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Creating a Mold Free Home28 Apr

Creating a Mold Free Home

In many cases, mold is brought on by high relative humidity in the air. If there is a wet surface in your house, you will soon begin to see white or grey-ish patches forming on that surface. This is an obvious indication that your home could be having a mold attack.

It’s important to note that dampness comes in different forms, so you should find out which type is causing the growth of mold on your home before you determine how to get rid of it.

Formation of the mold is more common in houses constructed in regions that have naturally high atmospheric humidity, such as coastal areas, or the shores of a lake.

How Mold Affects Your Home

For mold to survive and continue growing, it needs something to feed on. This is why it collects on surfaces of your home, creating an unsightly appearance and unpleasant, musty odor. When left unchecked, the mold will slowly destroy your home, especially in areas such as drywall, wallpapers, and wooden components.

Who Does Mold Affect?

Some people are more severely affected by mold than others. This is because of genetic factors, and predisposition to hyperactive reactions to spore exposure varies from one individual to another.

In some people, small amounts of mold could trigger a reaction, but does not affect other individuals who spend the same amount of time in the same area.

It is also worth noting that people with weak immune systems such as children, elderly people, and those suffering from respiratory diseases are more prone to mold-related health conditions than those with a stronger immune system.

Signs of Mold in Your Home

Mold is among the worst and most-dreaded nightmare among homeowners. Initially, mold growth often goes undetected. However, the following pointers can be used to establish whether or not you are affected by mold. Some key indicators include:

  • A Musty Odor in crawl spaces and basements.
  • Unsightly white, grey, or brown thread-like patches on walls and surfaces of kitchens and attics.
  • Health-related symptoms including allergies, itchy skin, and respiratory problems.

Remedy

Mold has become a super-league nuisance in many homes. It discolors your wall, causes black spots on the siding, darkens decks, and stains grout lines in the bathrooms.

If you are looking to control mold growth in your home, or eradicate it completel, you can follow these steps:

  1. Ensure Ensure that you have enough ventilation in your home. This should be a priority if you want to get rid of the mold. The most critical places are kitchens, basements, and bathrooms.
  2. Scrub using a cleaning solution. Cleaning is an inexpensive way of getting rid of mold, and proves to be quite effective. There are several cleaning solutions that you can use for this process. The solutions are readily available and affordable, and include vinegar, bleach, ammonia, and baking soda.
  3. Cut out large mold infestations. Mold can live in unexpected areas in the house like behind the walls, leaving the owner of the home unaware until they can smell or see it. At this point, the mold has to be cut out to prevent it from growing.

You should also act quickly if you notice there is any case of water damage in or around your home. Wet materials, infiltrations, and standing water accelerate the growth of mold. Ensure that you completely clean and dry out any water-damaged surfaces as soon as you notice it.

Use of Dehumidifiers for Mold Control

If your home has persistent mold infestations even after trying the above methods, then you should consider buying a dehumidifier.  A dehumidifier is an electrical device that reduces and maintains the level of moisture, by pulling the moisture in the air from the room, passing it through cooling coils, which in turn pull moisture from the air by lowering the temperatures. The de-moisturized air is then reheated and redistributed back into the room.   

Many dehumidifier models have built-in humidistats. A humidistat is a device that measures the moisture levels in the atmosphere. It allows you to program the dehumidifier to run until the air obtains an optimal level of humidity, and then automatically switches off.

There are several types of dehumidifiers that you can use for dehumidification in your home. It is therefore important to consult with an expert, and thoroughly research the right type of dehumidifier for your needs. If you are interested in learning more about dehumidifiers, you should consider browsing through the Uni-P Dry website. You can also opt to chat with the experts by using the contact information indicated on the website