How to Prevent Mold

10/28/2016 (Permalink)

we perform mold removal services as well and as thoroughly as any other on the market. You can count on us to restore your space and help return you and your family or your employees to better health. But there are many steps you can take to protect your property from mold, either before you ever need us or to make sure you don’t need us again. Mold flourishes in certain conditions, so the more you do to avoid letting those conditions develop, the less likely you are to deal with mold growth on your property. If you take these steps and follow through on them, you can remain mold-free for years to come.

Control Humidity Levels

The most important thing you can do to prevent mold growth in your home or office is to keep moisture levels low. Every kind of mold requires moisture for it to grow; cool, damp spaces give it the environment it needs to develop and then to expand. So the more you can do to lower moisture levels in your building, the less likely it is that mold becomes a problem for you.

One step you can take is to use a dehumidifier, particularly for your basement. Because cooler, denser air settles at lower levels, the basement becomes the place where moist air settles in your home. Focusing efforts to remove some of that moisture from the air there can go a long way toward preventing the insidious creep of mold into the lower level of your structure. Control the humidity levels there, and you are much less likely to see mold grow.

Besides the dehumidifier, you can take other steps to keep the basement dry. Sealing the walls, floor, and ceiling can prevent moisture from slipping in from the outside. All too often, tiny structural cracks can lead to mold development inside your home or office. To stop it, you should check your walls regularly, and treat them on a regular schedule as well. Even with the dry air we normally see in the Albuquerque area, you can have moisture creep in from time to time, and create the conditions to let mold grow. Take proactive steps to prevent this, and keep the mold out.

Condensation and Leaks

Moisture doesn’t just come into your home through the walls, or even just in the basement. Condensation often occurs around the pipes and water heater in your home. The temperature differences between water in the pipes and the air outside them makes this inevitable when the pipes are not insulated properly. Sometimes this results in visible water droplets on and around the pipes, and others it manifests as damp walls in the area. In either case, it can create the conditions that lead to mold growth in your home.

Beyond condensation, pipes wear down over time, and leaks can appear—small at first, but enough to introduce water to your walls, ceiling, and floor. Because this often occurs in hidden areas and spaces, you may never realize what has happened until mold starts to grow. The result is a spread into your living and working spaces that affects the health of everyone there. It may appear at the corners of your house, behind appliances, or even inside the walls.

Proper insulation should be your first preventative step in avoiding these issues. Check the walls around your pipes and appliances for any sign of dampness on the material. If you do find any, the area will need to be dried and cleaned, and then the pipes checked to ensure that, whether the cause is a leak or condensation, you can fix it before mold has a chance to emerge. And if mold already has surfaced, catching it early minimizes the remediation work that may be required to restore the building to a healthy, mold-free environment.

Cleaning and Ventilation

Finally, mold can develop in your ventilation system in your home or workplace. The spores that cycle through your home get trapped in the vents or your filters. This affects the quality of the air circulating throughout your home or workplace. If you or others in the space have cold or allergy symptoms, this can often be an unseen cause. Filtration can catch some of it, but even then, you are left with an inefficient HVAC system and air less clean and healthy than it should be.

Some people believe mold in ventilation systems is unavoidable. While it can be difficult to prevent it entirely, there are steps you can take. Having them cleaned and dried regularly helps, as does using a dehumidifier attached to your system. Using fungicides regularly when you clean can also do a great deal to prevent problems. By taking proactive maintenance steps, you can do a great deal to prevent problems from arising and keep your home or office mold-free for longer.

When It Is Already There

Unfortunately, mold does sometimes enter your home or work space, no matter how diligent you may be. A flood or a burst pipe can bring it on quickly, or a hidden leak or condensation issue can fester unnoticed until mold spreads out into view. At this point, you may be tempted to attack the visual problem and wipe away the black or discolored spots that appear on your walls. When you do so, you find all too quickly that the mold comes back, and that any sudden allergy symptoms or asthma attacks linger even after the appearance of mold is gone.

Our New Mexico Mold Removal service gives you a better way. We are trained and certified in getting rid of not just the appearance, but the existence of mold in your home or workplace. We attack the problem directly, on surfaces, in structures, and in the air, clearing it all of the mold spores that, even when you can’t see them, create the problem you are experiencing. You should do all you can to prevent the growth of mold in your home, but when it does appear, contact us. We will get you breathing freely again.