Mold. The word makes homeowners cringe and crawl. It’s a common problem, yet one that can be avoided with the right combination of knowledge, care and products.
Mold can grow almost anywhere in the home. It can be found on interior walls, carpet, damp or dirty clothing, food, paper, and even in places you can’t see, such as the backside of drywall, areas inside walls around leaking or condensing pipes, and above ceiling tiles.
In this BelRed blog series, we’ve put together some helpful tips to avoid, reduce or even eliminate mold problems in your home.
- Identify the source of the problem or areas at the highest risk for developing mold. As mentioned, mold can grow on any number of household items or home surfaces. If you notice mold starting to grow, it’s extremely important to address it quickly. Mold left without care to grow and spread can result in hefty bills down the road to fix the problem. Identify problem areas such as an overly damp basement, rugs and carpets or even windows with a lot of condensation (among many others). Each of these requires its own solutions, but problem identification is key.
- Building a new home or making a big renovation? Use mold-resistant products. While they may be a bit more expensive, mold-resistant products can save big mold removal or cleaning bills down the road. Mold-resistant drywall or mold inhibitors in paint can go a long way toward preventing any mold from developing—even in high-risk areas.
- Dry wet areas inside your home immediately. Mold needs moisture to grow and spread. By drying wet areas such as condensation on the inside of windows or leaks from a heavy rainfall should be wiped up immediately. If you’re starting to develop damp carpet in your basement, think about removing it soon to dry things up. Mold spores can even spread quickly on items you may not think about such as wet or damp clothes near the laundry, bathroom rugs or even damp towels. Make sure all are replaced very regularly and kept dry.
We’ll be adding to these tips with a few follow-up posts on the blog shortly. Don’t forget to check back soon to learn more ways to prevent or avoid mold in your house.
If you have been experiencing mold issues or want some expert advice on avoiding any problems in the future for your home, don’t hesitate to give us a call at BelRed today.
