Home Improvement and Mold Prevention Tips By Season
Home Improvement Tips for the Fall
Interested in improving your home this fall? Once the summer fun is over it’s time to look forward to the winter season, and preparing your home during the fall season is the best way to do that. Here is a list of home improvement tips for the fall:
- Remove leaves: To avoid a big mess in your lawn, get out the rakes as soon as there are a decent amount of leaves on the floor. A mass of decomposing leaves on your lawn is the last thing you want because it can affect your grass in the long run.
- Investigate the roof: While the weather is good, inspect the roof for potential damage. It’s easier for repair jobs to be completed while temperatures are still above freezing, which makes fall the perfect time. Also, by spotting damage early you can prevent it from propagating and potentially turning into a much more expensive repair job.
- Energy efficiency of windows: If you haven’t upgraded your windows in a while then it might be time to do so. ENERGY STAR® rated windows should be installed because they have a great energy efficiency rating. Also check around your windows for potential sources of leaks because, during the winter, any cold air that leaks into your home is just increasing the cost of your energy bills.
Tips to Make Sure Mold & Mildew is Under Control This Spring
Warm temperatures and dampness create the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew. Unfortunately, not only do mold and mildew have bad odors, if you don’t treat them properly, they can also have negative impacts on your health. This spring, make sure you keep mold and mildew under control with the following tips.
Keep Moisture Levels Low
Since moisture is one of the main items mold and mildew need to grow, it’s important to keep all moisture under control around your home. This means checking for and repairing leaking pipes, emptying drip pans from your air conditioner, and cleaning the gutters, so you don’t have any standing water around your house. You can also use a dehumidifier to pull moisture from the air. Ideally, you want the humidity level in your home between 30 and 50 percent.
Focus on the Bathroom
The bathroom is a favorite spot for mold and mildew to grow, and it’s easy to see why. These rooms are typically dark, warm, and wet. To make your bathroom less hospitable to mold and mildew, run the exhaust fan or open the window for about 30 minutes after you use the shower or bath to remove extra moisture from the air. Additionally, spraying a cleaner every day that has a mold and mildew fighting ingredient can help prevent them from growing.
Remove Spots You Find
If you do find some mold and mildew growing in your house, you can find several products around your house that will kill them. Your options include bleach, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and tea tree oil. Simply scrub the area that has mold spots and let the surface dry completely.
4 Summer Tips to Prevent Mold in the Home
Summer means warm weather and sunshine, but this season can also introduce high humidity and excess moisture. Worried about moisture turning into mold? Try these four tips to prevent mold in your home this summer.
Limit Indoor Moisture
Mold thrives in moist, dark environments, so the simplest thing you can do to prevent mold is to address leaks and deal with water damage. In damp, dark areas like under sinks and in the basement, check for drips and pooled water. Tackle leaks as soon as you find them, so you don’t give mold spores a place to call home.
Keep Humidity Under Control
Controlling airborne moisture levels is another smart way to prevent mold from thriving in your home. Start by checking your thermostat to make sure the humidity level is below 50 percent. If your HVAC system needs an extra boost to lower moisture levels, consider getting a portable dehumidifier for a certain area of your house or investing in a whole-home dehumidifier that can resolve humidity problems throughout the house.
Ventilate Your Home
If it often seems like air sits in your home without circulating in and out, mold and moisture could be building up and creating a mold problem. Improve ventilation by turning on exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen, as these handy devices are designed to push moist air outside where it belongs.
Stick to a Cleaning Routine
A regular cleaning routine can do wonders for mold issues in your home. Vacuum, dust, and mop surfaces and floors in your home once a week, and take care to dry any wet surfaces. This strategy gives mold fewer opportunities to thrive and helps your home smell fresh at the same time.
Be Ready For Any Season
Suspect that your home already has a mold problem or need to stop mold in its tracks? Contact MD Moldtesting.com at 301-717-1454 to schedule mold testing today.
