How to prevent mold growth in your home or business

A few weeks ago we shared a few facts every property owner should know about mold.  Now that we have established some basic mold knowledge let’s talk about how to prevent it from growing in your home and business.

Crawlspaces – If your home or business has a crawlspace this is a great place mold loves to grow.  The reason mold growth is so common in crawlspaces is due to uncontrolled moisture and elevated humidity. We recommend sealing the soil with a minimum of 6 mil plastic and sealing all of the foundation vents.  Once the crawlspace is completely sealed we recommend installing a dehumidifier.  Not only will these steps eliminate the possibility of mold growth, they will help fight rodent /  insect problems and improve the overall efficiency of your HVAC system. NOTE – when you seal your crawlspace vents, seek advice from your HVAC contractor to be sure the furnace is properly ventilated.

Control humidity – Be sure to keep humidity levels throughout your building below 60%.  If the humidity level exceeds 60%, chances of mold growth increase dramatically.

Flooding or water damage – If your home or business suffers water damage hire a professional to provide specialized drying services.  We hear stories all the time of customers who experience water damage but do not take action to ensure the building is dried out properly.  In many cases these projects turn into major mold remediation projects.  A drying project is usually much cheaper than a mold remediation project.  Additionally, most water damage projects are covered by your insurance and mold remediation projects have limited or no coverage.

Bathrooms – When taking a shower or bath, always run your exhaust fan.  This will help exhaust the moisture that is created from hot water.  In many cases if steam from the shower is not exhausted it will result in mold growth on the bathroom drywall.

Heating and Cooling – We strongly recommend using your HVAC system year round.  The reason this is so important is your HVAC system not only controls the temperature in your home but it also acts as a dehumidifier by controlling the humidity.  This recommendation is especially important for customers with unoccupied buildings.  For instance when trying to sell your home or business most people will turn off the HVAC system to save on utility cost.  This can be a very expensive mistake. If the building sits for an extended amount of time with no temperature or humidity control, mold growth is almost guaranteed (particularly during the summer months).  Even during the winter when outside humidity levels are low, we still recommend running your HVAC system in unoccupied buildings.   Why your ask – controlling the temperature will prevent frozen pipes, which in return will prevent substantial water damage.

We hope this information will help you save thousands of dollars in unneeded mold remediation projects.  The good news is most all mold remediation projects are preventable.  Remember this very important point, the key to preventing mold growth is controlling and correcting moisture problems. Mold is a plant and it cannot survive without water.