How to Avoid Mold Growth in HVAC, Basements and Attics in Your Home

4/23/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Upper Cape Cod and the Islands offers a wide range of restoration and remediation services for your property.

How to Make Your Year-Round and Seasonal Properties Mold-Free

Mold – a problem indeed if not taken care of effectively. It can grow in the different part of houses. The areas that get affected first and foremost are basements, attics and HVAC systems. The reason behind this is the lack of ventilation, air flow, and excess of water and moisture content. Water acts as a catalyst for mold growth and other factors contribute wholeheartedly as well. The good part is that mold can be treated if you pay attention and hire professional mold removal services who have years of experience.

The following are some of the ways in which we can remove mold from your attics, basements and HVAC systems:

Mold Removal from HVAC Systems

It easily grows in HVAC as moisture, organic material, and temperature within an HVAC system ranges between 32 and 120 degrees. HVAC plays a vital role in our home’s ability to contribute the dispersion of cooling, heating, and ventilation within the structure. Follow the below-enlisted tips to make your HVAC mold-free:

• Replace air filters on regular basis, once in a month

• Clean standing water on the drain pans to eliminate chances of microbes that result in mold growth

• Apply an HVAC mold inhibitor to all components of heating and cooling units while following manufacturer’s instructions

• Try to keep ducts dry along with fixing water-damaged components, and use a disinfectant in the system

• Inspect the area where air enters and make it free of a nearby dumpster waste, standing water, bird droppings, etc.

Mold Eradication from Basements

Let’s be honest, basements in most homes are usually overlooked. They are considered as an extra space for storing things, washing clothes, etc. Because of neglect, mold growth is common in basements. Always hire a professional mold restoration service to get rid of any and all growth. Here are a few steps that need to be followed in order to eliminate spore growth:

• Check the humidity level and ensure there is a place for ventilation, and/or use a dehumidifier

• Avoid growing plants in the basement and reduce congestion

• Avoid placing wood in the basement and keep water away from the home so that it may not surround the property

• Inspect that there is no water leakage in the basement and take care of spills immediately to avoid problems

• Reduce the humidifying factor and install an exhaust fan. To reduce humidity, avoid drying wet clothes and place appliance exhausts outside the house instead of in a basement to limit the amount of humidity

Limit Mold Growth in Attics

An attic space is often used for the placement of the vents to the bathrooms, kitchen and even the dryer vents to be used to discharge outside through the roof. But sometimes those vents do not make it all the way outside leaving moist air to escape into the attic causing mold to grow. The installation of furnaces, water heater and sometimes poorly insulated ceilings can also be the reason behind mold in attics. Follow this list of steps to avoid mold growth:

• Don’t place your dryer vent discharge in the attic to avoid water accumulation

• Proper ceiling insulation should be installed with a clearance to decking surface, otherwise, it will lead to mold growth

• Heating ducts should be properly insulated

• Furnaces and water heaters, if installed in the attic, should be contained in a separate room

• Plumbing vents should be extended to the roof instead of placing them in the attics

These areas need to be inspected from time to time to avoid any mold problem that may arise later on. Houses that are left closed for a long period of time, mostly the houses owned for vacation purposes, are at a greater risk of developing mold due to lack of ventilation, cleanliness, and maintenance. It is better to look for mold when you visit the house and get in touch with experienced and professional restoration services like SERVPRO of Upper Cape Cod and the Islands to get productive results for mold removal.

To inquire more about our mold remediation and HVAC cleanup services, call us at (508) 888-5985.