Those of us who have basements in our homes see it as either a curse or a blessing, depending on the condition of it. You can leave the drywall and carpet out of the basement and use it for storage like many homeowners do or you can put it in and use it for an extra bedroom, family room, or an area to entertain guests. The bad thing about using the basement sometimes, though, is that if it is not properly waterproofed, you can have some moisture and humidity issues to deal with later on if you are not dealing with them already. No one wants to stay in a humid, smelly basement for long and this will turn off any guests that you might want to have over in that area.
Take care of any indoor water issues first. This can include bursting water pipes, hot water heater (that really should be in the basement and nowhere else) or if you use a portion of the basement as a laundry room, it can be a malfunctioning clothes washer. Make sure that your dryer has a vent so that the excess humidity will be directed to the outside of the house. It is also a good idea to never hang clothes up to dry in the basement, unless it is just a single article or two. Water evaporates from the clothing and settles into the air, creating humidity. Clothes should also be dried in the electric dryer as soon as they are done washing to help reduce this problem.
Another thing you should do, especially if you use the basement for a laundry room or if you have an extra bathroom in it, is install an exhaust vent. You can do this in more than one spot if you need to, depending on the size of your basement. This will displace some of the humidity to the outside of the house and not allow it to be soaked up by the ceiling.
Another thing to worry about when you have a humid basement is mold. Mold loves to grow on any dead organic material and once it starts growing, you will be hard pressed to get rid of it without removing the source of the water first. If you have water issues in the basement, make sure these are taken care of before putting any carpet down, since carpet that becomes molded is hard to clean and any padding underneath it that becomes contaminated will have to be torn up and thrown away.
Dror Klar is a writer and promoter of
Queens Water Removal
and
Elizabeth NJ Wet Basement Flooding Emergency Service Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Showing posts with label mould. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mould. Show all posts
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Not All Molds Are Dangerous
No one wants to find mold in their home, but sometimes finding it is the first of our worries. There are a lot of questions that need to be asked after that and most of the time, when a person goes looking for mold in their home, they do not realize this. The questions have to do with what kind of mold it is, what caused it, how to get rid of it, how long it will take, and how much it will cost. This is a lot of headache to deal with, as you can imagine, and while you are dealing with it, the company that you hire to get rid of the mold problem may try to take you for a ride.
What is meant by this? Well, the mold problem that you discover might not be that big of an issue, after all. Cosmetic molds like Ceratocystis can grow in homes and not be a threat to you or the structure of your home at all and yet, some dishonest mold remediation companies will try to convince you that you need a full scale removal done and that this mold is dangerous. This is unfortunate and people get scammed out of thousands of dollars because they simply do not know that cosmetic molds exist.
Ceratocystis is a mold that is a blue-ish color and it will appear on the wooden components of your home and sometimes will even be built into the home itself. This is not a good thing, but it is not enough of a bad thing that you need to worry extensively about how you are going to get rid of it. It will not do any damage to the wood over time and it is not going to harm your health, so why worry?
The only real drawback of this mold in your house is that it is unsightly if it appears in a visible area of your home. If it is outside, you can remove it with sandblasting or pressure washing, but these methods are not recommended for indoors, since they can be pretty messy. You can wash it off indoor surfaces with a scrub brush and a mixture of water and borax detergent. After you finish this, you should remove the water or humidity problem in the area that the mold was found in, if you can, to help slow its return.
What is meant by this? Well, the mold problem that you discover might not be that big of an issue, after all. Cosmetic molds like Ceratocystis can grow in homes and not be a threat to you or the structure of your home at all and yet, some dishonest mold remediation companies will try to convince you that you need a full scale removal done and that this mold is dangerous. This is unfortunate and people get scammed out of thousands of dollars because they simply do not know that cosmetic molds exist.
Ceratocystis is a mold that is a blue-ish color and it will appear on the wooden components of your home and sometimes will even be built into the home itself. This is not a good thing, but it is not enough of a bad thing that you need to worry extensively about how you are going to get rid of it. It will not do any damage to the wood over time and it is not going to harm your health, so why worry?
