Mold Prevention Guide

3/19/2024 (Permalink)

Mold on wall around outlets

Why Basement Mold Prevention?

The basement is one of the most common areas for mold to grow in your home. The reason is that in most basements, especially unfinished, there are mold triggers everywhere. There are usually high humidity levels, several places for condensation, congested spaces, leaks and even floods. The only way to prevent mold in your basement is to create an environment that eliminates these types of moisture-inviting scenarios. Continue reading this article for your basement mold prevention tips and tricks!

Monitor Humidity Levels

Mold has a tendency to grow where there are high levels of moisture. This is mostly because it’s spores are everywhere and those spores only need food, oxygen and moisture to grow and become a problem. Since oxygen and mold’s food is found all over your home, the last ingredient to add for a moldy basement is moisture. With that being said, basement mold prevention requires humidity control.

Most experts agree that humidity levels should remain between 30 – 60%. Anything above 60% is feeding grounds for mold. You can check humidity levels by purchasing a hydrometer from a local hardware store. If you test the air in your basement and the humidity level is below 60%, you are safe for the time being. However, you should run this test regularly. During summer months, basement humidity levels tend to rise and can easily creep above 60%. On the contrary, if you test the air and the humidity levels are above 60%, you will probably need to purchase a dehumidifier.

How to Choose a Dehumidifier

When choosing a dehumidifier, be sure that you are choosing one that is sufficiently sized for your basement. When shopping for a dehumidifier, also keep in mind how often you will be able to monitor the water levels. Some dehumidifiers use a draining feature which allows for continuous operation but requires a floor-level water drain. If you don’t have access to a floor-level drain and want to avoid regularly checking the water levels, consider a dehumidifier that pumps water vertically into a sink.

Unclutter

Another important step in basement mold prevention is to keep your basement organized. People around the world use their basement as a storage space for old clothes, shoes, papers, etc. That can turn into a moldy mess if not done correctly. Most of the items that people store into the basement contain porous materials, such as cloth, books, carpet, wooden materials, etc. These items cluttered together will block airflow, reduce ventilation and begin to dampen. When porous materials dampen, they soak and hold the moisture. This creates the perfect environment for mold growth.

The first thing that you should do if you use your basement for storage is to check the piles and clutter regularly for things that can be thrown out. Another method to uncluttering your basement would be to use plastic totes. Plastic totes are made of a non-porous material that will keep the materials inside dry.

Keep the Rain Out

As you know by now, basement mold prevention is pretty hard when you have moisture. Rain water, and other water sources from outdoors, can become a nightmare if they have access to the basement. If you want to keep the water out, you will have to direct the water away. There are two ways to do this.

• Make sure that the ground your home sits on slopes away from the property. By making sure that the ground slopes away, you will prevent rain, snow and other water sources, such as lawn sprinklers, from creating puddles against your home. With consistency, sitting water around your home will eventually find or create an access point and begin to leak into your basement. Consider hiring an outdoor maintenance man that can develop a slope in the ground surrounding the property. If you would like to save some money on this, consider making it a do-it-yourself project.
• Make sure that your downspouts are functioning correctly at all times. Before you worry so much about the downspouts, check your gutters frequently. Keep your gutters free from leaves and other debris so that it efficiently collects and processes the water through the downspout. If you don’t want to check your gutters on a frequent basis, you may want to consider a leaf guard. Another way to enhance your downspout is to install an extension. This is ideal for homes that do not sit on a slope. An extension will direct water even further away from your home and lower the chances of water leaking in.

Ventilation

Healthy air flow throughout the basement will help keep humidity levels down. This is vital for basement mold prevention. You can accomplish a healthy airflow system by regularly using fans and / or opening windows. This will allow humid air to escape and fresh air to come in. Some basements are known to house laundry rooms, full bathrooms and sometimes even full kitchens. If your basement has a dryer, stove, shower or bathing tub, be sure that they all are ventilating outdoors.

