Mold spores are literally everywhere and generally cause no difficulty. However, when mold grows inside, exposure to it can cause various health problems and property damage. That is why mold prevention should be a priority for any homeowner. But to understand mold prevention, we have to first comprehend why it grows in the first location.

How Mold Develops in Homes

Mold begins to grow when the conditions are correct. It requires just three things to grow:

• Food — Anything which used to be living (timber, cardboard, paper, wool, silk, leather, etc.).
• Temperature — Mold thrives in the range of 68°F to 86°F (exactly the same range we typically maintain in our homes).
• Water — hardly any is needed. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that indoor humidity over 60 percent is sufficient to enable mold to develop.

Since our generally warm houses normally contain a great deal of potential mold “food”, all that’s missing is water. And, regrettably, water is the most probable cause of property damage in the country. It may come from overflowing sinks, leaking or cracked pipes/hoses, drain or sewer back-ups, over-ground water from heavy rains or river/coastal flood, and more. If the water includes some form of grime, then the growth can happen more quickly since dirt always includes organic substances.

Mold often appears as “expansion” or perhaps discoloration on materials like paper or wood. Colors can range from whitened to orange, and also out of green to brown and black, and it gives off a musty smell.

The Health Effects of Mold Exposure

Exposure to indoor mold can cause various health problems. These vary from minor irritations to allergic reactions, and even severe lung infections.

As stated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), The Institute of Medicine (IOM) linked indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, coughing, and wheezing in otherwise healthy men and women. The IOM also associated indoor mold exposure with respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children.

Furthermore, the CDC recommends that all indoor molds be eliminated. They added, “Generally, it’s not necessary to identify the species of mold growth in a house, and the CDC does not recommend routine sampling for molds” Considering all molds have the potential to cause allergic or allergic-like symptoms in people, particularly sensitive people, you should eliminate them as soon as possible.

The Way to Prevent Mold in Homes

There are many ways to help control moisture and prevent mold growth inside your property. The basic rule is: if you can see or smell mold, eliminate the excess moisture, then wash and eliminate any mold. It is extremely important to quickly identify and correct any moisture sources before health and structural problems develop. Check them out here to find out more.

Check out these mold prevention tips:

• Repair leaks in the walls, roof, gutters, and plumbing pipes quickly to reduce moisture. Inspect ceilings and walls for water stains.
• Keep indoor humidity at 30-50 percent by using a dehumidifier, air conditioner, or by opening doors and windows. Check the humidity levels every day.
• Prevent condensation from your home by reducing humidity, adjusting the thermostat, and insulating.
• Ventilate appliances that create moisture (cooking stove, dryer, drier, etc.) using exhaust fans.
• Have your HVAC system inspected yearly by a certified tech. Ensure that your HVAC drip pans are clean and flow correctly.
• After a flood, all wet areas in your house must be cleaned and dried within 48-72 hours with a water damage restoration expert.
• Prevent mold growth on indoor plant soil with the addition of a small amount of Taheebo tea to the water that you give to the plants.
• If you rebuild or remodel, then utilize water-resistant construction substances, such as tile, rock, deep-sealed concrete, waterproof wallboard, water-resistant glues, etc. In moisture-prone areas, consider easy-to-clean, water-resistant floor coverings, such as vinyl or stone tile.
• Slope the floor surrounding your house away from the house foundation to maintain water at bay. Provide drainage to direct water away from your property. Make sure the water stream from downspouts is directed away from the foundation.
• Ventilate any crawl space as far as possible to permit thorough drying.

For mold removal services, call PuroClean!

Follow the following mold prevention tips to avoid this nasty fungus on your property. But if you find mold in your home, step one is to find and eliminate the water source then call an expert Wellington mold remediation company, such as PuroClean. Our accredited, professional technicians understand and employ industry-standard approaches to remediate mold completely.

For many property damage scenarios, our professionals are standing by. We’ll mitigate the reduction to prevent further harm and will then offer recovery services to return the home to a pre-loss condition as rapidly as possible.