How To Prevent Mold in the Home
Mold is a natural part of life, as in nature it’s used to slowly break down rotting trees and leaves and return them to the earth. However, it can be a serious nuisance when you are dealing with mold issues inside the home. Not only does mold leave unsightly stains, the mold spores that circulate around your home can lower air quality and worsen allergens. Don’t worry, once you realize what’s causing mold, it becomes easy to prevent. Summit Waterproofing Solutions can make it easier, we offer basement waterproofing and crawl space encapsulation services to ensure your home is protected against mold and mildew.
What Causes Mold?
Mold is always releasing spores, and when a mold spore lands in an area with moisture, it can begin growing, which is when the green, brown and grey splotches begin to appear. Mold can thrive and grow faster when it has some sort of organic material to feed on, like paper. Warmth and humidity also create environments conducive to mold growth. Indoor mold growth is often caused by:
- Leaky pipes and roofs
- Poor ventilation in bathrooms or kitchens
- Flooding or water damage
- High levels of indoor humidity
Control Indoor Humidity
Humidity is caused by high levels of moisture in the air, so naturally when your indoor spaces are feeling humid, it creates an environment where mold can thrive. Preventing indoor humidity is key to preventing indoor mold growth. Ideally, you would want to keep your humidity level around 30-50% to prevent mold growth, according to the EPA. Summit Waterproofing can also install dehumidifiers to remove the moisture from the air and make it less conducive to mold growth.
Improve Ventilation
When your kitchens, bathrooms or laundry rooms don’t have proper airflow, damp areas will stay damp and allow mold to thrive. Ensuring your exhaust fans in these rooms work properly will help ensure ventilation that helps dry wet areas and prevent mold growth.
Fix Leaks Immediately
If your pipes, appliances, or your roof are leaking water, it’s important to fix these leaks immediately, as they can lead to water damage and mold. Having a professional inspect and repair the leaks in your home can ensure that the leaks are sealed properly, and that mold has no chance of growing or spreading.
Keep Your Home Clean and Dry
In some cases, mold is inevitable. Mold can grow in shower curtains, on tubs, in toilets, and on sinks. However, regularly cleaning up the mold and drying the area as best you can will ensure that the mold doesn’t spread to other areas of the home. Cleaning gutters and checking your HVAC systems regularly can prevent the type of leaks that cause mold on your walls and ceilings. Managing spills and minor water intrusions can help ensure that mold doesn’t have a chance to proliferate in your house.
Prevent Mold in High-Risk Areas
This is where Summit Waterproofing Solutions’ expertise comes in! High risk areas of the home like basements and crawl spaces need special care and attention to avoid becoming a moldy mess. Summit Waterproofing Solutions offers crawl space encapsulation services to keep your crawl space free of moisture, humidity and mold. We also offer basement waterproofing services and sump pump repair services to ensure that your basement is protected against flooding and standing water that can cause mold problems.
Professional Mold Inspection and Prevention
If you are dealing with mold problems and moisture issues on your property in the Northern Virginia areas of Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, or Stafford, contact the experts at Summit Waterproofing Solutions today for a professional mold inspection. Our crew will carefully examine the affected areas of your home, before giving you recommendations for next steps. We offer a variety of waterproofing services, from crawl space encapsulation to basement waterproofing, as well as sump pump installation and repair, dehumidifier installation, and more. Give us a call today to get started with a FREE estimate at (703) 291-1516!
