Mold in your house can grow on different surfaces and objects like the windows, walls, floor, doors, books, clothes, and furniture. If you do not deal with it immediately, it soon spreads, and it could damage your things. It could also cause different ailments for you and your family members.
The wet climate of winter is one of the main reasons mold grows and spreads in your house. Mold spores can get into your home through open windows and doors, through the ventilation system, or by attaching themselves to clothes and shoes.
These are some of the tips you can use to ensure that mold does not grow in your home.
Keep Mold-Prone Areas Clean and Dry
Some places in your home, especially those with a lot of moisture and poor ventilation, have more chances of growing mold than the dry and fresh areas. Those areas include windows where there has been condensation, in the basement, behind walls, in the attic, or inside closed closets.
Sometimes, mold could also grow in your kitchen or bathroom. Regularly cleaning and drying those areas eliminates the conducive environment for mold to grow. You should also inspect the house for any areas prone to leaks, and keep them dry always.
When cleaning those areas, you should always use products that have mold-killing properties. For your furniture and rugs, you should always vacuum and empty the vacuum outside.
You should also regularly wash and thoroughly dry bath and kitchen towels, bath mats, and other moisture-absorbing fabrics in the house.
Repair Leaks Immediately
While cleaning the inside of the house is essential, it is more important to take care of the outside and fix any leaks, no matter how small. That eliminates the chances of water building up in your house.
Check your gutters, pipes, window sills, drains, and sheds regularly. The best way to deal with these leaks is to replace the old structures before winter hits or call a professional anytime you notice a leak.
If you notice any broken pipes or appliances around the house, cut off their water supply until you get them fixed.
Maintain Your Roof
Roofs are one of the main mold-prone areas. Regularly inspect your roof for any signs of mold growth, leaks, or missing shingles. Have any damage you see repaired immediately.
It is best to do this before the winter because it becomes hard to see any damages or even fix them when the snow covers your roof.
Maintain Fresh Air Flow and Low Humidity in the House
Moisture and heat are the only requirements for mold to thrive. Therefore, you have to do everything to minimize those factors.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you should keep your home’s humidity below 40%. Some of the ways that you can do this include using a dehumidifier, avoiding leaving wet towels in laundry baskets, and taking cooler showers.
You should also invest in a fan to ensure that there is always a flow of fresh air around the house. Consider adding an exhaust fan in areas like the bathroom and kitchen where there are high moisture levels and warmth.
If you install an exhaust fan, you should vent it outdoors instead of crawl spaces or the attic. If you don’t have an exhaust fan, you should always have an open window when cooking or taking a hot shower.
Do Not Use Wall-to-Wall Carpets
If you have a wall-to-wall carpet, especially in areas prone to moisture like the entryway, you should replace it with an area rug or washable material. The moisture buildup plus the heat the carpet generates create the perfect environment for mold to thrive.
If it develops under the carpet, it could take you a long time before you detect it, and it could cause irreparable damage. If you have rooms where you have a carpet, vacuum it regularly to eliminate any moisture.
Store Your Things Properly
To better utilize your home’s space, you probably store some of your summer clothes and other outdoor equipment in the garage, basement, or shed. How you store them could be the beginning of your mold problems.
Before you store anything, you should ensure that you wash and thoroughly dry it. It would help if you also tried to keep your item in plastic containers instead of cardboard boxes. If you decide to store them in shelving units, ensure they are off the ground and have enough ventilation.
When storing your books, avoid placing them near moisture-prone areas or too close to the wall. Like the clothes, check on your books and open them often.
Ventilate and Insulate the Attic
Proper insulation and ventilation in the attic help regulate the temperature and moisture levels. Ventilation ensures adequate fresh air flow into the attic, while insulation eliminates any sources of moisture.
For maximum insulation and ventilation, it is best to call a professional for the job.
Winterize Your Crawl Space
If there is a crawl space under your house, it could be a great source of mold in your home. One of the best ways to winterize it to prevent mold growth is to cover the soil with polyethylene plastic sheeting.
That prevents the moisture trapped in the soil from escaping into your house. The best thickness for the plastic sheeting is between six and 20 mils to avoid it getting damaged by objects in the ground. It would help to close or seal the vents in the crawl space to prevent frozen pipes.
Insulate Your Pipes
Leaks are the number one cause of mold growth. To prevent broken pipes due to frozen water in them, you should insulate the pipes supplying your home with water.
Inspect Your HVAC System and Ducts
HVAC ducts are one of the common ways that mold spores get into your house. To avoid this, you should regularly check the ducts for mold before you turn up the heat. If you spot any mold, no matter how small, you should have it cleaned immediately.
Get Regular Mold Detection Services
Detecting and eliminating mold immediately is the key to having a mold-free house. However, sometimes, it becomes hard to detect mold around the home. Therefore, you should regularly have professionals come to your house for mold inspection and removal.
If you are in Wisconsin, Florida, Illinois, or Texas and want high-quality mold detection and removal services, Pur360 is the best solution. We have your best interests at heart, and we tailor our services to meet your specific needs. We use the best techniques to detect mold in any part of your house. We use high-quality, eco-friendly, and safe products to remove any mold in your home and ensure that it never grows back.
Besides mold testing and eradication, we also help you with water damage restoration, air purification, cigarette smoke removal, sanitization, and odor removal. For more information or to book an appointment, contact Pur360 today.
