Mold in your home can be a terrible ordeal, one that requires professional mold removal services.
The worst part is that thereafter, you still run the risk of that pesky mold returning. Why does it come back?
Well, a professional can come in with mold remediation services and seemingly fix everything.
But even if they do, if there is an underlying and unresolved moisture issue in your home, the cause of the mold growth could still be present and therefore, the mold could come back.
In order to prevent mold growth in your home, we made this guide to show you:
- The Warning Signs of Mold
- Where Mold Grows
- The Health Problems Associate With Mold
- How to Remove Mold From Your Home
Why Does Mold Come Back?
Mold is actually a fungus and this means it is a living organism that breaks down moist, organic matter.
It is important for our ecological cycle to have mold, as fungus decomposes things like dead leaves which other remain piled sky high if not for decomposition.
When branches from a tree or wood left outside get wet, it starts to rot and break down because of fungus. This is great when it is outside, but not so great when it is inside.
Mold reproduces by spewing spores into the air, spores which are too small to see with the human eye.
You could have great air quality in your house and still have trace amounts of those spores in your air.
Now, in incredibly small quantities, the kind you have in your home and in the air around you, there is not likely any negative health impacts.
It is when the there are larger amounts of mold spores in a concentrated area that the air becomes problematic, and mold can be dangerous.
If your home has moisture in the air, especially moisture from wet carpet or drywall, even wood, it creates the perfect environment for mold to fester. Moisture is almost always the root cause of mold problems.
If you do not rectify that underlying moisture problem in your home during your mold remediation, then it will come back time and time again.
So, What Can You Do To Prevent Mold From Coming Back?
These helpful tips for mold prevention will keep the mold out of your house for good!
1. Keep Your Eyes On Common Household Places Where Mold Grows
Look out for any spots of moisture in your home. If you see any dark spots, for example, on your ceiling, it is indicative of a leaky roof and that is something you will need fixed immediately.
If you smell a musty scent inside a closet, then you probably have a leak inside somewhere. You want to identify these leaks as soon as possible and replace any decaying wood quickly. This will go a long way toward removing any unwanted spores.
The most common spots for mold growth in the home are:
- Bathroom
- Attic
- Basement
- Window Sills
- Kitchens
There are many other places in your home where mold grows, but these are the typical suspects. Mold thrives in moist environents with poor ventilation, so any room in your house fitting this description should be checked readily.
2. Keep Things Dry (When Possible)
No matter where you live there are bound to be parts of your home that are frequently damp or have high humidity.
The most common examples of this include crawlspaces and basements. You can eliminate the risk of mold returning by keeping such places dry.
More importantly, if you notice any standing water in these areas of the home, you want to clean it up immediately.
Wet areas can produce mold growth in as little as 24 hours. So, if there was a recent water leak in your home or flooding, you want to make sure these regions are as dry as possible.
It is recommended that you hire a certified mold inspector if there was a flood in your home, just to guarantee that your home has no outbreaks of mold.
One way you can employ preventative measures is to keep rainwater from getting into your home at all. If there are damp spaces, try using fans or dehumidifies to remove any water from the air.
3. Only Use the Best Products for Mold Removal, Treatment, and Prevention
On that note, if you are going to use a dehumidifier, don’t skimp. This is one area where getting a cheaper version is not going to save you money long term.
It is worth your time and money to do some shopping ahead of time just to make sure you are getting something high quality. Long term it is in your best interest to pay a bit more money up front for a high quality device compared to battling mildew later. Especially considering some of the common health problems caused by mold.
During the hot months you can combat mold growth with proper ventilation in your home and fans. You can take other preemptive measures like applying vinegar to your ceiling tiles, showers, and drywall once or twice per week.
This will make the environment an acidic one and prevent mold from growing in the first place.
4. Focus on Your Bathroom First
Bathrooms are an all too common place for mold to grow. That said, you can combat mold growth in your bathrooms by increasing the available ventilation with an exhaust fan.
You should dry all of your surfaces after you shower, including the walls and floors. If you can, replace the shower curtains you have with ones that are easy to clean and dry quickly.
If you see mildew form on your shower curtain you can clean it with a color-safe bleach mixture, warm water and a liquid disinfectant, or a combination of lemon juice and salt water. Conversely, you can replace it entirely.
On the note of bathrooms (and all of your other rooms) you should always keep your carpet and other fabrics dry. If you see mildew growth on your carpet, on tapestries, or on furniture, place them outside in the sun. Then call in a professional to test the air and clean your home.