For clothes dryers, regularly check to make sure that it is not clogged with lint. Do this by running the dryer, going outdoors and checking to be sure that air is successfully flowing through the vent. If not, you may need to unclog the vent. 

Insulation

Insulate cold surfaces within your basement, such as water pipes and windows to prevent condensation. As warm air meets these cold surfaces, the moisture in the air begins to vaporize against the cold surface and create condensation. Eventually this water drips into your floor, window seal or other surfaces that are directly below and creates a mold-friendly situation. The moisture can also re-evaporate and promote high humidity levels. In order to prevent condensation on cold pipes, use an insulation pipe cover. For window insulation, you can use plastic, such as bubble wrap, to seal around the window and prevent the warm air from indoors from getting to the window. 

Eliminate Plants

Yes, indoor plants have many benefits. However, in a high-humidity environment such as your basement, plants can create the perfect environment for mold growth. Plants and mold share one common need that usually attracts mold. Water. Lots and lots of water. Plant soil provides a great food and water source for mold to grow. Mold growth with the plant can easily spread throughout the basement, especially when the mold spores within the soil becomes disturbed.

Conclusion

Now that you have these basement mold prevention tips to work with, put them to use. At least the ones that work for your home. As we have found that most problems are preventable with simple prevention methods. However, once it grows, there’s no going back easily.

SERVPRO of Mt. Pleasant, Clare and Houghton Lake can help repair any damage due to a mold issue. Give us a call 24/7 @ 989-775-5065. 

Are you seeing signs of mold in your home or business?

4/29/2019 (Permalink)

Mold found behind a shower surround.

Microscopic mold spores naturally occur almost everywhere, both outdoors and indoors. This makes it impossible to remove all mold from a home or business. Therefore, mold remediation reduces the mold spore count back to its natural or baseline level. Some restoration businesses advertise “mold removal” and even guarantee to remove all mold, which is a fallacy. Consider the following mold facts:

• Mold is present almost everywhere, indoors and outdoors.
• Mold spores are microscopic and float along in the air and may enter your home through windows, doors, or AC/heating systems or even hitch a ride indoors on your clothing or a pet.
• Mold spores thrive on moisture. Mold spores can quickly grow into colonies when exposed to water. These colonies may produce allergens and irritants.
• Before mold remediation can begin, any sources of water or moisture must be addressed. Otherwise, the mold may return.
• Mold often produces a strong, musty odor and can lead you to possible mold problem areas.
• Even higher-than-normal indoor humidity can support mold growth. Keep indoor humidity below 45 percent.

If your home or business has a mold problem, we can inspect and assess your property and use our specialized training, equipment, and expertise to remediate your mold infestation.

If You See Signs of Mold, Call Us Today

SERVPRO of Mt. Pleasant, Clare, & Houghton Lake

Mold Remediation Company Vs. Do-it-Yourself

4/23/2018 (Permalink)

There is often a lot of confusion surrounding the question, “Should I clean the mold up myself or should I hire a mold remediation company?” Some people say that you can clean it yourself with no problem and others state that you should never try to clean it. However, even with all of the confusion, the answer is pretty simple and straightforward. Let’s talk about it!

First Thing’s First

Before addressing the cleaning process, you should first find and correct the cause. Since mold is usually caused by a moisture issue, you should first check for the following moisture intrusion types around the moldy area.

• Plumbing Leaks
• Ceiling Leaks
• Floods / Puddles
• Recent Spills
• Humidifier

These are some common water intrusions that causes mold growth. If you find one of these issues near the affected area, then you may have your cause. The first thing to do if you encounter one of these issues, or any other moisture issue, is to stop it as quickly as possible. If you have to call a professional to come out, ask them for tips to keep the area as dry as possible until they arrive. You should take care of the moisture issue before contacting a mold remediation company because if you get a mold remediation before correcting the moisture issue, mold will likely grow back within a few days.

What if I can’t locate the moisture intrusion?

