If mold gets established in your home, you will need mold remediation. This can be a costly and time-consuming task that may require portions of your home or furnishings to be removed and destroyed. It is better to avoid ever needing mold remediation by attending to prevention instead. We often hear that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and this applies just as much to mold prevention as to any other area of life. In Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas, we are prone to some of the conditions that suit mold very well: warmth and humidity.
Mold is a living organism, and like most other living organisms, it needs moisture and a suitable temperature to thrive. Obviously, we don't want to make our homes too cold, just to prevent mold, nor do we want them to be too dry. However, it is worth remembering that the hotter the home, the more at risk we are of mold growing when moisture is added, and the damper the home, the more at risk we are of mold growing if heat is added without also adding adequate ventilation.
If we must have warm damp air, we can somewhat reduce the opportunity for mold to grow by keeping the air moving, whether that be by using fans in winter or by having the windows open and a fresh breeze blowing through in the warmer months. Still, damp, warm air is the most comfortable for mold, and we don't want mold to be comfortable on our furnishings and building materials.
In the Washington, D.C., area, we are vulnerable to moisture in our homes from a variety of sources: moisture can get into your home from outside through damaged roofs, blocked roof gutters, poor damp-proofing or poor landscaping (incorrectly sloping land). It can also be produced inside our homes by our daily living activities such as bathing, washing clothes, drying clothes and cooking. Keep a window cracked open whenever you do any activity that creates steam – that moisture, if not released, will condense into water somewhere in your house. Call in professionals to identify or repair damage to the outside of your home. Make sure clothes dryers are vented, stoves have extractor hoods to the outside and keep a window open if using a kerosene heater. Following these precautions significantly reduces the likelihood that you will ever need to call in mold remediators to remove mold from your Washington, D.C. home.
For more information on preventing mold growth in your Washington, D.C. home, contact the mold removal and mold remediation experts in Washington, D.C. Envirotex Environmental Services today.
About Envriotex Environmental Services
Established in Northern Virginia in 2000, Envirotex Environmental Services was founded on military service. While serving his country, the company's owner Mr. Freeman gained vast knowledge and experience in the environmental services field. His expertise in air monitoring and hazardous materials testing prepared him for his post-military career.
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