How can I prevent indoor mold problems in my home?
Today I’d like to address the steps anyone of us can take to prevent future mold problems in your property, home or office.
It’s critical to thoroughly inspect the property on a regular basis in order to spot the indications of elevated moisture levels and correctly identify the sources of the increased indoor moisture or mold. Take steps to eliminate sources of ANY water as quickly as possible. If a leak as small as a pinhole or an actual flooding occurs, it is essential to act quickly to make sure that your situation does not become much worse than it is:
- Do whatever it takes to stop the source of leak or flooding immediately
- Remove excess water with mops or wet vacuum.
- Whenever possible, move wet items to a dry and well ventilated area or outdoors to make them dry quicker. Move rugs and pull up areas of wet carpet as soon as possible, either yourself, or with the assistance of a professional.
- Open closet and cabinet doors and move furniture away from walls to increase air circulation in the room.
- Turn on portable fans to increase air circulation in the room. The only time when you must NOT use the home’s central blower or AC/Heater system is if the flooding has occurred in it, or in any of the ducts. Do NOT use fans if mold could potentially may already started to grow — which will happen if not taken care of within 48 hours of the flooding.
- Turn on home dehumidifiers and window air conditioners to lower humidity.
- Do NOT turn up the heat if at all possible, since elevated temperatures will increase the rate of growth of the mold.
- If water has soaked inside the walls, it may be necessary to open wall cavities, remove baseboards, and/or pry open wall paneling. In such a case make sure to contact a mold remediation professional immediately.
All mold remediation companies in San Diego will offer assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, within 60 minutes or less to come and take care of your mold situation. Most will not charge you to produce a detailed estimate of the remediation, as well as provide you with a price quote.
