildew has risen to an extent that it is one of the most dreaded toxins people face every other day. According to reports from researchers, asthma has increased by over 300% over the last twenty years and the leading causative agent being the mold. It is important that you come up with a solution to help curb the spread of mold even as you work to remove what is in your home. You should note that in small quantities, mold is quite is to remove.
However, when it escalates to a larger size and scope, it may require professional remediation to solve. Mold spores are every where and can enter your home through the openings in your doors and windows and even through the tiniest gaps in your house. For the mold to thrive, it only needs a combination of the following things: food, air and moisture. If you are looking for ways to keep your home mold free, then The Mold Guy has the following tips for you:
Mind the moisture in your home
Your basement, kitchen and bathroom are the commonly known havens for the mold. Professionals advise you that you keep humidity below fifty percent, especially in the basement. You can use dehumidifiers, look for ways to drain water away and if possible use the recommended gadgets for monitoring the moisture levels. Your outside drainage and grading needs to be improved too. Do this by keeping your gutters clean and ensuring that soil is always sloping away from the house. You can also keep the moisture levels on the check by covering dirt crawl space floors with good material such as plastic.
Store safely
All your storage needs to be kept several inches up and off your concrete floors. Ensure that it is several inches away from your foundations; a place where moisture can easily seep in. Organic materials such as cardboard boxes are the worst hit. You can replace them with plastic and metal shelves to help in curbing the problem.
Heat finished basements
Most of the below grade spaces such as finished basements are likely to be infested by mold and need to be heated to at least sixty degrees. If you keep the space warm, then chances of condensation are reduced drastically and it is even easy to manage mold yourself.
Ventilate vigorously
We ventilate the house in order to allow fresh air to come in and what is in the house to get out. But good ventilation is required in damp rooms such as bathroom in order to reduce the moisture levels in there. Make sure that you have good ventilation and that the fans are working properly. The rooms should be vented by the properly sized fans so as to take moisture outside instead of directing it to the attics. It is a good practice to keep your bathroom door open after taking shower to speed up the drying of the surfaces.
Avoid carpets
While carpets are known to add a touch to the aesthetics of a house, when used in the basement, they can wreck havoc and even cause multiplication of the mold. Carpets will collect dust, dirt and moisture which combine to give mold a fertile ground for growth. A better choice in these below grade spaces includes engineered hardwood or laminate flooring.
Filter the air
Most homes use a forced air heating and cooling system. These systems call for quality air filter such as those with MERV rating. However, talk to the installer to know what rate will work best for you if someone in your house suffers from allergies. An electronic air cleaner is another option to help in filtering the air in your house. It charges particles to stick to filters as if they are a magnate.
Insulate ducts
Since your ducts pass through un-cooled or unheated spaces such as basements and ducts, they need to be insulated. If not, condensation will take place inside the ducts which is known to allow for mold growth and spread of the same throughout the house.
Clean carefully
There are some good mold inhibiting cleaners out there and they come in handy for your bathroom and kitchen. Take your portable air conditioning units apart and have them cleaned at the start of each season so you are sure that mold can’t find its way in your house again.
Fix floods as fast as possible
You can stop the spread of mold if you choose to respond fast to leaks and floods. It is proper to disinfect the place after a thorough process of drying of your soaked carpets or upholstery. At The Mold Guy, we take pride in what we do especially when it comes to mold removal and remediation. We also offer technical advice on mold removal, so if there is pressing mold issues, don’t hesitate to contact us.