What does it take to stop mold in its tracts? It’s an age-old question. Maybe you’ve tired disinfectant, re-plastering, and re-carpeting but the problem persists.
But do not fear. What causes mold can appear a complex question but by following these important steps you can eradicate it for good.
Here’s what causes mold to grow and how to stop mold.
Why Mold is Bad For You
Exposure to mold can do more than just make you feel miserable about the environment in which you are living or make you ashamed to invite the neighbors over.
It can also have an effect on your health. Small health complaints can include a runny nose, bad coughs, wheezes, and skin irritation. Bigger complaints from long-term exposure can include a serious lung infection.
This largely due to the fact that mold is a type of fungi that creates spores as they reproduce which can irritate the sinuses.
You don’t want this to affect your child as children have weaker immune systems.
Mold and Moisture: Understanding What Causes Mold to Grow
The key to understanding how to prevent mold in a house is that mold grows in places which are both moist but also humid. So in order to stop it from growing in the first place, it is important to be aware of this.
This is why one of the most common rooms in the house or workplace for mold to grow is in the bathroom. If you run yourself a bath or take a hot shower and regularly do not use a fan or open a window to let the temperature cool down and the air escape you can end up with mold.
This is because the hot steam from the bath which evaporates onto the ceilings and walls and the general humidity of the room creates the perfect conditions for mold to grow.
The kitchen is another room in the house that is often affected by mold because of the temperature changes. Like the bathroom remember to use a fan or open the window when you’re cooking at high temperatures.
In general, be sure to keep your house at a temperature below 71F and 30-50% humidity.
Another piece of simple advice that can prevent mold from growing in the first place is to make sure you have a plumber fix any water leaks straight away, rather than leaving it for a few days.
After the Fact: Cleaning Up the Mold
To get rid of mold you need to kill the existing mold spores and determine what is causing the mold to grow so it doesn’t grow back.
To kill the existing mold you need to dry out the area if it is wet and use a powerful cleaning solution. Soapy water on its own won’t make the cut but try adding bleach, raw vinegar or another spirit to properly kill it.
To truly eradicate the mold you need to go back to the source and remove the damp. This can involve simply drying the area with a blanket, fixing a leak or more serious work.
If the mold is growing because of problems with the foundations of the building you may need to call in an expert to carry out some structural work.
Before you hire an expert to inspect your mold, however, be sure to run a company background check to make sure they are a legitimate company with the necessary qualifications.
What to Get Rid of Mold? A Clean and Dry House is a Great Place to Start
To banish the mold you need to think carefully about what might be causing it and that can take time but it will be more worth it than spending lots of money on expensive structural work in the hope that it solves the issue.
Simple solutions like fixing broken pipes and opening the windows and turning on the fan after cooking and taking a shower can work as well.
If you think you’ve got mold be sure to enquire about our mold inspection service to see if we can help you figure out what causes mold to grow in your home.