If you cannot locate the moisture yourself, you should contact a moisture management company. These companies will be able to locate the moisture issue and will likely know what needs to be done to correct them. Usually, these companies will be able to fix the problem themselves, however, if they encounter a plumbing issue that requires professional plumbers, they will likely have some great recommendations.

Mold Remediation Company Vs. Do-it-Yourself

Once you have found and corrected the issue that is causing mold growth, you can decide how to move forward with the removal process. The simple rule to follow when deciding is to measure the moldy area. If you have visible mold and it covers more than 9 sq. feet than you should strongly consider hiring professionals. If the area of visible mold is less than 9 sq. feet, DIY mold removal could possibly work. The reason that I stress “possibly” is because in some cases, there may be invisible or hidden mold. You could also have active growth in other areas of the property without realizing it. If you ever try a DIY process and the mold grows back or mold symptoms consist, consider hiring a mold company for testing and inspection to get a better idea of what’s going that you can’t see.

Mold Remediation Company

So how do you deal with hiring a mold remediation company? The first step is to discover which company best fits the needs of your family. Some remediation methods use strong chemicals that may be harmful if digested by a small child or pet. Since mold grows on just about any type of surface, everything in an affected area will need to be cleaned during a thorough remediation. This includes those small objects that small children or pets may put into their mouths. Always ask companies what type of chemicals they use and the potential dangers. 

Do-it-yourself Mold Remediation

A do-it-yourself approach to mold could be a bit more risky for the health of yourself and those around you if you don’t take proper precautions. The first step to protecting the health of everyone is to remove anyone from the property that is a toddler, pregnant, elderly or has a weakened immune system during the remediation. To protect yourself, and anyone that is helping clean the mold, be sure wear appropriate protective gear.

Conclusion

Mold can be stressful. Not only can it affect the health of you and your family, it can also affect your wallet and your home. The most important thing to remember is to always do what’s best for the health of your family no matter how you decide to clean it.

SERVPRO of MT.Pleasant,Clare and Houghton Lake can help repair any damage due to mold issue. Give us a call 24/7 @ 989-775-5065 where you can speak to one of our representative,

Houseplant Mold Removal Tips

4/23/2018 (Permalink)

Houseplants have done a great job over the years at both decorating homes and helping to better the air of homes. Unfortunately, houseplants can also be the source of mold, which does the exact opposite for a home’s air. Since plants require a lot of moisture to survive, it makes them the perfect feeding grounds for mold growth to occur. However, that mold growth can be prevented. In this article, we will discuss some houseplant mold removal and prevention methods.

What Causes Houseplant Mold?

Mold is known to need 3 things to thrive. Those three things are food, oxygen, and moisture. Organic matter, such as the soil and leaves, are some of mold’s favorite foods. Also, plants require water in order to survive – lots of water. This combination of elements makes plants the perfect habitat for mold to grow.

Houseplant Mold Prevention

To prevent active growth in plants, treat them just like any other parts of your home. That is to control the moisture levels. Listed below are mold prevention tips that will lower the chances of houseplant mold.

• Don’t over water: Most houseplants come with instructions to water. Follow these watering instructions for best practices.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a natural, harmless anti-fungal substance. You can prevent mold growth by adding cinnamon to the plant soil.
• Gravel: Adding gravel to the bottom of the soil will help the plant drain more efficiently.
• Ventilation: Make sure your plants are in a well ventilated area. This may be the most important prevention method. Run fans, open windows and run ventilation fans regulary. If none of these methods are available, you can try using a dehumidifier on a regular basis.

Houseplant Mold Removal

If your plants already have mold growth, you will need to get rid of it. Check out these steps to safely remove mold from your plants.

Removing Mold from Leaves

1. Dampen a paper towel with warm water and drain.
2. Use the paper towel to wipe the mold from the leaves. Remember to change and dispose of the paper towels frequently.

