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Yes, mold is extremely common in summer, but it can be a concern any time of year if the conditions are right.
Mold has a musty smell that you can’t cover up, and it has an unmistakable appearance that you can’t simply scrub away. These reasons alone are enough to want it gone. However, the main reason to have it removed is that it’s dangerous.
Mold is a fungus that can make you very sick. When you breathe in mold spores, it can affect your lungs, sinuses, eyes, skin, and throat. People with asthma and allergies are particularly susceptible to these side effects, but anyone can have a reaction to mold.
Mold can also damage your home by weakening the materials where it grows. Mold eats away at all types of surfaces, including vinyl, wood, and concrete, at varying rates. Call Pure Air North Carolina this summer if any signs of mold appear in your home. We can help!
Environmental Factors that Encourage Mold Growth
To put it as simply as possible, only two things are responsible for mold growth within your home:
Moisture – Mold needs a water source. Damp surfaces are perfect, but even highly humid areas provide plenty of moisture for mold.
Warmth – Mold grows best in warm climates, and your home is within the perfect temperature range all year long.
If these two conditions are present, it’s not a guarantee that mold will grow, but it is a safe bet!
Another thing that mold needs to survive and thrive is food. Mold feeds on dust and other particles that settle in your home. Regular household dusting and cleaning should remove the majority of this food source.
So why is mold more common in the summer?
These factors are more prevalent during the warmer months for the following reasons:
Rain
The sheer amount of moisture in the air due to higher rainfall elevates the risk of mold. Summer showers pop up out of nowhere, and the humidity is much higher during the summer.
Storms
Water leaks allow mold to get a foothold in unseen areas of your home. Thunderstorms, hail, and tornados can damage your roof, windows, and exterior walls, causing roof damage and leaks.
Warm weather
High temperatures elevate the temperature inside your home, too. Even places that are usually cool, like the basement, crawl space, garage, attic, and inside your HVAC system, will be affected by these rising temps.
Poor ventilation
It’s hot, so you turn on the AC and keep the windows closed tight. The problem is, there’s no air flow other than what circulates through your HVAC. If the filters get clogged, the lack of circulation will quickly lead to mold somewhere in your home. In fact, inside the HVAC vents is one of the most common places mold can be found.
In addition to these conditions, you’re more likely to be out and about during the summer, giving you the opportunity to spot mold as soon as it begins to grow.
Mold Prevention
Knowing how to prevent mold is a step in the right direction. Here are a few things you can do to stop mold before it starts:
Check areas where mold is likely to grow often, including windowsills, attics, basements. Keep these areas as dry as possible, placing a dehumidifier in these spaces if necessary.
Fix leaks ASAP. This may be a simple issue of sealing a window with caulk, or it could require some extensive home repairs. Aside from mold growth, leaks are responsible for massive amounts of home damage every year.
Use your air conditioner. The cooler air will discourage mold growth, and cooler air is less humid than warm air. Just running it for a few hours every day will help prevent mold.
Ventilate moist areas, like the bathroom. You can actually turn on the bathroom vent while you shower to eliminate excess moisture.
Install HEPA air filters in your HVAC system, and add air purifiers to rooms that are exposed to more moisture than you’d like.
Mold Removal
Inspect you home frequently in all the areas you can to catch mold growth before it gets out of hand. Call a handyman or mold specialist to inspect areas you can’t see. This includes the attic and roof.
When the worst case scenario presents itself and you find mold in your home – in any amount – you can’t let it go. For the sake of your family’s health and the structural soundness of your home itself, mold needs to be thoroughly removed from every surface.
Once mold is identified, have it removed as soon as possible. The temptation is to bleach, pressure wash, or scrub until it’s all gone.
First of all, these methods won’t work.
None of these cleaning methods is powerful enough to remove mold from porous surfaces like wood or concrete, and it may be too late to remove the stains left behind by unseen mold.
Most commercial cleaning products only clean the surface, but never reach down into the pores where mold has likely reached.
Second, they are harmful to your health.
In the process of removing mold, particles are loosened, making it even easier to breathe them in, not to mention the harsh chemicals most people use to remove the organisms and stains they leave behind. Most homeowners don’t know the proper mold removal safety measures to protect themselves, nor do they have access to the right equipment.
Don’t even consider do-it-yourself mold removal when there are mold removal pros that specialize in safe, effective mold removal!
Pure Air North Carolina has equipment and a demo-free process that make removing mold much safer. In addition to wearing gloves and other protective clothing, we use professional grade respirators that filter nearly 100% of mold spores. We will also take the time to isolate the area so mold spores aren’t released into other areas of your home during cleaning … not to mention that our tools and techniques are much more effective than home cleaning methods.
Mold removal services are affordable, fast and easy to schedule. There’s no reason to take such a dangerous job into your own hands!