How Do I Prevent Mold Growth?
The best way to ensure that you don't have a big mold problem is by preventing mold growth in the first place. Mold thrives on moisture, so the best way to prevent mold growth is to eliminate any moisture problem areas.
Mold Prevention Tips
- Properly ventilate areas where moisture is present, such as bathrooms, showers, kitchens, and laundry areas. Leave exhaust fans on after a shower or when the laundry is running. Ensure that the wet areas of your home are draining and drying up as designed.
- Prevent water from gathering around your home's foundation. Maintain proper drainage around your home with improvements like gutters, proper landscaping, retaining walls, french drains. Check these systems during the rain to make sure that everything is working as desired.
- Repair any roof or pipe leaks immediately.
- Ensure water is not entering through any windows and or doors.
- Maintain properly functioning rain gutters.
- Properly waterproof your basement. Basements are generally built below grade, which means that as water naturally moves through the ground it's going to come into contact with your basement walls and floors at some point. Basements that are built with improper drainage, waterproofing or ventilation will suffer the consequences. Ensure that you install the waterproofing systems, drainage, membranes, vents, etc that your basement needs in order to maintain a comfortable and dry environment that won't harbor mold.
- Maintain a proper level of humidity level in your home – 40% to 60%. Use a Fresh Air intake system, proper filtration, and well-maintained furnace and air handling equipment to keep the humidity in your home comfortable. If the humidity levels in your home rise too much, you may be creating a more inviting environment for mold to grow.
What If You Have Mold?
If you've seen visible signs of mold in your home or office building, you will want to contact a mold remediation specialist right away. Mold infestations can quickly spread and wreak havoc not only on the structure of your building but on the health of your family and guests. At First Response Restoration, our team has years of experience in mold remediation and removal and can help return your building to a safe, mold-free environment as quickly as possible.
If you think you may have mold in your Orange County home or office, call us today at 845-210-9944 to schedule an on-site estimate.
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