How Can I Protect My Property From Mold?

11/5/2018 (Permalink)

Mold in Home

One of the most frequently asked questions SERVPRO of Annapolis/Severna Park hears from Anne Arundel County homeowners, landlords, and tenants is, “How can I protect my property from mold?” We’ve come up with a top 5 list of mold prevention tips.

Tip 1. Get to Know Your Weaknesses. Look around your home or office and identify areas where moisture comes in or collects. Frequently, we see moisture near/around windows.

Tip 2. Dry Wet Areas Immediately. If you see water collecting in your office or any other rooms, clean it up immediately. After a heavy rainfall, you may find some water in your basement. Dry that water up with towels and call us to make sure we get the area completely dry so mold doesn’t become a problem.

Tip 3. Direct Water Away from Your Home. There are many landscaping tricks you can install to track water away from your home. Installing something as simple as a French drain can reduce the amount of water coming near your house.

Tip 4. Prevent Mold with Proper Ventilation. It may be that your routine activities are encouraging the growth of mold in your home. Make sure an activity as simple as cooking dinner, taking a shower, or doing a load of laundry doesn't invite mold by providing proper ventilation in your bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and any other high-moisture areas. Vent appliances that produce moisture — clothes dryers, stoves — to the outside (not the attic). Use AC units and dehumidifiers (especially in Maryland), but make sure they don’t produce moisture themselves by checking them periodically and cleaning them as directed by the manufacturer.

Tip 5. Clean or Repair Roof Gutters. A mold problem might be a simple matter of a roof that is leaking because of full or damaged gutters. Have your roof gutters cleaned regularly and inspected for damage. Repair them as necessary and keep an eye out for water stains after storms that may indicate a leak.