Removing Mold from the Soil

1. Use a spoon to scoop the infected layers into a sealable bag.
2. Once you have removed the visible mold, replace the soil with fresh soil.

Before attempting to either of these removal processes, be sure to use a face mask and rubber gloves to prevent affecting your health. Also, dispose of any items used to remove the mold immediately into a seal-able, disposable bag. Most importantly, immediately apply cinnamon to the soil and implement some of the other houseplant prevention tips to prevent future mold growth.

Basement Mold Prevention Guide

4/23/2018 (Permalink)

Why Basement Mold Prevention?

The basement is one of the most common rooms for mold to grow in your home. The reason is that in most basements, especially unfinished, there are mold triggers everywhere. There are usually high humidity levels, several places for condensation, congested spaces, leaks and even floods. The only way to prevent mold in your basement is to create an environment that eliminates these types of moisture-inviting scenarios. Continue reading this article for your basement mold prevention tips and tricks!

Monitor Humidity Levels

Mold has a tendency to grow where there are high levels of moisture. This is mostly because it’s spores are everywhere and those spores only need food, oxygen and moisture to grow and become a problem. Since oxygen and mold’s food is found all over your home, the last ingredient to a moldy basement is moisture. With that being said, basement mold prevention requires humidity control.

Most experts agree that humidity levels should remain between 30 – 60%. Anything above 60% is feeding grounds for mold. You can check humidity levels by purchasing a hydrometer from a local hardware store. If you test the air in your basement and the humidity level is below 60%, you are safe for the time being. However, you should run this test regularly. During summer months, basement humidity levels tend to rise and can easily creep above 60%. On the contrary, if you test the air and the humidity levels are above 60%, you will probably need to purchase a dehumidifier.

• How to Choose a DehumidifierWhen choosing a dehumidifier, be sure that you are choosing one that is sufficiently sized for your basement. When shopping for a dehumidifier, also keep in mind how often you will be able to monitor the water levels. Some dehumidifiers use a draining feature which allows for continuous operation but requires a floor-level water drain. If you don’t have access to a floor-level drain and want to avoid regularly checking the water levels, consider a dehumidifier that pumps water vertically into a sink.

Unclutter

Another important step in basement mold prevention is to keep your basement organized. People around the world use their basement as a storage space for old clothes, shoes, papers, etc. That can turn into a moldy mess if not done correctly. Most of the items that people store into the basement contain porous materials, such as cloth, books, carpet, wooden materials, etc. These items cluttered together will block airflow, reduce ventilation and begin to dampen. When porous materials dampen, they soak and hold the moisture. This creates the perfect environment for mold growth.

The first thing that you should do if you use your basement for storage is to check the piles and clutter regularly for things that can be thrown out. Another method to uncluttering your basement would be to use plastic totes. Plastic totes are made of a non-porous material that will keep the materials inside dry.

Keep the Rain Out

As you know by now, basement mold prevention is pretty hard when you have moisture. Rain water, and other water sources from outdoors, can become a nightmare if they have access to the basement. If you want to keep the water out, you will have to direct the water away. There are two ways to do this.

• Make sure that the ground your home sits on slopes away from the property. By making sure that the ground slopes away, you will prevent rain, snow and other water sources, such as lawn sprinklers, from creating puddles against your home. With consistency, sitting water around your home will eventually find or create an access point and begin to leak into your basement. Consider hiring an outdoor maintenance man that can develop a slope in the ground surrounding the property. If you would like to save some money on this, consider making it a do-it-yourself project.
• Make sure that your downspouts are functioning correctly at all times. Before you worry so much about the downspouts, check your gutters frequently. Keep your gutters free from leaves and other debris so that it efficiently collects and processes the water through the downspout. If you don’t want to check your gutters on a frequent basis, you may want to consider a leaf guard. Another way to enhance your downspout is to install an extension. This is ideal for homes that do not sit on a slope. An extension will direct water even further away from your home and lower the chances of water leaking in.