5. Have Proper Ventilation in Your House
There are many appliances we use in your homes that create moisture and if they are not properly ventilated, that moisture can get inside the house and cause problems with air quality.
Things like dishwashers, dryers, even stoves generate a lot of moisture and if they are not ventilated properly, they will go into the air which can result in things like wet spots on the ceiling.
It is important that you look out for common areas where mold would grow.
Being aware of the regions that are most likely to support mold growth allows you the opportunity to utilize preventative measures even after you have had remediation completed.
Bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens all three present a great deal of steam through regular activities.
What Happens Without Proper Ventilation?
If you have a problem with the ventilation in a laundry room it can generate a lot of steam that isn't properly vented outside. If your exhaust fans don't work in the kitchen, or you don't turn them on when using a lot of hot water for activities like boiling water or washing dishes, it can lead to a lot of excess moisture in the air.
The same is true of bathrooms. When people take regular showers it creates hot, damp steam perfect for mold growth. If bathrooms are not properly vented, if you close the door behind you when you leave, this allows that are to sit in an enclosed space which allows moisture to cultivate and mold spores to grow.
How to Make Sure You Have Good Ventilation in Your Home to Prevent Mold
Check Your Fans and Filters
In each of these situations it is imperative that you check your exhaust fans. You might have an older fan above your stove that was installed before you moved in and you just have never checked it.
When you take it out, you might notice that it's covered in a thick layer of rising oil which has prevented it from properly circulating air all the time that you've been cooking. These are small things that people don't think to check on a regular basis.
If you are doing dishes with a lot of hot water or soaking something in hot water in your kitchen or in your bathtub, always turn on the exhaust fan if you have them. If you don't, plug in a portable fan to generate more circulation. The goal here is to get the air moving so that moist air doesn't just sit there.
Open Up Your Home and Let Fresh Air In
Regularly open up your home even during the winter months. It is well worth it for you to air out the house and allow proper ventilation to take place all year round.
This is similar to obtaining your levels of vitamin D by standing in the sun. You don't have to do it all day everyday but you should do it for about 10 minutes every once in awhile.
Opening all the windows and the doors during the warmest part of the day during winter won't change the temperature in your home drastically but it will allow you to properly ventilate the air and move any air that is full of moisture and mold spores back outside. Air circulation is key to all of this.
Remove Moisture As Soon As Possible
You want to get rid of moisture in any situation. If there is water on the floor, clean it up. Sure it will eventually evaporate into the air but that means that your air is now full of more moisture than it needs.
If you see a leak in one of your windows and it drips onto the carpet, dry up that area of carpet immediately using another cloth or a hair dryer.
If it is a portable item such as a fabric-covered chair that small or a small throw rug, take it outside if you can and put it in the sun. The sun works as a natural antibacterial agent but you have to let it get the sun in order for that to happen.
As soon as you notice a leak or moisture in between your walls, under your tiles, or anywhere else in your home call a professional.
You can help mitigate the risk of regular mold development by following these tips but if mold creeps up on you in a way that you couldn't see such as from under your floorboards because of a leak in your foundation or through your walls because of improper ventilation inside your duct work, these are things that professionals can tackle much easier than you can and long-term the sooner you get it done, the better.
It is important for all homes to remain mold-free and even if you have faced a mold problem in the past, there are still measures you can take to prevent mold from coming back.
Why Working With A Mold Removal Professional Makes Sense
At the end of the day, mold has been around a lot longer than us. It will continue to evolve and find ways to thrive even in the strangest environments and places in our homes.
While it is a necessary part of the environment, there are dangers to having mold in your home. In order to best exterminate mold in your house, and prevent future mold growth, we always suggest you work with a professional.
There are many common spots in your house where mold grows that you would not think to check, or may be unable to reach, which can cause mold to come back over and over again.
At Silver Environmental, we have over 25 years of mold removal experience in the Boston Area, and have consistently been voted one of the best mold removal services in Manchester, NH throughout our history.
We offer free consultations for those with mold problems in their homes. We also don't stop once we have removed the mold, until we are positive that we have educated you on everything you need to know about mold, treatment, and service possible to make sure that the mold does not return once we have removed it.
Lastly, we offer Dustless Demolition, which means we leave your house the way we found it. No dust, no debris, no hassle.
Give us a call, or shoot us an email to get started speaking with a professional today.