The only real drawback of this mold in your house is that it is unsightly if it appears in a visible area of your home. If it is outside, you can remove it with sandblasting or pressure washing, but these methods are not recommended for indoors, since they can be pretty messy. You can wash it off indoor surfaces with a scrub brush and a mixture of water and borax detergent. After you finish this, you should remove the water or humidity problem in the area that the mold was found in, if you can, to help slow its return.
Mold, Water Damage, and Condos
If you have just moved into your first home, you may not realize just how much work and effort it takes to keep up a house, even if it only has one bedroom in it. People who live in condominiums and have homeowner’s association fees do not generally have to deal with the maintenance of the building’s structure, but those who have houses are responsible for the entire thing from the ground up. Living in a condo can have its benefits and its downfalls, but if you do not want to have to take care of the structure of the building (if it is an apartment-style complex), then having one of these instead of a house may be for you.
If you are considering renovating a condominium inside a larger apartment-style complex, then you should realize that there are things that you can do and things that you cannot. For instance, replacing the tub and tile in the bathroom is acceptable, but moving the plumbing around to suit your new design is probably not. Structural changes to the inside of a condo are generally something that you need to have approved first. Changing the location of a light in the room also should be inquired about, since this will involve having electrical work done.
Mold growth and water damage in the condominium, though, will be your responsibility. Everything inside the walls of the condo belongs to you and you can do as you wish with most of it, but any mold growth and water damage that occurs inside it will also be your responsibility, especially if it is your fault that it is there. If you have allowed the bath tub to overflow or the dishwasher malfunctions, then that would make it your responsibility to have the problem fixed. If it is due to bad plumbing in the complex, though, you may have a claim.
The condo that you are purchasing should come with exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom and if it does not, look around for a window in both these areas. The kitchen and bathroom are areas that are prone to mold growth and water damage if the humidity stays too high. As with any home, you do not want to have appliances that use a lot of water and malfunction on a regular basis. You will be better off purchasing new ones in the long run.
The exception of mold growth being your responsibility is only if the mold spread into your condo from another part of the building. If the entire complex has a problem, then you are not liable. Have a clause on mold inserted into your purchase agreement to protect yourself from mold damage that already exists in the condo.
If you are considering renovating a condominium inside a larger apartment-style complex, then you should realize that there are things that you can do and things that you cannot. For instance, replacing the tub and tile in the bathroom is acceptable, but moving the plumbing around to suit your new design is probably not. Structural changes to the inside of a condo are generally something that you need to have approved first. Changing the location of a light in the room also should be inquired about, since this will involve having electrical work done.
Mold growth and water damage in the condominium, though, will be your responsibility. Everything inside the walls of the condo belongs to you and you can do as you wish with most of it, but any mold growth and water damage that occurs inside it will also be your responsibility, especially if it is your fault that it is there. If you have allowed the bath tub to overflow or the dishwasher malfunctions, then that would make it your responsibility to have the problem fixed. If it is due to bad plumbing in the complex, though, you may have a claim.
The condo that you are purchasing should come with exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom and if it does not, look around for a window in both these areas. The kitchen and bathroom are areas that are prone to mold growth and water damage if the humidity stays too high. As with any home, you do not want to have appliances that use a lot of water and malfunction on a regular basis. You will be better off purchasing new ones in the long run.
The exception of mold growth being your responsibility is only if the mold spread into your condo from another part of the building. If the entire complex has a problem, then you are not liable. Have a clause on mold inserted into your purchase agreement to protect yourself from mold damage that already exists in the condo.
Mold Problems in Condos
Purchasing a condominium may be a good option for people who do not wish to be responsible for taking care of the structure of their home; this means that the electrical, plumbing, and general maintenance of the property would be the responsibility of the condominium’s management, not yours. It may depend on your individual agreement to purchase a condo on the property, though.
To protect yourself from being liable for mold damage that may already exist in the condo before you purchase it, you should have a clause addressing that issue inserted into the purchase agreement. This means that if mold spreads to your property from someone else’s or if the toilet overflows in the condo above yours, then the management will take care of any repairs that will need to be done. Before purchasing a condominium, you should always take good care to read all of the paperwork and make sure that you are comfortable with everything included in it. If something makes you uncomfortable or seems unreasonable, you may want to consider purchasing one from somewhere else.
