4 Ways To Address Mold Issues At Home

Spotting mold in your home is probably one of the worst feelings in the world.  Mold can pose serious health risks, including allergies and asthma, and serious reactions can cause fever and shortness of breath [source].  If you find that you have a  mold problem in your home, then you need to get it treated as soon as you possibly can.  Here's 4 simple ways you can address any mold issues you may have at home.

4 Ways To Address Mold Issues At Home

1.  Identify Problem Areas

You may not be able to completely mold-proof your home, but you can perform an audit. Try and find where the typical problem areas lie. For example, some of the most common areas for mold growth are:

• Basements
• Attics
• Ceilings
• Around windows and doors
• ​Your foundation (interior and exterior)

If your basement is prone to flooding, or if you have a lot of  condensationon your windows, then chances are these will be hot spots for mold growth.  A leaky roof will most likely cause mold in attics, especially on insulation and ceiling tiles.

​2.  Address Any Wet Areas Right Away

Mold cannot grow without some form of moisture. For this reason, it’s important that you take care of any wet areas right away. If you have a large spill on the carpet or large leak in the roof, then you'll need to dry the area(s) promptly.  Using a simple box fan or two should suffice, depending on the size of the affected area.  If you have experienced a flood, follow the advice of your homeowner's insurance, including removing any carpets, bedding, furniture or other materials that can hold water right away.  Perhaps you'll want to rent more industrial size fans for drying the area as well.  If your drywall's been affected, remove the affected area and replace with new drywall (consider selecting a board that that contains mold and moisture inhibitors).

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Infographic courtesy of quitchronicfatigue.com

3.  Improve Ventilation

Ventilation can control excess moisture, a must-have for mold growth.   This is why it's important to have intermittent ventilation in rooms such as the bathroom or kitchen or other moisture-prone rooms.  Sites such as dmx1step.com are great if you want to check out the options for adding extra ventilation to the floors in your home. The cool thing about their DMX Airflow LVT product is that it creates an air gap under your vinyl planks allowing for moist air to evaporate, thereby reducing mold growth under your floors.  We've never seen a product like that before...impressive!

4.  Clean Your Gutters

Did you know that if you don't perform regular gutter maintenance on your home then this could cause a terrible mold problem down the road? Clogged gutters can cause leaks...which can cause water damage...which can cause--you guessed it--mold. To save yourself a good $5,000 in mold remediation (and save yourself from a harmful health hazard), try and keep your gutters clear by making gutter maintenance part of your fall clean up.  Also, consider installing gutter guards to keep leaves and other debris out of your gutter system altogether.

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As you can see, being proactive is a huge part of avoiding a dangerous mold situation.  If you do happen to find a significant amount of mold in your home, don't attempt to remediate without donning protective gear.  Here's what the Centers For Disease Control suggests you wear before entering a home or building with mold damage:

Infographic courtesy of cdc.gov

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