Could Your Moldy Home Be Making You Feel Sick?
Have you ever noticed a few black spots appearing on the walls in your home? You may not have paid much attention to them, but if they seem to grow in vast numbers, it’s likely you’ve got a mold problem. Few people do much about mold as they feel the problem will go away if they just open the windows a few times each week.
The trouble with mold is that once it appears in your home, it can be quite hard to eradicate it for good. You see, mold is something that occurs in virtually any building around the world. Mold is a type of fungus that grows on damp surfaces or in areas of a property prone to condensation. The bathroom in your home is one prime example of an often wet location!
You might assume that mold is completely harmless and little more than a blight on your otherwise pristine walls and ceilings. However, mold can have some serious health consequences. For instance, did you know that black mold is a leading cause of asthma in people? It can also cause other respiratory problems, and even symptoms such as fatigue and “brain fogâ€!
Having mold in the home is no joke. If you spot mold, it’s time to kill it. Small areas of mold might be conquered on your own with the right products. However, larger areas will need professional Mold Remediation services to come in and eradicate the area.
Mold is tricky to kill completely, so continue reading to learn how prevention is key to eliminating mold issues.
Photo Obtained From Wikimedia Commons
Where can mold grow?
Mold has a habit of showing up in places that are damp or prone to condensation. It can affect organic and porous materials like drywall, wood, and plaster. It can even form on metal in some cases.
The typical “breeding grounds†for mold in any home are:
- Exterior walls and ceilings;
- Bathrooms;
- Kitchens;
- Toilets.
In essence, anywhere that might be exposed to water is a likely source for mold in your home. It also tends to grow in temperatures around 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit (15-26 degrees Celsius).
Is there any way of stopping mold forever?
In a word, no. At least, not in a practical way! To live in a mold-free home, you’d have to live somewhere that isn’t exposed to any exterior weather and is outside of temperatures that you’d be comfortable being in.
Photo Obtained From Wikimedia Commons
Mold is something that occurs naturally and is an unfortunate nuisance that we all have to deal and live with. The good news is that you can take steps to lessen the risk of mold cultures growing in random parts of your property. Here is what you need to do:
Read: WHY DO WATER LEAKS IN THE HOME HAPPEN?
Repair any water-damaged areas in your home
Floods are a common cause of significant black mold outbreaks in a property. If your home is near a river or the ocean, for example, it might have been flooded at some point before you moved in. For most people, water damage usually occurs from leaking and broken pipes and taps, especially those hidden inside walls or underneath floors.
As you can appreciate, the priority is to find the source of that flood damage or leaks. You’ll then need to identify the best way of fixing the problem. Often, the easy solution is to hire a water and flood damage restoration company. Take a look at Restorationeze.com to see what those firms can do to help.
If you’d prefer to DIY approach, there are a few processes that you need to go through before you end up with a “dry†home. For a start, you’ll need to repair any leaking pipes or taps. When it comes to flood damage, it’s essential to hack away at your drywall, floors, and ceilings.
Photo Obtained From Wikimedia Commons
Doing so will expose your home’s bare brickwork and floor so that you can begin the drying-out process. To do that, you’ll need to invest in some industrial water extraction machines. To all intents and purposes, they are like dehumidifiers but much more powerful!
You’ll need to take some moisture readings to determine how much water has been removed from the water-damaged rooms in your home. Once you can confirm the property is now fully dry, you can start to renovate the damaged rooms with new drywall, plaster, and flooring.
Note that if water has damaged your floor, you’ll need to replace your carpets, underlay, and floorboards. The latter is critical as the water may have rotted out the wood.
If you have an insurance policy for your home that covers water damage and flooding, you should check if you’re eligible to make a claim on it. That way, you won’t need to bear the cost of restoring your home.
Photo Obtained From Wikimedia Commons
Plug any leaks
If your mold problem isn’t as severe as a major flood or burst mains pipe in your home, you might find the issue is down to localized leaks. These can typically occur in the following places:
- Worn water valves on taps;
- Fractures to water waste or supply pipes;
- Missing or damaged roof tiles;
- Exposed brickwork with missing rendering.
Assuming you know where the mold is in your home, you need to find out what’s going on “behind it†as it were.
That means removing any wallpaper, plaster, and drywall to expose the brickwork. Should the mold occur on an external-facing wall or ceiling, go outside and see if you can spot any obvious reasons such as those listed above. The aim is to stop water and moisture from coming into your home from any holes.
Read: HOME SWEET (AND SAFE) HOME
Allow your home to breathe
It’s vital that you allow air to circulate in all rooms of your home each day. That way, any “stale†condensated air can go outside, and fresh air can enter the inside!
When you have a bath or shower, be sure to leave the window open for the condensated air to escape. During the winter months, putting your heating system on can help to dry out your bathroom quicker if you don’t want to open your windows.
Photo Obtained From Pixabay
Treat your walls with anti-mold paint
One final strategy to follow is to create a barrier between the air in your home and surfaces like walls and ceilings. Did you know that you can buy anti-mold paint to help achieve that goal? Check out caliwel.com to see an example of anti-mold paint products that you can buy.
Good luck!
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