How to Prevent Mold Growth in the Winter

12/14/2018 (Permalink)

Mold spores are all around us, but the growth of mold can be prevented.

Mold needs moisture, warmth, and food in order to grow in your home. When you deprive mold of moisture, warmth, and food, you will stop it from growing, but you won’t kill the mold that is already there. The mold spores will stay dormant and start growing again if they get moisture, warmth, and food. So, it’s important to prevent mold from growing in the first place.

If you live in a climate where you need to heat your home frequently, mold can start growing in the winter on your home’s inside walls, especially on the surfaces closest to the outside of your home. Moisture that travels through the air from your basement, bathrooms, or kitchen may condense when it comes in contact with a cold wall. One thing you can do to prevent mold growth is make sure your walls are well-insulated. Well-insulated walls can prevent condensation and mold, as well as cut down on your heating and cooling bills.

Here are some other steps you can take to prevent mold growth during the winter:

• During the cold season, make sure that your indoor humidity level is below forty percent. If you use a humidifier, as many of us do in the winter, make sure it does not produce an excessive amount of humidity.
• Remove possible sources of mold growth by regularly vacuuming and cleaning. Pay close attention to bathrooms and other areas of your home that are likely to generate a lot of moisture.
• Use area rugs or washable floor surfaces rather than wall-to-wall carpeting in areas or rooms that have a moisture issue. It’s not usually a great idea to have carpeting in your entryway, for instance, if you live in a cooler, wet climate.
• Paper, books, and clothing are sources of food for mold, so don’t store them in humid parts of your home, such as your basement, especially close to the floor or walls.
• Leaks in your roof or windows need to be repaired as soon as possible.
• Make sure that your gutters and downspouts are clean and that the area under your downspouts is graded so that water from the roof flows away from your foundation. If necessary, extend your downspouts.
• In the bathroom and kitchen, use exhaust fans or open windows when producing moisture, such as taking a hot shower. Exhaust fans should be vented to the outdoors and not to an attic or crawl space.
• Make sure your clothes dryer is vented to the outdoors.
• Consider getting a dehumidifier for your basement. The cool basement floor and walls can be a source of moisture build-up, and a dehumidifier will control the humidity level and make it harder for mold to start growing.
• Make sure your attic is well insulated and ventilated.
• If you have a crawl space under your house, cover the soil in the crawl space with waterproof polyethylene plastic, also called a vapor barrier. If your crawl space has vents, close the vents in the summer and keep them open in the winter.
• If you have water problems in your basement or crawl space, clean up affected areas as quickly as possible and call an expert.