Most of us have seen mold growing in the corners of old and wretched buildings only. The truth is that it is one of the concerns of the newly constructed or under constructions buildings as well. In a rush to complete the construction projects quickly, some contractors forget to take the precautionary measures.
In some cases, the growth of mold and mildew is easy to clean, whereas sometimes, it can be stubborn. Therefore, it is better to prevent it from growing in the first place, whether your house is new or you have lived in it for decades.
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Simple Tips to Keep Your New House from Becoming a Victim of Mold
Before finalizing a home warranty for your new house, you might ask, is water damage covered by warranty? The answer will highly likely be yes, but do such warranties cover mold damage? Well, no, because it is mostly a result of poor ventilation and maintenance on your part.
In the following section, we have rounded up a list of dos to prevent mold from growing inside your house.
1. Ensure Proper Ventilation
Ensuring proper airflow through your house should be a no-brainer because we all know mold thrives on one thing; moisture.
For that, make sure your air conditioner and cooling systems are working perfectly alright. Secondly, look around your house and pare down the clutter as much as you can. The place is highly likely to get messy both during shifting and construction, thus impacting the ventilation. The mess will block the airflow, and the mold will move in even before you do.
2. Take Care of the Moisture Zones
Another way to protect your house from mold is by keeping the moisture zones squeaky clean. By moisture zones, we mean the areas with high humidity factor, like kitchen, laundry, washroom, etc.
Keep these areas dry when not in use, and beware of the leaks. Switch your regular cleaning products with anti-fungal and anti-mildew ones. If you live in a hot and humid region, get a dehumidifier for the moisture zones of your house.
3. Detoxify Gutters and HVAC Ducts
Gutters and ventilation ducts filled with debris, leaves, and dirty can retain moisture, thus becoming a habitat of mold. Get your drainage and HVAC system examined and serviced at regular intervals.
Furthermore, if there are any openings or holes anywhere inside your home that can hold water, you need to take care of them before mold grows.
4. Install Air Filters
One easy way for mold spores to enter your territory is through windows, AC ducts, and vents. You can prevent them from contaminating your breathing space by filtering the air inside your home. So, add an extra layer of protection and install air filters graded for mold spores.
However, the air filters are not going to clean themselves, so do not forget to replace or maintain them. Like your house, you do not want microbes living inside your air filters because that would negate the whole effort.
5. Prefer Anti-Mold Paints
If your house is still in the construction phase, consider investing in mold-prevention paints. Like mold prevention sprays and cleaners, such paints have specific types of compounds that deter mold from attacking your house.
6. Follow the AC Protocol
When you do not close the windows and door while the AC is on, you not only waste money but let the warm air in. This warm air enters your cold house leading to condensation, which mold loves. Moreover, maintain your house temperature ideally at 26 degrees Celsius because anything hotter than this will become an excellent growth medium for the mold.
When to Call a Professional for Help?
Mold patches can get tricky, as the spores are airborne and can be hard to contain. You might clean it from one corner and see it growing in another corner within a few days. So, if you are an amateur and are not confident about yourself, you can always seek professional services. You must call a specialist if the patch stretches along a considerable length.
You can also call a specialist for risk intervention as a part of a bi-annual cleaning regime. Several innovative sprays have made their way to the market, which not only clean the pre-existing mold but prevent it from regrowing, have made their way to the market.
True, mold is a nightmare for your precious possessions and can turn your beautiful belongings into the trash within no time. But this is not the only thing that you should sweat about presence of fungus inside your house.
It provides a rearing environment for other microbes that can cause inflammatory responses in most individuals. Do not only expect your allergies to worsen but see yourself at risk of several other respiratory problems.
Remember! Prevention of mold by following the simple steps mentioned above will always be easier than reaping its consequences.