Do you have mold lurking in your home? How would you know if you couldn’t see it? Have you checked out your attic lately? My friends had just moved into their beautiful new home that was built especially for them when they went to check out the attic because they noticed a dark spot on the ceiling that felt moist. Sure enough he gets in the attic to find that the company that vented the bathroom fans did not vent them out of the house but only up into the attic. You can imagine the mess they now had on their hands.
An environment that is dim with moisture is like a Grand Hotel for mold. It will move right in and spread like wild flowers. Mold removal and remediation is needed once an infestation, such as my friends, has set in. Attics with improper ventilation, bathrooms with poor air circulation and basements are key areas for mold. Another area that can be known for issues is the garage.
Where we live on the Huron River the moisture lurks around. To avoid problems with the corners of the garage we have a small fan that constantly is moved throughout the garage circulating the air. On days with high moisture we turn on two box fans to help alleviate the high humidity in the garage and turn the air on in the house. These techniques help us to prevent a situation that would harbor mold.
If is never too late to take action against mold growth in your home. Even after an infestation has been removed you can take action to prevent further mold growth. It is important for air circulation to be prevalent in your home. This could come in the form of windows being opened, ceiling fans on or heat and air conditioning systems going. Homes that are most often left closed up are at a higher risk for mold growth. In winter months it is important to also keep air circulating. We turn our fans so that they spin in a matter that allows the air to be sucked up into the ceiling but the air to circulate.
It is also recommended that dehumidifiers are included on your heating and cooling systems. Basements should have a separate humidifier going at all times. It is important in the prevention of mold. The water that is extracted into the dehumidifier needs to be emptied daily. I often use it to keep the hanging plants on my porch hydrated.
I am a habitual cleaner of the areas in the house that collect water such bathrooms and kitchen surfaces. In the corners of the counters I am especially cautious in keeping the drive. I know after what our friends went through it is takes a great deal of energy and time to go through the mold removal process. It is also a situation that is not healthy for the health of the members in the family. We are thankful our friends caught their infestation when they did because their daughter who was born months later is severely allergic to everything. She could have had a severe reaction to the mold growth and pollutants that were in the air because of it.