How to Prevent Hazardous Mold from Taking Over Your Home
- On January 26, 2017
The timeliness of your response to successfully mitigate mold must gravitate to the same sense of urgency you would have if your home was on fire. You need to act and you need to act now! So let’s not waste time with another scholarly, attention-grabbing opening paragraph; you need to know and you need to know now!
Health Hazards of Mold
- Mold requires moisture to survive and grow, hence the emphasis in this report on not only controlling but creating a moisture-free environment.
- Mold is often attributed as the cause of respiratory ailments. Allergies, asthma, sore throats, shortness of breath, wheezing and chest tightness can all be symptoms of a mold-induced health problem.
- Mold is sometimes recognized to cause certain types of other illness such as skin irritations, fatigue, or cancer but research is unsubstantiated.
Things You Can Do Now
- Mop up indoor puddles and wet spots immediately.
- Ensure water is not collecting along the exterior foundation of your residence. Every year there is some settling of the foundation as well as the soil surrounding your home. Moisture can and will pool up and eventually find its way inside. The ground should be built up with a layer of weed cloth, base rock, and a layer of gravel. Depending on how immense the problem is, you may need to include a French drain.
- Ensure the ground, walkways, and paving flows away from your home.
- Remove leaves and any other debris from rain gutters and downspouts to make sure water is directed away from your residence.
- Repair all leaks. Water pipes, water heaters, and roofs that leak all need to be free from leaks to help provide an environment free from nasty mold spores.
- Dry out wet building materials, furniture, and carpeting as quickly as possible. Especially after a flood or a leak caused by an overflowing washer. If things do not dry out in a few days, they will typically need to be replaced.
- Replace a musty smelling carpet no matter how long it was damp. Musty carpet releases mold spores whenever anyone walks on it. Sitting on upholstery that did not dry in an adequate length of time, discharges harmful spores into the air you and your loved ones are breathing.
Controlling Humidity
- Provide adequate ventilation to help keep moisture from building up.
- Provide an air space between your furniture and the wall. Moisture will condense, especially in areas with high humidity (HINT: Almost anywhere in the southern part of the country).
- Control excessive dampness with a dehumidifier or an air conditioner.
- During those hot humid summers, keep that dehumidifier operating with strategically placed fans helping maintain a clean dry environment.
ServiceMaster Quality Sevices is the go to professional cleaning company for all of your cleaning needs in the Houma, Louisiana and it’s nearby Parishes. We are expert in mold mitigation and licensed in the State of Louisiana for mold work. If you are having a mold problem in your home or business, contact us for a free inspection, assessment, and quote. Your peace of mind is our mission and our goal.
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