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Prevent
Mold In NJ, CT, NY |
As many New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut homeowner knows,
mold (or mildew) can be a difficult and potentially dangerous foe.
Mold is a fungus that can grow inside or outside in damp warm conditions.
This makes certain parts of your home or apartment building like
basements and attics more susceptible than others. Mold, once it
starts, can spread to the rest of the house or building, contaminating
drywall, sheetrock, insulation, furnishings, and carpeting while
causing potentially dangerous health problems for you and your
loved ones. Getting rid of mold can be extraordinarily difficult
and you may need to contract a mold-eradication specialist. Your
best bet, though, is to prevent mold from ever occurring in the
first place.
What is Mold?
Mold is a fungus, which means it spreads through spores. There
are anywhere from tens of thousands to perhaps three hundred thousand
or more types of mold across the globe. Different molds can look,
feel and smell very differently: some are furry, slippery, or dusty
and can have a musty or earth-like smell. But there are four main
common indoor molds that affect homeowners in the tri-state area:
cladosporium; penicillium; alternaria and aspergillus. All thrive
in humid warm conditions.
Can mold make me or my children sick?
People can be exposed to mold either by inhaling actual mold particles
that break off or air-borne mold spores. Particles and spores can
both cause varying degrees of health problems for people. Some
children and adults are actually allergic to mold itself and suffer
from eye and skin irritation, cough, congestion, runny nose, and
trouble breathing. But mold can also worsen other pre-existing
conditions like asthma, hay fever and similar allergies. In the
worst-case scenario, people with chronic lung diseases can develop
infections in their lungs due to mold exposure. Usually these health
issues disappear when the mold is removed.
How to get rid of existing mold
Getting rid of mold is a labor-intensive process that involves
cleaning and disinfecting building materials, furniture, and any
and all fabrics from carpets to curtains to clothes to bed-sheets.
If mold has entered the heating or cooling system, drywall, sheetrock
or insulation, eradicating it requires immediate professional intervention.
Sometimes whole walls—or at the very least the infected portion—may
need to be removed and replaced. As you can see, preventing mold
from ever occurring is a much less traumatic—and expensive—endeavor.
How to prevent mold
At the heart of every mold problem is a moisture control problem.
Remember, mold thrives in warm damp conditions; that’s why
the Center For Disease Control recommends keeping your home’s
humidity anywhere between 40 and 60% for maximum mold prevention.
The first step is to identify and correct any leaks in the home.
Inspect roofs, foundations, windows, gutters, basements, pipes,
basements and crawlspaces for signs of water damage and leaks and
take immediate steps to fix the problem areas. You also may want
to periodically clean and disinfect your ductwork or HVAC system
by sanitizing cooling coils, the drain pan, insulation and filters.
Finally, make sure your home has adequate ventilation. That means
using exhaust fans and vents at all times, an air conditioner during
summer months and dehumidifier as needed. It also means choosing
mold-resistant products during renovation and construction. Add
mold inhibitor to both interior and exterior paint. And sometimes
choosing proper building materials makes all the difference. For
example MyHome’s gutter systems ensure gutters will never
become blocked and cause dangerous moisture-producing leaks and
MyHome’s Elite Soffitt for attics and overhangs has ventilation
openings hidden inside the panel's grooves to reduce heat and humidity
build-up. And you’re probably better off not using carpeting
at all in high-moisture areas like attics, basements and laundry
rooms if you want to create a mold free environment.
For more information on how to prevent mold in your NYC apartment
or New Jersey home, or if you even suspect that mold may even be
a problem, contact MyHome today at 800-730-0148. |
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