If you discover a mold problem in your condo and it is due to no fault of your own, having it taken care of can be difficult, depending on the honesty and response of your complex’s board. The first thing that you need to do is start a paper trail of complaints and requests that the problem be taken care of. Never do this verbally, because this will not hold up in a court of law. You need written proof of when you complained and sometimes this is best done by sending a certified letter, so you know that the intended party received it.
The next thing that you need to have is hard proof that there is a problem. Hiring a mold inspector to look at the condo and do a report on it first is something that you will need to have if you want to prove that there is an issue with the property that needs to be taken care of. The unfortunate burden of proof is on you, since it is not the responsibility of the complex to prove that there is not a problem.
Small mold issues can be taken care of by you at not much expense and this is often better than trying to get the condominium board to do it for you. Inform them that there is an issue, though, if the mold returns after you cleaned it up. The source of moisture needs to be removed.
Remember, mold problems that originate inside the unit are your responsibility, but if the mold or source of moisture comes from outside your unit, it is their responsibility to have it taken care of.
To protect yourself from being liable for mold damage that may already exist in the condo before you purchase it, you should have a clause addressing that issue inserted into the purchase agreement. This means that if mold spreads to your property from someone else’s or if the toilet overflows in the condo above yours, then the management will take care of any repairs that will need to be done. Before purchasing a condominium, you should always take good care to read all of the paperwork and make sure that you are comfortable with everything included in it. If something makes you uncomfortable or seems unreasonable, you may want to consider purchasing one from somewhere else.
If you discover a mold problem in your condo and it is due to no fault of your own, having it taken care of can be difficult, depending on the honesty and response of your complex’s board. The first thing that you need to do is start a paper trail of complaints and requests that the problem be taken care of. Never do this verbally, because this will not hold up in a court of law. You need written proof of when you complained and sometimes this is best done by sending a certified letter, so you know that the intended party received it.
The next thing that you need to have is hard proof that there is a problem. Hiring a mold inspector to look at the condo and do a report on it first is something that you will need to have if you want to prove that there is an issue with the property that needs to be taken care of. The unfortunate burden of proof is on you, since it is not the responsibility of the complex to prove that there is not a problem.
Small mold issues can be taken care of by you at not much expense and this is often better than trying to get the condominium board to do it for you. Inform them that there is an issue, though, if the mold returns after you cleaned it up. The source of moisture needs to be removed.
Remember, mold problems that originate inside the unit are your responsibility, but if the mold or source of moisture comes from outside your unit, it is their responsibility to have it taken care of.
Mold on Wood Paneling
For some people, the threat that is feared the most is the threat that they cannot see. This is understandable, since if you can see your threat, you can assess how you can best deal with it. Something that tends to be a threat to the health of the people in your home is mold growth and if you have this in your home, you may or may not realize it. Sometimes mold is hidden inside the walls, ceiling, or floor, and we will not know without having a mold inspector come to the house and do some testing.
You can do an inspection of your home for visible mold growth, though, fairly easily. Sometimes you will run across a splotchy patch of drywall in your bathroom or other moist room in your home and you will instantly be able to identify that there is a mold problem in the house. Other times, finding the mold will not be this easy, because the mold is simply invisible. At least, when you look at it the wrong way. Finding mold takes a little detective work sometimes and this is best done with a flashlight.
If your home has wooden paneling anywhere inside it and you have a problem with mold in one area of the house, turn the light off in the room with the paneling and shine the flashlight along the surface of the wood. This will give the mold a little bit of depth and it will show up much better than if you shine the light directly onto the surface at a 90 degree angle. These molds usually belong in the genii Aspergillus or Penicillium and are very easily overlooked if you do not use this flashlight method.
