The Best Bets for Mold Prevention

The Best Bets for Mold Prevention

Ask any homeowner what his or her worst homeownership nightmare is, and more likely than not you’re going to hear the word mold pop up—if not immediately, then certainly on the shortlist. While most homeowners will find some small trace of mold somewhere in their home—sooner or later—large-scale or chronic mold problems are bad news by most any standard. They can do immense damage to the structure of your home, and, more significantly, mold can lead to serious health problems for you and your family. Additionally, a bad mold problem can be exceedingly expensive to get rid of.

All of that’s the bad news—but the good news is that mold can usually be prevented from forming, or at least from getting truly out of hand. There are several ways in which you can make your home a mold-free zone, and of course, most of them hinge on the basic reality that mold grows wherever there is excess moisture. Control the moisture and you can control the mold—and here’s how:

• Ventilate your house. There are a number of household activities that can create water vapor, including cooking and running the dishwasher, though the biggest causes of vapor are bathing and showering. Try to open a nearby window or simply turn on an exhaust fan when you’re doing these things!
• Fix leaks. This one is obvious. If you have burst or broken pipes, or even a slow leak somewhere—particularly in a crawlspace or basement—it could lead to enough moisture to cause a mold buildup. Inspect your whole house, looking for any potential leaks, and make repairs where needed. Call our Vancouver plumbing professionals if you need some extra help.
• Dry areas that are waterlogged. For any areas that have been subject to burst pipes/water damage/flooding, use space heaters, fans, and wet-vacs to get rid of that moisture.
• Monitor your moisture levels. If you feel like your home is simply too humid—which can be a real problem in some geographic areas—you can buy a hygrometer for around $20 and check your humidity level for yourself. If it registers above a 55 or so, you can get that lower with a dehumidifier or simply with more air conditioning. You want to aim for somewhere between 30 and 55.

If you are dealing with chronic moisture issues, it could very well be due to an issue with the plumbing. That’s something you’ll want to address before mold starts getting out of hand. Contact us to learn how!