Mold testing is high on the agenda of home inspections in Orem, Provo, Salt Lake City, and Sandy. And it is not hard to understand why.
Mold is not only unsightly but also a health hazard. Those that are not sensitive to this allergen might just worry about its ugly look, but people who can’t tolerate it can suffer from a host of respiratory illnesses upon exposure.
If you think you value hygiene and cleanliness at home but still notice mold proliferation in different parts of your house, below are the likely explanations.
You Have Poor Ventilation
Rule number one in stopping the spread of mold spores is to vent moisture. Excessive indoor humidity can cause mold to spring like mushrooms. This is especially true in the kitchen and the bathroom where most of the water-related activities take place.
Without enough ventilation, rooms with high levels of moisture stay damp and warm. Before you know it, mold colonies are everywhere.
Fortunately, you can help your house breathe through natural and mechanical means. Installing operating windows is an energy-saving way to expel moisture-ridden air and to replace it with dry, cool drafts. Exhaust fans accomplish the first goal too.
You Have Faulty Gutters
Clogged gutters cause water to overflow, causing it to reach places it should not go. If you have a flooded basement, you might have a faulty gutter system to blame.
Mold growth is only one of the many problems you need to contend with if you have clogged gutters. Overflows can also ruin your roof and siding panels, damage your foundations, and drown or uproot your shrubs.
Make gutter cleaning a habit. To reduce the time you need to spend on maintenance, invest in gutter protection to keep any debris at bay.
You Have Airtight Windows
As mentioned, poor ventilation is usually the culprit behind mold proliferation, and it typically happens in a room with weathertight windows. Make no mistake about it, these units are good because they prevent energy waste, but they tend to trap moisture too.
You can do two things to prevent your sealed glass units from causing you headaches: open them to ventilate the room or replace them with energy-efficient products. Windows certified by ENERGY STAR tend to reduce condensation on the glass surface, keeping mold growth to a minimum.
You Have Rooms that Do Not Get Sunlight
Mold spores thrive in wet and warm environments only. That is why you can always find mold in dark places because they are not exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet light. UV rays are lethal to mold, so allowing them to penetrate rooms can stop mold from breeding.
You Have No UV Lights Near the HVAC Coils
Sometimes, mold-infested areas are not the actual source of mold. They only became contaminated because air pollutants reach them through the ducts.
An elegant solution to this is adding UV lamps to your HVAC system. These lights kill the mold (and bacteria) in the air as it passes through the coils.
Schedule a whole-home inspection to discover the presence of mold in places you never thought it could invade. Listen to expert recommendations coming from a qualified professional to stop mold for good and to keep the air your family breathes fresh.