You can clean the mold off the wood paneling with chemicals that are advertised as being able to kill mold, but you may want to be careful just what you put on the surface if it is real wood and not imitation of any kind, especially if you plan on keeping it as a part of your home. If the growth returns after a few days or weeks, though, you may want to consider removing it completely, since the growth may be embedded into it.
The reason for wood paneling in some homes is that they have been flooded and the previous owner could not afford to put drywall back in the damaged areas. If you can afford to remove wood paneling that has no drywall behind it, you really should do this. Replace the paneling with paperless drywall, since mold has a harder time growing on these slabs of drywall than others.
You can do an inspection of your home for visible mold growth, though, fairly easily. Sometimes you will run across a splotchy patch of drywall in your bathroom or other moist room in your home and you will instantly be able to identify that there is a mold problem in the house. Other times, finding the mold will not be this easy, because the mold is simply invisible. At least, when you look at it the wrong way. Finding mold takes a little detective work sometimes and this is best done with a flashlight.
If your home has wooden paneling anywhere inside it and you have a problem with mold in one area of the house, turn the light off in the room with the paneling and shine the flashlight along the surface of the wood. This will give the mold a little bit of depth and it will show up much better than if you shine the light directly onto the surface at a 90 degree angle. These molds usually belong in the genii Aspergillus or Penicillium and are very easily overlooked if you do not use this flashlight method.
You can clean the mold off the wood paneling with chemicals that are advertised as being able to kill mold, but you may want to be careful just what you put on the surface if it is real wood and not imitation of any kind, especially if you plan on keeping it as a part of your home. If the growth returns after a few days or weeks, though, you may want to consider removing it completely, since the growth may be embedded into it.
The reason for wood paneling in some homes is that they have been flooded and the previous owner could not afford to put drywall back in the damaged areas. If you can afford to remove wood paneling that has no drywall behind it, you really should do this. Replace the paneling with paperless drywall, since mold has a harder time growing on these slabs of drywall than others.
Getting Rid of Basement Moisture
Not all homes have basements, but for those of us who do have them, they can either be a blessing or a curse. You can use this area of your house for many different things, including an extra bedroom, a family room, entertainment area, laundry room, and just about anything else you can think of. If the basement is humid or has an odor, though, you will want to spend as little time as possible there and you will lose all of your basement’s potential.
Basement humidity problems can come from a variety of sources. It can come from keeping wet clothing in the washer too long on a regular basis, having the clothes dryer improperly vented to the outside of the house or just not vented at all, from water leaks inside the house, or from water leaking in from the outside.
If the problem is an indoor one, you can consider installing a dehumidifier in the basement to help alleviate some of the problem. Having energy efficient windows can also help with reducing humidity and so can installing an exhaust fan in the ceiling to help push some of the moist air outside the house. If you are going to install an exhaust fan, though, be sure to pick one that is appropriate for the size basement that you have. It should even be a little stronger, if you can afford it. Using the minimum is often not recommended and problems with new home constructions are often due to the builder using cheap (but building code approved) products.
Fixing leaks in the concrete walls of your basement used to be time consuming and expensive, but most cracks in concrete walls can now be fixed with an injection of concrete by using a normal caulking gun that you can purchase from a hardware store. You should be able to do this yourself without much difficulty, but if you doubt your ability, find someone who has experience with these things.
If water is coming in the basement from outside the house or through the windows, consider having the window wells replaced and the soil around the home piled up a little higher so water does not settle around the foundation and form a puddle. This is usually the cause of water seeping into the basement from the outside, but another problem could be ground water. You have a little less control over ground water, but you can install a drainage system to help with this, too.
Basement humidity problems can come from a variety of sources. It can come from keeping wet clothing in the washer too long on a regular basis, having the clothes dryer improperly vented to the outside of the house or just not vented at all, from water leaks inside the house, or from water leaking in from the outside.
If the problem is an indoor one, you can consider installing a dehumidifier in the basement to help alleviate some of the problem. Having energy efficient windows can also help with reducing humidity and so can installing an exhaust fan in the ceiling to help push some of the moist air outside the house. If you are going to install an exhaust fan, though, be sure to pick one that is appropriate for the size basement that you have. It should even be a little stronger, if you can afford it. Using the minimum is often not recommended and problems with new home constructions are often due to the builder using cheap (but building code approved) products.
