Mold Growth At Home: What You Should Know And What You Can Do

Published on: 15 October 2022 Last Updated on: 29 July 2024

Molds are common problems in many homes.

They can cause more than just unpleasant smells, though. These notorious fungi can also expose you to several health risks and damage your home’s structure.

Although their effects may not be noticeable at first, molds will eventually make their presence felt. By this time, however, the damage they have wrought could already be irreversible.

What Is Mold?

Molds belong to the fungi family. They can be found in both your home and out in the natural environment. Outside, molds play a crucial role in the ecosystem by breaking down animal and plant matter.

Molds inside your home, however, are a different story. These can cause serious health problems. This is especially true for people with vulnerable conditions like asthma.

Where Do Molds Grow?

Certain areas of your home are more susceptible to mold growth than others. The following should be included on your mold watch list:

1. Bathroom

According to deepwaterco.com, molds love the bathroom because the place is always damp, and many don’t have adequate ventilation. Bathrooms practically have everything that mold spores need to grow and multiply.

2. Kitchen

Molds can attach themselves to kitchen surfaces such as countertops and sinks. Dishes that aren’t washed properly are also good breeding grounds for molds. In the refrigerator, expired food items can likewise attract mold, so regularly check your fridge for any food that should already be thrown away.

3. Ceiling

Molds can grow anywhere in your home, and the ceiling is hardly an exemption. Mold growth in the ceiling, however, can be somewhat hard to determine, although if this has an earthy odor, it’s a good sign that the fungus is present.

What to Do With Molds at Home

If you notice signs of early mold growth in your home, it’s best to contact a mold removal specialist. Other than that, you can do the following:

1. Check for Leaks

Mold growth is primarily driven by moisture. Given this, you should inspect your home for water leaks from time to time. If you find one, it is important that you have it fixed immediately. This should stop molds from growing and cut down on your water bills at the same time.

2. Reduce Home Humidity

Mold growth is also affected by excess humidity in your home. To reduce this, you can open the windows, use a dehumidifier, turn on your exhaust fans, and hang the laundry outside.

Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that your home’s humidity levels should be set between 30% and 50% but should not go over 60%.

3. Limit Condensation

When the air cools to its lowest point, it can produce moisture and promote the growth of molds. You can prevent this by reducing the number of times that condensation takes place. To do this, you can open a window whenever you cook. It will increase the rate of airflow and also create better ventilation.

4. Maintain a Dry Bathroom

Molds thrive in moist areas like the bathroom. Work on keeping this part of your home dry and clean to ensure molds don’t flourish here.

The Role of Mold Damage Repair Experts

At first, glance, removing molds from your home seems like a relatively easy job. This is not exactly correct because there’s a proper way of getting rid of these fungi. It’s best to let the professionals handle the job for the following reasons:

1. Mold Management Expertise

Mold damage experts have the knowledge and skills to determine the extent of fungi damage, the source, and the type of mold involved. For every mold type, a different approach is needed.

2. Proper Equipment

Dealing with molds requires proper handling, including using the correct tools. Mold experts have all these, along with the necessary protective gear and cleaning equipment. They will not only clean mold-infested surfaces but also remove mold spores from the air.

3. Effective Treatment

Mold remediation experts are completely trained to handle these fungi. They follow a thorough and rigorous process to ensure the problem doesn’t get out of control.

4. Prevent Future Issues

Mold cleaning experts address the root cause of the problem to protect you and your property from the harmful effects of molds. This gives you the assurance that the same problem will not happen again.

Key Takeaway

Molds are common household problems, but many are not aware that they have these fungi living inside their homes. The realization often comes only after serious damage or family members start to feel sick.

If you believe you have molds at home but are unsure, there are several places you can check. Any home area rich in moisture is a potential mold breeding ground, with the kitchen and the bathroom being prime candidates.

Contact companies that provide mold removal services if you find mold growth in these places. They are in the best position to resolve a nagging mold problem.

Additionals:

How To Get Rid Of Mice & Roaches From Your Space

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Avoid these 4 Mistakes during Multi Family Housing Renovation

