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Mold, Mildew or Musty Odors Solutions

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Mold, mildew or musty odors

Diagnosis:

healthy-homeA water leak or high humidity can lead to mold, mildew, or other biological growth. Depending on the severity, conditions can lead to rot, structural damage, premature paint failure, and a variety of health problems. Water can seep into your house from the outside through a leak in your roof, foundation, or small gaps around windows or doors. Water can also come from inside your house from a leaking water pipe, toilet, shower or bathtub. High indoor humidity caused by normal activities of everyday living such as showering, cooking, and drying clothes, can also be a source of mold, mildew or musty odors. Indoor humidity levels between 30% and 50% are ideal. For more information consult EPA’s Brief Guide to Mold in your home.

Prescription Checklist:

Where does the problem occur? Attic? Basement? Below a bathroom? Ceiling? Where the problem occurs can lead to what is causing the problem. If the problem is localized (a spot on the ceiling, wall or corner) it is possibly caused by a water leak. If the problem is in a large area like a whole wall, room or basement then it might be caused by high humidity.
Stop water leaks immediately to minimize the potential mold growth.

* If a leak is the source of your problem, have it fixed first.
* If the leak is in your roof hire a roofing contractor to repair the leak.
* If the leak is from a water pipe, toilet, bathtub or shower, hire a plumber to repair the leak.
* If the leak has caused substantial water damage or mold you will want to hire a contractor who specializes in mold remediation and water damage repairs.
* After repairing the water leak, dry out the area completely.

Reducing indoor humidity

* Do you have a crawlspace under your house? A dirt floor in a crawlspace should be covered with plastic (vapor barrier) to prevent moisture from the soil increasing humidity levels in your home. If there is standing water or the soil is wet, dry it out with fans before covering the floor.
* Use ventilation fans in kitchens and baths to control moisture. Check to make sure ventilation fans venting directly outside. In some cases the vent fan may have been installed to vent into the attic or become disconnected or blocked.
* Your clothes dryer should be vented directly to the outside. Inspect the vent duct. Make sure it is attached securely to the dryer. Check that it is clear of obstructions (e.g. lint). Check for holes that leak air. If vent duct is damaged replace it with a metal duct. The vent duct should be cleaned at least once a year. The Consumer Products Safety Commission additional safety tips for dryer vents Exit ENERGY STAR.
* Keep air conditioning drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly.
* Ask a heating and cooling contractor to check your heating and cooling system to make sure it is sized and operating properly to remove humidity. If you system is too big or the airflow incorrect your air conditioner will not remove humidity like it should. Also, ask the contractor to check your duct system for air leaks, and proper size and air flow to each room.
* Sealing air leaks (Home Sealing) and sealing duct air leaks can help to prevent high humidity levels in your home.

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Black Mold in Your Home Poses a Serious Health Risk

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mold-remediationToxic black mold spores are a serious health risk in your home. There are hundreds of varieties of mold spores that can grow in your home due to humidity, moist areas, ignored leaks and long-standing puddles. Black mold is often the typical mold we see growing on walls, carpets (especially underneath) and baseboards.

Most of us associate mold with the slimy green discoloration found on bathroom tiles or old kitchen sink caulking that is stubborn and gradually increases in size. It is a myth to think that this kind of problem only exists in old, musty, dirty, unkempt homes or buildings – not true! Mold spores can just as easily flourish in new clean environments because all it needs to thrive is moisture.

Prevention is superior to intervention and is obviously the best most-cost-effective approach to dealing with any mold spores. If you discover even the smallest bit of mold, treat it immediately. Always keep an available means to destroy mold on contact. There are several eco-friendly natural products available at local health stores.

In most situations, the mold type is not important because mold spores can be dead or alive, seriously toxic or only mildly allergenic, they all can have harmful effects on health. If you think you are having symptoms of mold allergy, see your doctor and have a professional to your home for inspection.

Black mold can thrive anywhere there is persistent moisture and even more so in a humid environment. Mold spores are everywhere and part of our world, but the dangers and health risks come when the mold spores overpopulate an area.

