Debbie More than 70% of homes in the United States contain mold to some degree.
Mold is a costly and dangerous organism that may be lurking in your home right now. From the symptoms it can cause to the expensive damage it can create, there are many reasons why you want to prevent mold growth. If you already have a mold issue you will need to call a professional service like Protegrity Restoration. After clearing it out you can start fresh with the tips below.
Luckily, keeping mold out of your home can be easy. With a few preventative measures and tools, your house can be mold-free for years.
Keep reading to learn more about what you could be doing to prevent mold from growing in your home.
1. Identify Problem Areas and Keep Them Dry
The first thing to do is get an at home mold test and test the air in the rooms where mold is commonly found. The most common areas you will find a mold problem in your home are the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, or closets. Though, your attic and basement are not off-limits for mold either.
Unfortunately, you can always prevent mold here. You should frequently check these areas and remove any mold as soon as possible. Once you notice mold growing in an area, you need to find the source of the problem.
The causes of mold in your house could be a leaky pipe, window condensation, or something else. Be sure to keep the area dry until you can fix it yourself or have a professional come look at the issue.
2. Make Sure You Have Proper Ventilation
Proper ventilation can do wonders to get rid of mold in your house. Many things you do daily create extra moisture that can lead to mold. Make sure you have proper ventilation when you shower, cook, and do laundry.
Mold in these areas can be hard to remediate. Once you have moldy walls in your house from poor ventilation, you’ll likely need professional help. You can learn more about this here.
3. Monitor Your Home’s Humidity
During any season, your home’s humidity should be between 40% and 50%. If it is higher, so is the risk of mold. To determine the humidity levels within your house, you can buy a reader at your local hardware store.
To combat high humidity levels, you may need a dehumidifier that will pull moisture out of the air and prevent mold and mildew from forming.
4. Direct Water Away
Depending on where and how your home was built, it may be more susceptible to mold. If the ground your house sits on slopes toward your walls, water may be collecting in your crawlspace or basement.
You can direct water away from your home using functional drains and gutters. Or if the problem is bad enough, you might need to level the ground around your house to prevent the buildup of water.
5. Use the Right Products
From mold-resistant drywall to natural cleaners like vinegar, there are plenty of products out there to help you prevent mold in your home.
The best way to prevent mold is to use protective products. These include mold-resistant sheetrock and paint. Keep these in mind if you have to remodel due to mold and mildew problems.
If you need to get rid of mold in your house more quickly. Products such as green cleaners made with vinegar and tea tree oil as well as mold killer sprays can work quite well.
Prevent Mold in Your Home
Preventing mold in your home is not always something you realize you need to do until it’s too late. If you are already dealing with a serious mold problem, you can try these tips and call a professional for real help.
If you found this article, about how to prevent mold, helpful, check out the rest of our page for other articles about cleaning.
