Mold needs water in order to grow and multiply. Finding and eliminating potential moisture issues will do a lot to protect your home. After a water event you generally have 24-48 hours to dry and clean the area in order to prevent mold growth. After a period of a week, mold may be able to produce spores that can be transferred to the indoor air. Once in the air, the spores may affect the occupants if they are allergic to that particular type of mold.

The most common places to find mold are around leaky plumbing fixtures. An inspection of the drains and supply lines in your home each month is very important. If you have a drain leak under a cabinet, you may not know it for a long period of time. An inspection monthly would uncover the issue while the affected area is still small and manageable. A general rule of thumb is that an area smaller than 3 foot by 3 foot or 10 square feet is considered part of regular maintenance. An area larger than that should be professionally mitigated. However, once you’ve reached the point of having an area tested for mold and mitigated, you will need to disclose that at the time of the sale of your home.

You should also inspect the interior of your home. Drywall is an excellent food source for mold growth. An inspection of the interior should also be made monthly to include the ceilings, walls, around and under windows and the baseboards on adjacent walls to the bathroom plumbing fixtures. Any staining in these areas is an indication of a maintenance issue that needs immediate attention to determine the source of the stains. Do not put these issues off, have them looked into and repaired as soon as possible. Simple things like staining on a baseboard may not look serious, but after removing flooring and further investigation you may find hidden areas that are affected.

One out of three homes this year will have some sort of moisture event. If you are pro-active, you will find these issues quickly and can have them repaired and cleaned properly. This will help protect the value and marketability of what may be your greatest asset. If you have indoor air quality questions you should contact the Environmental Protection Agency Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse at (800) 438-4318. The EPA is always a great place to start before calling in a specialist, since they are an unbiased third party.

For more information, contact Scott at www.scottsauer.com.