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How To Get Rid of Mold

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Mold is a common problem, especially in older homes. There are many different types of molds which may take up in a home for a variety of different reasons. There’s no completely avoiding it – mold is everywhere.

However, in order to grow, mild needs a dark, moist place to live. Check your home for anywhere that is a good environment for mold to grow – but if you find mold, how should you get rid of mild in your home?

The first thing to do in your effort to rid of mold in your house is to find the area where mold is growing and have it tested. This will let you know if the mold is only on the surface or has penetrated deeper.

Mold can easily grow inside of your walls and under floors, since water can easily get into these places. Once the mold is located, you need to remove it completely or it will just grow back and cause problems again.

If you have a serious mold problem where the mold is growing deeper than the surface, then you may find that your only viable option is to hire a professional to take care of the problem. The conditions which are ideal for mold (moisture) can also cause structural damage to your home, so you may also need a contractor to perform any necessary repairs. It is important to make sure that the area where there has been mold growth is dry and will stay that way afterwards to prevent future growth.

In many cases, the moisture which is encouraging the growth of mold is leaking through from a different part of the home entirely. Any leaks will need to be repaired to prevent future mold problems.

For mold which has not penetrated deeper than the surface, bleach or even vinegar can take care of surface mold. There are also a number of different mold removal products on the market which can help. If you have woodwork in your home which has become moldy, you will need to have this wood removed and replaced. If the mold is only on the surface of the wood, then drying and treating the area can get rid of the mold in your house and prevent it from growing back.

Prevention is the best way to get rid of mold in your home, however. Always repair leaks as soon as possible and check anywhere which has had leaks in the past regularly. These preventative measures can save you thousands of dollars in repair costs later on.

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Prevent Mold from thriving in Your Home for Good

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The old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is appropriate when we are addressing household mold problems; the prevention of mold growth is a far easier task than trying to rid your home of prolific mold growth. If you have never had to deal with mold remediation, then take heed to this advice so you will never have to deal with it in the future. Knowing a little bit about how and why mold thrives will be the ounce of prevention that will keep your home healthy and mold-free.

Molds will not grow in your home unless they have a consistent moisture or water source available to them. Make sure moisture is not constant anywhere in your household since this is the number one cause of household mold growth. Keeping the common high-moisture areas in your home dry will prevent any molds from growing and if you have a leak somewhere, fix it. You can painstakingly clean up mold from a water problem, but if you don’t fix the problem, the mold will come back time and again.

If you have a fireplace, use it at least once a day for an hour in the winter months and, if you live in a humid climate, use the fireplace once or twice a week during the summer months. Maintaining a fire in your home is an excellent way to prevent mold growth in your home and remember to burn only green clean recycled wood.

The key to mold remediation is prevention: a mold-free home means keeping things dry and staying on top of any moisture problems that arise in winter as well as the hot humid summer months.

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Eradicating Mold in Your Home or Office

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There are many mold-removal products on the market today that make promises on how to get rid of mold in your home or office, yet mold problems continue to persist. A lot of the mold remedies on the market just don’t work, or consumers are getting rid of the mold, but not the mold’s source of thriving, so it returns time and again. I will share the most successful green conscious and cost effective way that is a tried and true natural green remedy to rid your home or office of mold growth for good.

It is important to know that molds have the potential to cause mild to serious health problems so having mold in your home or office should not to be ignored. Mold spores are invisible to the naked eye, so when you see a black/green growth lining the bathroom tile, you have a mold problem.

Here is the greenest most cost-effective way to get rid of mold: White vinegar. The moment you see a black/green growth starting on the tile in your bathroom, douse it with regular white vinegar. Using vinegar will kill the mold without putting toxins in your home that are dangerous to you, your family or your pets. Get rid of any water or constant moisture source to the area and the mold will not return.

Mold problems are not the only issue to think about when you are considering how to get rid of mold in your home or office, the products used need to be carefully considered so that you do not create an even more toxic environment with non-green environmentally-friendly products.

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