Given the volatile nature of the economy, the demand for affordable housing has increased by leaps and bounds. Consequently, multifamily housing investors are facing stiff competition. Multifamily housing investors are not leaving a stone unturned to turn a profit from their existing or newly acquired rental properties. Many of them are undertaking occupied property renovation programs to gain a competitive edge. Renovating a rental property not only adds value to the existing property but also plays a key role in influencing renter’s willingness to rent more for the property. That being said, when investing in any construction or renovation of occupied property, it is important to come up with a plan that helps you realize seizable returns from your investment. This blog post lists four common mistakes that multifamily housing investors/owners must avoid to make the most out of occupied property renovation program. Read on! Going for the Cheapest Bid Once you have decided to get your multi-family rental property renovated, the first thing you need to do is to approach several contractors and ask for their renovation quotes. Though the cheapest bid may sound enticing to many, choosing it may cost heavy on your pocket in the long run. A contractor may not be efficient in getting the job done or may cut corners and use poor quality material during the job. That being said, straight away going for an expensive bid is not a sensible decision either. To pull off a great deal, you must contact at least two to three contractors and get written estimates from each. Ensure there is no hidden cost involved in the project. Hiring the Wrong People Renovating a rental property is a complex process, and therefore, requires professional assistance. Before embarking on the renovation project, the professional contractor conducts due diligence to help control cost and eliminate potential obstacles down the lane. Nonetheless, as a property owner, you should not overlook the little details about the people you are hiring. There have been instances of fraudulent renovation practices in the past, which is why it is important to hire a reputable contractor and ask for their certification or record of their previous work. Bossing Around Though many housing contractors work in collaboration with property owners to provide customized renovation services, many property owners are in a habit of poking their nose in every step of the project. Making changes every now and then in the middle of the project can delay the renovation project, thereby stalling the rentability of the units. Always remember that you have chosen an experienced contractor with a record of successful projects in the past. It is important to let your contractor do what they think is best for your business. Having said that, it is also important to keep a check on what is being done so far and what is about to be done to complete the project. Setting Unrealistic Budget Budget plays an important role in the completion of your rental property renovation project. Before hiring professional multifamily, it is important to have contingent fund ready to meet unprecedented needs in the middle of the project. In projects as big as multifamily housing renovation, it is likely that you may want to spend a little extra to add value to your project. That’s when having a contingency budget in place ensures seamless renovation. Read also: Home Decor is an Art Itself – Things To Know Wrapping up A properly planned and executed multi-family housing program not only helps you gain a competitive edge, but also helps you achieve your ROI goals. Always hire a reputable contractor, known to provide quality services. Go through their work portfolio to get an idea of their previous work. Lastly, ensure that there are no hidden fees involved in the project, before you sign on the dotted line. Read More: Additional Ways To Keep Your Home Warm 6 Expert Tips For Finding The Right Home To Buy What Makes A Strong Foundation For Your Home

Roofing Painting Contractor Leads: Ask Before Hiring One

Are the shingles of your roof starting to get loose? Or perhaps the entire roof itself is in need of a fresh paint job but you can’t do it yourself? For roofing and painting contractors in your area – especially those working alongside a lead generation firm like Ippei Leads – anything you want them to do to your roof is a blessing as it means yet another business opportunity. But before hiring one to fix or repaint your roof, here are four questions you might want to ask them first: 1. Can they meet your roofing needs no matter what type your roof is? The roofing and painting contractor you want to hire should be able to service these two major types of roofs: Residential roofing, which is typically easier to repair and repaint Commercial roofing, whose massive size and lower slope make fixing and repainting it more challenging yet profitable at the same time If the roof of your place of business is leaky, for example, and the contractor you talked to doesn’t have any experience with fixing commercial roofing, you shouldn’t hire them since they most likely wouldn’t know how to tackle the said problem. Also, if you need to have the whole roof of your house replaced with a brand new one, and the contractor you contacted hasn’t dealt with residential roofing before, you should skip them lest you want them to install an oversized one that’s more suitable for commercial use. 2. Do they have the license to operate as a roofing and painting contractor? Aside from their knowledge of both residential and commercial roofs, the roofing and painting contractor you plan on hiring should have a license to operate, most especially in the following states where it’s a requirement: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Florida Hawaii Idaho Illinois Louisiana Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Nevada New Mexico North Carolina (but only if the roofing job will cost you at least $30,000) RhodeIsland South Carolina Utah Virginia If you reside or run a commercial building in any of these states, and the contractor couldn’t show you an authenticated copy of their statewide license, don’t hire them. 3. Do they have both liability and workers’ compensation insurance? The roofing and painting contractor you want to hire may know the difference between a residential and commercial roof. They may also have the license to operate in the state where you reside or do business. But aside from these, you should ask them upfront if they’ve got the following two types of insurance that will shoulder them financially in case of any mishap during the roof repair or repainting job: Liability insurance: There’s no telling when a contractor’s worker may accidentally drop a rusty nail or any tools on top of your (or your customer’s) head while doing the job or someone suddenly passes out after smelling the noxious fumes emitted by the paint. It’s important for the contractor to have liability insurance so their insurer can cover some or all of the medical expenses resulting from an injury during the repair or repainting job. Workers’ compensation insurance: Even if you or anyone else not connected to the contractor you hired didn’t sustain any injuries at all, a worker of theirs might suddenly get caught in a slip and fall accident while fixing or repainting your roof. The contractor should secure a workers’ compensation insurance so financial assistance can be provided to cover their crew’s medical costs and lost wages until the said person is physically capable of working for them again. It’s also a big plus if the roofing and painting contractor also carries commercial vehicle insurance aside from the two mentioned above to protect the cars, trucks, or vans that they use to do their job. 4. Do they have a contract prepared for you? As evident in their name, a roofing and painting contractor should show you a contract before repairing or repainting your roof. The said document should be legally binding and must contain the following: A detailed description of the repair or repainting job the contractor will do to your roof Breakdown of materials they’ll use for the roof repair or repainting job The estimated total cost of the said job Dates when they'll fix or repaint your roof A warranty of at least one to two years wherein you can have any part of your roof replaced if ever they accidentally damage it while fixing or repainting it A termination clause wherein the contract itself could become null and void if either you or the contractor violates any of its terms and conditions Don’t hire a roofing or painting contractor who plans to take on fixing or repainting your roof with only a handshake or verbal agreement to seal the deal. Conclusion: Roofing and painting contractors in America have been experiencing an upward profit margin growth since 2014. No wonder then that there are several of them as of late. But you can’t afford to get stuck with one who might do a sloppy job of fixing or repainting your roof which can lead to further problems down the road for you. So, before hiring a roofing and painting contractor for your roof, you should ask them first the four questions listed above to avoid any regrets on your end. Read Also: 5 Myths About Roofing Services To Avoid Professional Roofing Services And Different Decorating Styles