Fixing leaks in the concrete walls of your basement used to be time consuming and expensive, but most cracks in concrete walls can now be fixed with an injection of concrete by using a normal caulking gun that you can purchase from a hardware store. You should be able to do this yourself without much difficulty, but if you doubt your ability, find someone who has experience with these things.
If water is coming in the basement from outside the house or through the windows, consider having the window wells replaced and the soil around the home piled up a little higher so water does not settle around the foundation and form a puddle. This is usually the cause of water seeping into the basement from the outside, but another problem could be ground water. You have a little less control over ground water, but you can install a drainage system to help with this, too.
Condo Ownership, Mold Issues, and More
Owning a condo is a good alternative to owning a house if you do not want to have to keep up with a lot of things that would normally come along with owning a house. Some condominiums do not have yards to take care of and this is convenient for those of us who do not enjoy outside work very much. You will, however, most likely have to pay homeowner’s association fees every month to pay for the upkeep of the property. These fees generally cover plumbing issues, problems with the roof, keeping common areas like pools, gyms, and spas clean. Even though you may not use these areas, you will still have to pay the fees to cover keeping them clean every month.
Issues like mold and water damage that come into your unit from outside its walls (for example, from a neighboring unit or the shell of the building itself) will be taken care of by the condo association and your monthly HOA fees should cover this. If water leaks down from the unit above you and causes mold growth, you are not responsible for cleaning it up most of the time. If you find a mold problem in your unit and you are certain that it is not your fault, you should notify your condo association as soon as possible. It is usually best to do this with a certified letter, so you are absolutely certain that they received your request for assistance. Do not complain verbally, because if you end up having to go to court, a verbal claim will not hold up. You need to create a paper trail of evidence that there is a problem and that you have complained about it. Some states require that problems like this be resolved in a timely manner, so take advantage of this if you live in one of them.
Condos are also governed by a collection of rules that are called “Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions. This means that there are rules regarding how many people will be living in the unit, whether pets are allowed, what kind of renovations you can do, and sometimes even down to what kind of curtains you want to put up. Most condominiums want the look of the community to remain consistent.
Renting out your unit may also be subject to the approval of the condo association. If they do not like the tenant you choose to rent the condo to, they may not let you do it.
Issues like mold and water damage that come into your unit from outside its walls (for example, from a neighboring unit or the shell of the building itself) will be taken care of by the condo association and your monthly HOA fees should cover this. If water leaks down from the unit above you and causes mold growth, you are not responsible for cleaning it up most of the time. If you find a mold problem in your unit and you are certain that it is not your fault, you should notify your condo association as soon as possible. It is usually best to do this with a certified letter, so you are absolutely certain that they received your request for assistance. Do not complain verbally, because if you end up having to go to court, a verbal claim will not hold up. You need to create a paper trail of evidence that there is a problem and that you have complained about it. Some states require that problems like this be resolved in a timely manner, so take advantage of this if you live in one of them.
Condos are also governed by a collection of rules that are called “Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions. This means that there are rules regarding how many people will be living in the unit, whether pets are allowed, what kind of renovations you can do, and sometimes even down to what kind of curtains you want to put up. Most condominiums want the look of the community to remain consistent.
Renting out your unit may also be subject to the approval of the condo association. If they do not like the tenant you choose to rent the condo to, they may not let you do it.
What You Need When Removing Mold
Nobody wants to have to remove the mold from their home, but if you live in an older house, then you may have to go through this eventually. Even newly built homes can have mold growing in them in certain areas if bad techniques were used or just poor quality materials. As long as the building codes in your area were followed by the contractor of your new house, there is nothing that you can do, even if the poor quality materials are the reason that mold exists. If the job was done “by the book”, then you cannot obtain any legal compensation. When having a home built for you, make sure you know that the contractor you hired to do it will do the job with good quality building materials and get references before even letting them start.
