September Is Mold Awareness Month
What causes mold and how can it be prevented? Mold thrives in warm, humid air. In our region of the country we all know about warm (mostly hot) and humid conditions. My flowers happen to love the warm and moist environment. There are plenty of mold spores outside during the summer months. People with allergies to mold can most likely tell you all about the effects mold exposure can have on one’s body. When mold enters your home, it is imperative to get rid of it, and do the things that need to be done to keep it from coming back.
The following are conditions that can lead to mold forming in your house:
- warm, moist rooms
- leaky roofs, windows, and pipes
- flood waters
- poor ventilation
The following suggestions can help prevent mold:
- Make sure your HVAC system is efficient.
- If there is no central air, use fans to circulate the air in the house.
- Use exhaust fans in the bathroom when showering.
- Make sure the exhaust fans vent to the outside through your roof. They must not vent into the attic as that would cause more mold formation in your attic.
If you just clean up the mold but do not fix the cause of it, you can be sure that the mold will return in the very near future. For more tips on what to do about mold click here , and read the BlackMoldGuide on how to deal with mold in your house.
Jane Freeman is licensed in Property and Casualty Insurance at Peck and Wood Insurance.
Photo Credit: September flowers in our backyard.