Making Your San Gabriel Valley Home Mold Resistant

3/12/2018 (Permalink)

There is no such thing as a mold-proof home. Mold spores exist in the air inside our homes, but we can cohabit peacefully as long as those spores don’t find moisture and start growing. If they do, it’s only a matter of time before mold spreads, and once that happens, it can be difficult to eradicate. While you cannot eliminate mold, you can discourage its growth.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mold growth can exist practically anywhere. All mold needs to thrive is moisture, a food source, and warmth. The “food source” can be any number of household items or materials such as bedding and draperies, shower walls and windowsills, wallpaper and ceiling tiles. Here are some steps you can take to help make your home mold resistant:

1. Prevent Moisture- Be sure to reduce moisture in your home whenever you can. For example, keep humidity below 50% in basements, improve outside grading and drainage by keeping gutter clean and soil sloping away from your home, and cover dirt crawl space floors with plastic to reduce moisture
2. Ventilate- Poor or missing ventilation fans in damp spaces like baths and kitchens can leave enough moisture behind to sustain a mold problem. Make sure all baths and kitchens are vented by properly sized fans that take moisture outside.
3. Store Safely- Keep all storage at least several inches up off concrete floors and away from foundations where dampness can easily seep in.
4. Heat Finished Basements- Below grade spaces like finished basements are more likely to become infested and should always be heated to at least 60 degrees, even when not being used.
5. Reduce Humidity- Use dehumidifiers to reduce humidity to 30%- 50% and fans to increase airflow in your home, especially if you live in a hot, humid climate.
6. Insulate Ducts- Duct systems that carry heated or cooled air throughout your house must be insulated whenever they pass through unheated or uncooled spaces like attics or basements. If not, condensation can form inside the ducts and when combined with dust in the air, can allow mold to grow in the ducts.
7. Clean Carefully- Use mold-inhibiting cleaners in the bathrooms and kitchens. Portable air conditioning units should be taken apart and cleaned at the start of every season.
8. Fix Floods Fast- If you do have a major leak or flood, quick action can stop mold before it starts. Thoroughly dry soaked carpets and padding, and remove any wet upholstery.

By taking these steps to make your home mold resistant, you’ll avoid the headaches of remediation and repair, as well as the potential health problems mold can cause. If you do suspect mold growth in your home, SERVPRO of Glendora/San Dimas can inspect, assess and remediate your property. CALL TODAY 626.852.9922