But, what do you do if you already have mold in the house? Well, you can probably clean up a lot of it yourself if you have a smaller mold problem. If you have experience in interior remodeling work, then you can tackle even a larger scale mold removal project on your own. Your insurance may even cover it, if it is due to another kind of damage that your homeowner’s insurance covers, like water leaks.
There is a certain amount of equipment that you will need if you are going to do this job on your own, though. Having a respirator is something that you will really need, especially if you are going to open up any walls. You can get a basic respirator from a hardware store, but if you are going to open up any walls, you will probably want a respirator that has a HEPA filter attached to it.
You will also want a few heavy duty trash bags to toss the debris in.
As far as some protective equipment that you can wear, heavy duty rubber gloves might also be helpful depending on what you are handling. If you are just scrubbing floors or walls, then you could probably get away with some lighter latex gloves. Some plastic disposable coveralls and covers for your shoes will help keep mold spores from getting on your clothes. Safety glasses might also be necessary.
As with your respirator, the cleanup job after all the debris is gone should be done with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter on it. This will release clean, filtered air back into your home instead of releasing the dust and mold spores like a normal vacuum would.
But, what do you do if you already have mold in the house? Well, you can probably clean up a lot of it yourself if you have a smaller mold problem. If you have experience in interior remodeling work, then you can tackle even a larger scale mold removal project on your own. Your insurance may even cover it, if it is due to another kind of damage that your homeowner’s insurance covers, like water leaks.
There is a certain amount of equipment that you will need if you are going to do this job on your own, though. Having a respirator is something that you will really need, especially if you are going to open up any walls. You can get a basic respirator from a hardware store, but if you are going to open up any walls, you will probably want a respirator that has a HEPA filter attached to it.
You will also want a few heavy duty trash bags to toss the debris in.
As far as some protective equipment that you can wear, heavy duty rubber gloves might also be helpful depending on what you are handling. If you are just scrubbing floors or walls, then you could probably get away with some lighter latex gloves. Some plastic disposable coveralls and covers for your shoes will help keep mold spores from getting on your clothes. Safety glasses might also be necessary.
As with your respirator, the cleanup job after all the debris is gone should be done with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter on it. This will release clean, filtered air back into your home instead of releasing the dust and mold spores like a normal vacuum would.
Inspecting the House For Mold
Going through your house and looking for mold is something that every homeowner should do at least two or three times a year, especially since mold can start growing in as little as 48 hours after the spores land on something they like. Killing the mold is not the only problem you will have to deal with if you find it; removing the mold from the property is something else to be concerned with, since dead mold spores can still cause allergic reactions in some people. Depending on the severity of the allergy, these reactions can be a simple case of sneezing or as severe as requiring hospitalization. You can take antihistamines to help combat this, but no one should take medication if they do not have to.
There are a few places in your house that you need to inspect regularly for mold growth. These are areas of the house that naturally have a lot of moisture and these include the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, and the basement.
The basement is somewhat humid because of its underground location, but there are things that you can do to add unnecessary humidity to it. Some people use the basement as a laundry room as well and this is fine, but you need to make sure that the dryer is properly vented to the outside of the house. Having an exhaust fan in the room will also help get rid of some of the excess moisture. One thing that you should really avoid doing at all costs is hanging up laundry to dry without proper ventilation.
The bathroom is one of the worst areas for mold in the house and this is generally due to flawed waterproofing. This could be cracked tiles on the floor, missing areas of grout or caulking, or mold growing on the ceiling because the humidity in the room is too high. This can be corrected by having an exhaust fan installed, just like in the basement. In fact, having these fans in all moist rooms of the home is recommended and the chances for mold growth will be greatly reduced.
Something to avoid having in the bathroom or another moist area of the home is carpet. Mold loves to grow in carpet and once the padding underneath it is contaminated, it has to be taken up and thrown away, because it cannot be cleaned.
The kitchen is another area where the floor and ceiling are the most at risk. Try to seal up and cracks in the flooring and make sure there is an exhaust system over the stove to get rid of steam before it hits the ceiling.
There are a few places in your house that you need to inspect regularly for mold growth. These are areas of the house that naturally have a lot of moisture and these include the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, and the basement.
