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The prevalence of molds (especially during hot summer months) wreaks havoc on your allergies, your home and most of all – your bank account. Innocent condensation residing on the interiors of windows can cause major fungal outbreaks. These outbreaks damage the wood and interior walls if not maintained relatively quickly.
Prevention of mold outbreaks begins by starting home improvement projects or additions with a mold prevention planning adequately in place. Here I provide mold prevention tips, ways to plan projects and, in general, how to keep this aggressive bacteria from forming around your home in the first place.
Mold Proof Coatings
For those expanding or building their house from the ground up, consider purchasing EnviroShield or similar. EnviroShield is a 100% acrylic and water based mold proof coating containing antimicrobial additives which locks out moisture to prevent sporadic mold and mildew buildup.
It provides a tough defense against blistering, cracking, peeling or chipping of painted surfaces, the basic entry point for most molds. It can be used in new construction, remodeling projects or during simple repairs. This product works best on aged homes which need remediation and restoration of or from water damages, and has proven to be 99.5% effective if applied as directed.
Simple Steps That Work Immediately
Whether or not you have discovered mold within your home, remember it’s best to stop mold before it even begins spreading. Here some are preventative tips immediately below.
* Keeping gutters cleaned and sufficiently repaired will prevent moisture from seeping into your vinyl siding. If moisture permeates your siding, it will travel into your wood and quickly spread into your home.
* Making sure the ground slopes, whether concrete or grass, near your foundation can prevent water from building up.
* Whether you’re cold or not, make sure to keep indoor humidity low. Instruments found at common hardware stores can easily gauge these levels for you.
* Empty drip pans from air conditioners often to prevent airborne humidity.
These are just a few common steps to take to prevent mold. Anything relative to water spills, pipe sweating and other forms of escaping condensation will also quickly form mold.
Mold Prevention During Construction
There are logical steps construction pros can take while framing, sealing and painting new homes so future mold spreading could be easily detected and isolated. Unbeknownst to construction workers, even the slightest sign of mold spores in exposed framing can settle in and cause distant problems. Steps in which construction workers can take during all phases of home building include:
* House wraps work wonders! Although Tyvek and other house wrapping products have minimal R-value, they act wonderfully as preventative forces against airborne condensation.
* Use treated lumber in new construction instead of conventional SPF (spruce-pine-fir) lumber. Treated lumber locks out moisture which penetrates standard lumber. This also applies to treated floor joists, using CDX plywood and roofing products which are more permeable against sitting condensation.
Apart from covering your exposed frame, new construction should include adequately placed fans and dehumidifiers to keep condensation out of ceilings and walls. When walking away from the job for the day, cover all exposed areas of the home – even if that means a tarp gets draped over an entire open framed house.
The Bottom Line
When mold creeps up and begins rotting wood and causing health problems. The ensuing prevention and costs of repair can grow exponentially. Taking small steps to prevent mold problems from happening in the first place can help avoid unnecessary expenses or risk to the health of your loved ones in the long run.
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— Carl Bennett is an owner of a Pennsylvania mold inspection & remediation company, pamoldremoval.com. He enjoys writing about mold related topics and will be happy to answer all of your questions in comments below. For Carl’s overview on Mold Remediation, see his article there. ~jb
Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seishin17/3564681451/