Mold and its spores are everywhere. It’s nothing necessarily to be afraid of, most mold is harmless and beneficial in the right setting. The problem arises when these molds set up shop in our homes, release air-borne spores into the indoor environment, and then these spores enter our bodies releasing toxins that can make us sick. So how can you protect your family from this potential health hazard? Some basic home maintenance and good healthy home habits can go a long way in keeping you and your home safe.
First of all, to be clear, mold only needs two ingredients to thrive: food and water. Food can be any type of natural or organic materials, including: wood, paper, paint, clothes, etc. Even dirt and dust can give mold the nutrients it needs to survive. Which is why the most basic advice you’ll receive from any Mold Inspector or Environmental Hygienist is to keep your home clean and free from moisture. So, in this regard to those basic principles, here are 5 tips that will help you out:

TIP 1: Monitor Your Indoor Humidity

If moisture leads to mold, then high humidity gives mold a perfect environment to thrive. So keep an eye of your indoor humidity levels. Get an inexpensive digital hygrometer from any home improvement store, and test the rooms in your house from time to time. Humidity levels ideally should be kept at around 40% or lower to discourage mold growth. 50% humidity and above can support active mold growth, but can easily be dealt with by purchasing a simple dehumidifier. Using this in addition to an air purifier with a HEPA filer will do an excellent job in keeping the air in your home dry and clean. A word of caution though: If you find that your indoor humidity levels regularly exceed 70%, then it would be wise to have a Certified Environmental Hygienist or Certified Mold Inspector check your home for hidden moisture and mold problems you may not be aware of.

TIP 2: Check for Leaks

Keep an eye on plumbing under sinks, behind toilets, at laundry machine connections, and monitor roofs, attics, and basements for water leaks. Check your ceilings, walls, and window sills (especially during the rainy season) for water stains, warping of wood, or other evidence of water damage. If not taken care of quickly, moisture from these sources can lead to mold growth in as quickly as 24-48 hours.

TIP 3: Increase Air-Circulation

The key to good air-circulation is keeping the air fresh and moving. You can do this by not overcrowding rooms with too much stuff. Keeping things, like furniture, properly spaced out from each other and at least 2-3 inches away from the walls the room. Also, leaving the doors between rooms open, cracking open a window in a room for a couple of hours from time to time, making use ceiling fans regularly, using kitchen fans when cooking, use bathroom fans when showering, and running the AC regularly during the summertime will all contribute to good air circulation, thereby keeping indoor air and home surfaces dry.

TIP 4: Have Your HVAC Systems Cleaned Regularly

A lot of people don’t think about this one too often. But dirty heating and air conditioning vents and ducting are the cause of or contribute to the spread of many mold problems. Dirt and dust combine with condensation in these dark, undisturbed places to make a perfect home for mold. And oftentimes, if a mold problem exists in one area of a home, it will carry over into other areas via air ducts. So you would do well to have your ducting cleaned at least once every two to three years, and changing or cleaning the air filters in your AC unit and heating furnace at least once a year. Be sure your AC or furnace air intakes use HEPA filters that capture at least 99% of all biological particles and contaminates from entering your ducting systems.

TIP 5: Keep Outside Problems From Becoming Inside Problems

Another key to keeping the indoors clean and dry is making sure the outside of your property is not sabotaging you! So make sure your property has adequate drainage. You always want the the grounds of your property to be graded away from the home, so water runoff does not collect at the foundation of the home. Wet ground will lead to a wet foundation, and this moisture can eventually wick up into flooring and walls if not controlled.

• - Keep gutters clean. Improper drainage in this respect can lead to water spilling onto the siding of the house, and to dry rot on wood materials, and to the growth of mold on the outside of the home. Water may then gather near the home’s foundation rather than being taken away from the home, leading to bigger problems.
• - Keep trees, shrubs and other plants at least at a distance or 2-3 feet away from the home’s exterior. Plants hold on to moisture and can make the siding of your home and the ground near your foundation damp. Trees and other plants that block natural light from entering the windows of a home also keep out useful UV rays that kill mold and heat that will dry out the indoor air.
• - Check for wetness in the crawlspace under your home. If your crawlspace is noticeably damp, have a Certified Environmental Hygienist or Certified Mold Inspector check for a possible existing mold problem. They can give you recommendations as to how to get the moisture and/or mold problem under control.

If you apply these 5 tips to your home maintenance routine, you will have done wonders to protect you and your family’s health from the environmental threat of household mold. For furher information on mold, do-it-yourself mold prevention, and do-it-yourself mold remediation, visit: http://www.enviroinspectors.com/get_informed.htm

Tyson Haas
Certified Environmental Hygienist
Certified Mold Inspector
Certified Mold Remediator