1. Keep Things Dry
Mold thrives in dark, damp environments. Dark you can’t always do much about, but you can keep these areas from becoming too damp. Be proactive about keeping moisture from building up in your home. Fix your leaky pipes and faucets. Make sure your doors and windows are properly sealed against rain. Clean up spills as soon as they happen. Don’t leave wet clothes lying around. You get the picture.
2. Ventilate Your Home
Poor ventilation is another way that moisture can sneak into your home. High-moisture areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms need to be properly ventilated — either by opening a window or running an exhaust fan. Otherwise, even simple daily tasks like cooking and showering could lead to mold down the line.
3. Invest In A Hydrometer
A hydrometer measures the humidity in your home. Ideally, you want to keep it below 60 percent. For most this won’t be a problem, but if you live in an area with particularly high humidity, consider investing in a dehumidifier. Be careful though. When used improperly dehumidifiers can have the opposite effect, so make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
4. Let Some Sunshine In
Mold thrives in darkness. Simply opening up your windows during the day to let some natural light in is enough to slow its growth. The sunshine will also help dry up moisture, eliminating both of the essential ingredients of mold.
5. Check Your Grading
Proper grading and drainage around your home can go a long way towards preventing mold. When the ground around a house is neutral — or even worse sloped inwards — water can build up around the foundation and work its way into crawl spaces or basements.
6. Clean Your Gutters
Your gutters are another vital part of your home’s defense against water. Keeping your gutters clean and well maintained will prevent water from building up around your roof.
7. Get An Inspection
The best way to deal with mold is to prevent it from growing in the first place, that much is obvious. The mold itself is not always so obvious. It can hide behind walls, beneath floors, and up in your ceilings. You aren’t in the clear just because there aren’t any outward signs of mold or water damage. This hidden mold can damage your home and harm your health whether you’re aware of it or not.
The only way to ensure that your home is free of mold — and that it stays that way — is to get a home inspection. You can’t always trust your own senses here and what’s concealed to the untrained eye may be obvious to someone with more experience dealing with mold. For more information on dealing with mold or to schedule an inspection of your home, please contact us at Super Inspection Pros. today.
