No homeowner wants to deal with a mold issue. Mold can grow easily in the right conditions, and when left unchecked it can cause serious damage to your home and your health. While you might be concerned about mold in your home, there are a few things you can do to be proactive and limit the chance of mold being present.
Our company is based in South Florida and we provide mold inspection services for homes and businesses in Aventura, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding areas. Because South Florida is such a humid area, we encounter mold regularly and can test your property before and after remediation to ensure the issue has been removed.
We employ a team of certified technicians who have a great deal of familiarity with water damage and what conditions make it easy for mold to grow. In this article, we will discuss a few proactive steps you can take to limit the spread of mold in your home and hopefully avoid any future issues.
Maintain Your HVAC System
Mold thrives in humid areas with little air circulation. Luckily, if you have central air, your home’s heating, air conditioning and ventilation system constantly forces fresh air into the home through ducts. When your HVAC system is working properly, it naturally limits the chance of mold growth by keeping the air moving and removing humidity from the air. If your system has dirty filters, ducts which allow air to escape or are clogged or isn’t performing at a high level, there is a good chance for the air to become more moist and stale, which allows mold to thrive. By having your system inspected regularly and replacing filters often, you can be proactive against mold growth.
Inspect For and Correct Leaks
While some leaks are obvious and you can take action to correct big leaks when you see water on the floor, slow leaks are more dangerous from a mold standpoint because sometimes it can take a long time to identify them, by which time the mold has already spread significantly. Pin-sized holes in pipes, small roof leaks or other seemingly minor issues can become a big deal, especially if they’re behind walls and can’t be addressed. Increased humidity levels and high water bills are clues a leak could be present.
Properly Extract Water After Leaks/Floods
When your home does have a major water intrusion, it’s important to act accordingly. It’s not enough to clean up water alone, in many cases water can soak into carpet, furniture or remain present behind walls, setting the stage for significant mold growth. After a major leak or flood, it’s important to partner with a company who can correctly clean everything up and then check to ensure moisture levels are normal.
We hope these tips have been helpful and you can use them to prevent mold growth in your home. To learn more about mold prevention or the mold assessment service we offer for residents of South Florida, browse our website or give us a call today.