The basement is somewhat humid because of its underground location, but there are things that you can do to add unnecessary humidity to it. Some people use the basement as a laundry room as well and this is fine, but you need to make sure that the dryer is properly vented to the outside of the house. Having an exhaust fan in the room will also help get rid of some of the excess moisture. One thing that you should really avoid doing at all costs is hanging up laundry to dry without proper ventilation.
The bathroom is one of the worst areas for mold in the house and this is generally due to flawed waterproofing. This could be cracked tiles on the floor, missing areas of grout or caulking, or mold growing on the ceiling because the humidity in the room is too high. This can be corrected by having an exhaust fan installed, just like in the basement. In fact, having these fans in all moist rooms of the home is recommended and the chances for mold growth will be greatly reduced.
Something to avoid having in the bathroom or another moist area of the home is carpet. Mold loves to grow in carpet and once the padding underneath it is contaminated, it has to be taken up and thrown away, because it cannot be cleaned.
The kitchen is another area where the floor and ceiling are the most at risk. Try to seal up and cracks in the flooring and make sure there is an exhaust system over the stove to get rid of steam before it hits the ceiling.
Areas At Risk For Mold
If you own a home, then you have probably gone through your home looking for mold on at least one occasion and if you have not, then you really should think about doing this sometime soon. We have all heard about toxic mold on the news in one form or another and how harmful it can be to our health, but this is not the only issue with mold. Even if you manage to kill it, it can still cause allergic reactions in some people because the spores are still airborne and our bodies still recognize them as something they need to defend themselves against. Taking some antihistamine medication can help, but no one wants to take allergy medicine all the time if you really do not have to.
There are a number of signs that will show you that you should look for mold in different areas of your house, but you may not exactly know what you are supposed to be looking for. Go around your house and any room that is inherently moist should be scrutinized closely. Unless you have done a remodeling job recently and you have completely waterproofed the bathroom, then you should consider it as a possible breeding ground for mold. Other rooms that are inherently moist are the kitchen, laundry room, and the basement.
You should look for signs of moisture in the laundry room since it is likely to stay humid due to the amount of wet clothing and evaporating of water that stays in there all the time. Your dryer needs to be properly vented to the outside if it is not already, unless it is a ventless model. Always wash wet clothes as soon as possible and do not put dry clothes on top of them. You will most likely forget about them and they will mold after about 48 hours.
Your kitchen is another area that you should be concerned with. Areas around the sink and floor that are not waterproofed and even the ceiling should be suspect. The steam that comes off the stove when you cook damages the ceiling and can discolor it over time, so you should have an exhaust fan installed over the stove to help prevent this. These fans should also be put in other moist rooms of the house, especially the bathroom. This will keep you from having to repaint the ceiling as often as you would normally have to and even keep you from having to replace drywall.
mold, water, damage, restoration, sids, home, improvement, travel
There are a number of signs that will show you that you should look for mold in different areas of your house, but you may not exactly know what you are supposed to be looking for. Go around your house and any room that is inherently moist should be scrutinized closely. Unless you have done a remodeling job recently and you have completely waterproofed the bathroom, then you should consider it as a possible breeding ground for mold. Other rooms that are inherently moist are the kitchen, laundry room, and the basement.
You should look for signs of moisture in the laundry room since it is likely to stay humid due to the amount of wet clothing and evaporating of water that stays in there all the time. Your dryer needs to be properly vented to the outside if it is not already, unless it is a ventless model. Always wash wet clothes as soon as possible and do not put dry clothes on top of them. You will most likely forget about them and they will mold after about 48 hours.
Your kitchen is another area that you should be concerned with. Areas around the sink and floor that are not waterproofed and even the ceiling should be suspect. The steam that comes off the stove when you cook damages the ceiling and can discolor it over time, so you should have an exhaust fan installed over the stove to help prevent this. These fans should also be put in other moist rooms of the house, especially the bathroom. This will keep you from having to repaint the ceiling as often as you would normally have to and even keep you from having to replace drywall.
mold, water, damage, restoration, sids, home, improvement, travel
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