Your home is susceptible to mold growth when there’s excess moisture. Mold can lead to certain health issues like respiratory problems, eye irritation, headaches, and sinus infections. Also, mold can destroy your furniture and rot the building materials in your home. In this guide, we’ll discuss a few effective ways to prevent mold growth in your home including drying wet areas, proper ventilation, monitoring humidity, outdoor drainage, and using mold-resistant products.

1. Keep Your Home Dry

Moisture is the key component for mold growth in your home, so drying wet areas is an important step for prevention. Floods and plumbing leaks are common causes of mold growth. Regularly check and dry any areas that may collect water or condensation. Areas around sinks, water tanks, and tubs are susceptible to growing mold.

2. Prevent Mold Growth in Your Home with Proper Ventilation

Some of your routine domestic activities like cooking, drying clothes, and showering encourage mold in your home. Always use exhaust fans to help you vent moisture away. When cooking and showering, keep your exhaust fans running to prevent mold growth and reduce indoor humidity.

3. Monitor Indoor Humidity

High humidity levels contribute to mold growth. You can monitor humidity by checking for signs of condensation on walls and windows or use a hygrometer to measure the current indoor humidity. The EPA recommends humidity levels fall between 30 percent to 50 percent for a safe and healthy home.

Dehumidifiers will also reduce humidity levels in your home and help to keep your home mold-free.

4. Monitor Outdoor Drainage

Improper grading of your property may contribute to mold in your home. If water pools around your foundation, you might encounter some serious issues if the water seeps inside. Mold growth that starts in the basement or crawlspace can easily spread throughout the home.

5. Use Mold-Resistant Products to Stop Mold Growth in Your Home

Whether you are renovating your home or building a new one, use mold-resistant products like mold inhibitors for paints and mold-resistant drywall. Unlike the traditional drywall with a gypsum plaster core pressed between layers of paper, the mold-resistant drywall’s gypsum core is covered in fiberglass. Use moisture-resistant drywall and paint in bathrooms, basements, kitchens, and other areas prone to moisture.

Reduce the likelihood of mold growing in your home by taking steps to make it mold-resistant and prevent mold growth. Address a mold problem early to avoid more costs down the road if the mold continues to grow unchecked.

Maryland Home Inspectors provides home inspection services to Washington DC and Baltimore. Contact us to book an appointment.