Ventilation

Healthy air flow throughout the basement will help keep humidity levels down. This is vital for basement mold prevention. You can accomplish a healthy airflow system by regularly using fans and / or opening windows. This will allow humid air to escape and fresh air to come in. Some basements are known to house laundry rooms, full bathrooms and sometimes even full kitchens. If your basement has a dryer, stove, shower or bathing tub, be sure that they all are ventilating outdoors.

For clothes dryers, regularly check to make sure that it is not clogged with lint. Do this by running the dryer, going outdoors and checking to be sure that air is successfully flowing through the vent. If not, you may need to unclog the vent. 

Insulation

Insulate cold surfaces within your basement, such as water pipes and windows to prevent condensation. As warm air meets these cold surfaces, the moisture in the air begins to vaporize against the cold surface and create condensation. Eventually this water drips into your floor, window seal or other surfaces that are directly below and creates a mold-friendly situation. The moisture can also re-evaporate and promote high humidity levels. In order to prevent condensation on cold pipes, use an insulation pipe cover. For window insulation, you can use plastic, such as bubble wrap, to seal around the window and prevent the warm air from indoors from getting to the window. 

Eliminate Plants

Yes, indoor plants have many benefits. However, in a high-humidity environment such as your basement, plants can create the perfect environment for mold growth. Plants and mold share one common need that usually attracts mold. Water. Lots and lots of water. Plant soil provides a great food and water source for mold to grow. Mold growth with the plant can easily spread throughout the basement, especially when the mold spores within the soil becomes disturbed.

Conclusion

Now that you have these basement mold prevention tips to work with, put them to use. At least the ones that works for your home. As we have found that most problems are preventable with simple prevention methods. However, once it grows, there’s no going back easily.

SERVPRO of MT.Pleasant,Clare and Houghton Lake can help repair any damage due to a mold issue. Give us a call 24/7 @ 989-775-5065 where you can speak to one of our representative,

Remolding Old Buildings? You Might Find Mold.

4/11/2018 (Permalink)

Finding mold in your home or commercial property is a precarious situation. Sometimes it may be a localized outbreak that can be easily cleaned away, other times what appears to be a small patch of mold is an indication of a much bigger issue that could be hazardous to the health of those living in the home.  SERVPRO of Mt.Pleasant,Clare and Houghton Lake mold remediation is second to none and will evaluate and remediate mold outbreaks. 

As many areas in the US see continued growth many old, unoccupied commercial buildings are now opening their doors again. If you encounter mold in your new commercial property SERVPRO of Mt. Pleasant,Clare and Houghton Lake can help. Call our office today and we can send an experienced technician to review your mold issue

Does Your Home Have A Mold Problem?

8/25/2016 (Permalink)

In [[City or County Name]], mold can spread through a home in as little as 48 hours.

Microscopic mold spores naturally occur almost everywhere, both outdoors and indoors. This makes it impossible to remove all mold from a home or business. Therefore, mold remediation reduces the mold spore count back to its natural or baseline level. Some restoration businesses advertise “mold removal” and even guarantee to remove all mold, which is a fallacy. Consider the following mold facts:

• Mold is present almost everywhere, indoors and outdoors.
• Mold spores are microscopic and float along in the air and may enter your home through windows, doors, or AC/heating systems or even hitch a ride indoors on your clothing or a pet.
• Mold spores thrive on moisture. Mold spores can quickly grow into colonies when exposed to water. These colonies may produce allergens and irritants.
• Before mold remediation can begin, any sources of water or moisture must be addressed. Otherwise, the mold may return.
• Mold often produces a strong, musty odor and can lead you to possible mold problem areas.
• Even higher-than-normal indoor humidity can support mold growth. Keep indoor humidity below 45 percent.

If your home or business has a mold problem, we can inspect and assess your property and use our specialized training, equipment, and expertise to remediate your mold infestation.

If You See Signs of Mold, Call Us Today – 989-775-5065