How Can You Prevent Mold from Growing in Your Home?
Here's Help

How Can You Prevent Mold from Growing in Your Home? Here’s Help

By Jana Ward

Have you ever walked into a room that has a musty or earthy odor? You probably smell mold.

At times, you can see mold on the surface of walls, floors and ceilings of your home, as well as on personal objects. More often, you are unable to see mold that is causing an odor. It could be growing behind walls, underneath carpets, or in other hidden areas. In either circumstance, if you can see or smell mold in your home, it’s time to take action to remove it and prevent it from returning.

What Conditions Invite Mold To Grow?

Mold growth is common in damp or water-damaged areas of the home. You should be especially concerned about the growth of mold if your home has had:

 

bullet a flood
bullet a sewer back-up
bullet an overflowing toilet
bullet leaking pipes
bullet roof leaks
bullet window leaks
bullet humidifiers
bullet any other serious water-related problems

Prevent Mold From Taking Hold

Once materials become wet, mold can begin to grow within 24-to-48 hours if conditions are right. Take these precautions to prevent water leaks and excessive moisture from causing a mold problem in your home:

· Vacuum and clean regularly to remove possible sources of mold growth. Pay special attention to bathrooms and other areas of your home that are likely to generate a lot of moisture.

· In portions of your home that are susceptible to moisture, use area rugs or washable floor surfaces rather than wall-to-wall carpeting. If you use area rugs, launder them periodically.

· Do not store materials such as paper, books, clothes, or other possible sources of food for mold in humid parts of your home.

· Repair water leaks in your roof, windows, or any other part of the home as soon as possible.

· Clean refrigerator drip pans regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If your refrigerator and freezer doors do not seal properly, moisture can build up and mold can flourish. Remove any mold on the door gaskets and replace faulty gaskets.

· If you live in a house, make sure that your gutters and downspouts are clear of debris that may block the flow of water from your roof. Properly grade the area under your downspouts, so that rainwater from the roof flows away from your foundation. Splash blocks can help rainwater flow in the proper direction. If necessary, extend your downspouts.

· Check the grading of other areas around your foundation, so that rainwater does not flow toward the house.

· Plant gardens and shrubs away from your foundation, so that water does not flow toward your house when watering them. If you water your lawn with a sprinkler, make sure the water does not hit your house or the area next to the foundation.

· In the kitchen and bathroom, open windows or use exhaust fans when engaging in activities that produce moisture. Exhaust fans should be vented to the outdoors and not to an attic or crawl space.

· Make sure that clothing dryers are vented to the outdoors.

· If you use a humidifier, check that it does not produce an excessive amount of humidity. Read the manufacturers directions for proper use.

· Consider using a dehumidifier if you have a basement. The cool basement floor and walls can be a source of moisture build-up.

· Properly insulate and ventilate the attic of your home.

· If you have a crawl space under your house, cover the soil in the crawl space with waterproof polyethylene plastic. If your crawl space is ventilated, close the vents in the summer and keep them open in the winter.

· Clean up and correct any water problems in your basement or crawl space as quickly as possible.

The growth of any type of mold in a home is never acceptable. Your safest and most prudent course of action is to treat all molds with caution and to remove them from your home as soon as possible.

If you need help with clean-up repairs of mold-related damage, call the Greater San Antonio Builders Association at 696-3800 for a free copy of the Remodelors® Council Directory to locate a licensed contractor. For more information about preventing and cleaning up household mold, visit www.MoldTips.com, a consumer information web site provided by the National Association of Home Builders.

Jana Ward, of Clear Choice Flooring and Design, is president of the Greater San Antonio Builders Association Remodelors™ Council.