How to Handle the Move-Out Cleaning

Changing home is a stressful and demanding endeavor itself, you have to think about so many things – packing, organizing transport, and of course, cleaning. You need to clean your new place unless someone was kind enough to do it for you, but still, a second-round might come useful. And of course, you need to clean your old home and leave it in decent condition for the new tenants. Otherwise, you may not get your deposit back. In case you are selling your own place, it is also an important criterion which will make your former home much more attractive to the potential buyers. Unless you hire professional help, cleaning your old place is definitely not going to be easy, but there are a few things that can make the experience a bit less stressful and burdensome as recommended by move out cleaning professionals. Start from the Top A common mistake many of us make while cleaning is to start from the floors, as they usually do represent the biggest item on the list. However, if you start from the floors, and then move up to walls, corners, and surfaces, guess what – you will have to clean the floors all over again. So, be wiser than that and start this excruciating business from the top. This will save you a lot of time and energy. Also, when talking about directions, always start the cleaning from the back, that is from a wall towards the door, so you don’t end up stuck in one small uncleaned place, like on an island, having to cross all the wiped space to go back, and potentially soil it all over. It sounds funny, but this has certainly already happened to some of you, and you will definitely want to avoid it this time. Change the Approach When cleaning, everyone mostly likes to do the job room by room. However, this usually takes way more time than actually cleaning segment by segment, which is task by task. For instance, if you are wiping floors, it is better to do it in the whole house while you are at it, instead of moving to a different segment in the same room. This approach is much more efficient so take it into consideration once you start you moving out clean up. Have Everything at Hand In situations where time is really precious and you don’t have the liberty to take too long because a lot of other things are waiting, good organization is everything. You will definitely need different cleaning chemicals such as glass cleaners, disinfectants, baking soda, vinegar, and others, as well as cleaning equipment like cloths, vacuum cleaners, brooms, dustpans, brushes, and others. The first important step is not to pack any of these along with the rest of your stuff. The second is to actually know where they are and to organize them as much as possible so you don’t have to lose too much time searching for them. As professional home cleaners at Maid Easy say that good organizational skills can shorten the time it takes to clean the whole house significantly. “Dry” Cleaning First Make sure you first do the “dry” cleaning such as swiping, dusting, and vacuuming to remove all the dust and other dirt in that way. If you apply wet cloth or a brush, you will just make bog, rather than clean something. The best option is to dust all the corners and surfaces first, swipe any bigger mess, and then finally vacuum to give it the final touch. After this, you may proceed with “wet” cleaning activities. Once you are done with the old place, you can apply all these tips to your new home. Even if the previous tenants or owners have cleaned it, you will probably want to make sure it is spotless. Of course, if repeating the same process all over again is just too much for you, you can always ask the professionals for help, at least for one of these cleaning actions. Read Also: How Cleaning Helps Us Feel Better and Why We Don’t Do It 7 Advantages of Hiring a Residential Cleaner What You Need to Look for When Hiring House Cleaning Service

Mold Growth At Home: What You Should Know And What You Can Do

What Is Mold?