It’s Spring! But before we get the May flowers, we have to contend with the April showers, and those showers can lead to a potential mold problem. Moisture can get into our homes in many different ways – from leaking pipes or appliances to inadequately vented kitchens and bathrooms to leaky roofs and windows during those April showers. The simple truth is that mold spores are everywhere and there is no way to keep them out of our homes, schools and offices. However, dealing with the moisture and maintaining a clean and dry environment is the best way to prevent the growth of the spores and avoid a potential health risk to your family or employees. Here are some easy to follow suggestions that may help in your efforts to prevent mold. By spending a little time and money now, you may save substantially by avoiding major problems and a costly mold remediation project.
- Identify ways moisture might make its way into your home. Fix leaks in plumbing. Take a careful tour of your home or business to stop water from coming in from the outside – via leaking roof, cracks in siding, inadequate or compromised caulking around windows, cracks in the foundation and/or basement walls – and properly seal these areas. Install and/or direct downspouts away from the foundation. Finally, if you have a humidity problem, install a dehumidifier.
- Address any ventilation problems. Install exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens, making sure they vent to the outside (not just into the attic). Consider installing ceiling fans. Open interior doors and pull furniture away from walls and corners to allow for air circulation through and within your rooms.
- Check drip pans in air conditioners, refrigerators and dehumidifiers – make sure they are clean and dry.
- Consider alternatives to carpets in bathrooms, kitchens, basements or other high humidity areas.
- When water leaks or flooding occurs, dry the area as soon as possible. Depending on the extent of damage, it may be necessary to remove and replace soaked carpeting, hardwood floors, subflooring or wallboard.
- Clean bathrooms with fungicides or mold killing products.
- When replacing building materials, use non-cellulose and low nitrogen products to remove the food sources for mold spores.
- Conserve water and keep mold at bay by directing sprinklers away from building exteriors and foundations.
- Add insulation to walls and use double-paned windows to reduce condensation by warming indoor surfaces
- When redecorating, add mold inhibitors or fungicides to the paint.
These are just a few precautions and remedies that homeowners and building maintenance staff can take to help avoid mold problems. In our next issue, we will address the question: “I think I may have mold, now what?” Sources for the above article: CDC, Kansas State University, the Minnesota Department of Health and the California Department of Health Services. Further information is available from the EPA Website at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/.