Mold: What You Need to Know and How to Address It
December 5, 2022
Mold is an issue that comes up during a home sale frequently, especially in humid climates like the Midwest. It’s always a hot-button issue and can be difficult to overcome during a home sale. Here are the top five ways to deal with mold issues before they become a much larger problem.
1. Control rain and groundwater around your home.
This all starts with the roof and gutters. Make sure your roof and gutters are clean and in good condition. Make sure the downspouts drain away from the home to prevent rainwater from entering your crawlspace or basement. A large percentage of mold issues we see in crawlspaces and basements is a direct result of groundwater entering the structure.
2. Control humidity in the living space.
In a humid environment, it can be difficult to control humidity without the use of HVAC systems. Heat and even air conditioners can remove excess humidity from the air, coupling that with airflow can help make mold less likely to grow.
3. Watch out for plumbing leaks.
Plumbing leaks happen commonly under toilets, sinks, tubs and showers as well as around appliances like washers and water heaters. These sometimes go unnoticed by a homeowner or tenant for months or sometimes even years. The damp environment is conducive to mold growth and growing mold is highly likely to spread. Even a small area of mold can emit thousands of spores.
4. Remove the source of the mold once you find it.
Since mold can send thousands of spores into the air in your home it also means that it can spread in the right environments very rapidly. Rapid removal of mold in your home can prevent this spread from happening. Remember Bleach doesn’t necessarily kill mold it only bleaches it and makes it difficult to see. So introducing a bleach solution to a mold area can not only not remove the mold it can also help it to grow due to excess moisture. We recommend professional remediation for mold growth.
5. Get your home tested.
In some instances, we find high levels of mold in homes that seemed otherwise in good condition. Just because it isn’t readily visible doesn’t mean there is none present. Air testing will give you a mold spore count in the air inside your home and alert you to unseen issues before they are much larger problems. Contact us or book online to schedule air and swab sample testing.