A Guide to Fighting off Mold and Mildew from your Home
Mold is every homeowner’s biggest nightmare. It’s an eye-sore and a serious health hazard. It can also destroy your belongings, carpets, furniture, and wall paint.
As per a report by the World Health Organization, around 10 to 50% of the homes around the world are home to mold infestation.
Mold is attracted to dampness. If you’ve got water leaking in the basement or occasionally moisture seeping out of the concrete floor, you might as well look up for any signs of mold growth.
To understand how such an issue can be dealt with, you first need to know what happens if you don’t.
Why is mold dangerous?
From the infrastructure perspective, mold growth can wreak havoc on your home. It destroys the appearance of the walls and makes the paint bubble off. Even a fresh coat of paint doesn’t help if you don’t identify the source of the moisture first.
But more than that, let’s talk about the health hazards of living in the same house as a family of mold and mildew.
According to a report by the Reader’s Digest, one out of five cases of asthma in the US is triggered by mold. This happens when the mold releases spores (seeds) into the air. Most of these spores are highly allergenic in nature. Other common symptoms of mold allergies include irritation in eyes, excessive sneezing, and skin rashes.
Let’s see how this can be avoided.
Avoid stagnant water
Stagnant water doesn’t necessarily come from bathtubs and buckets. Even if you’re not cleaning out the air conditioning dripping pans, you’re contributing to the problem. If a child spills water in the living room, mop it as soon as possible.
Another common source of stagnant water is puddles of rainwater. If your house lies in an active rainfall or flood-zone, you must be proactive and all your drainage systems must be up-to-date.
Look for leaks
Excessive moisture and dampness mostly prevail in attics and basements. These are the places we don’t visit quite often and may remain unnoticed for a long time. Even if you ignore a slab leak in the basement for a few days, stagnant water can release high moisture content in the atmosphere. Things get more difficult to deal with if the attic is poorly ventilated and there is no escape. If the attic is sealed from all four corners, the air becomes stale and unwanted pathogens may also grow.
Always get a plumber to look for hidden sources of leaks because most of the time, these leaks aren’t too obvious. If they’re far beneath the surface of the floor, you might not be able to detect it on your own.
If you’re in Fort Worth, Pro Serve Plumbing is a call away. Visit our website for details. You can also give us a call at 817-244-0614.
