No homeowner wants mold in their home, and it can be frustrating to see it appear apparently out of nowhere. If you’ve got a mold infestation in your home, the good news is that it’s controllable — and preventable. Here’s what you need to know:
- Mold, mildew, fungus, and bacteria growing in your home can all have significant impacts on your health. These can trigger allergies, exacerbate respiratory complaints, and cause illnesses due to the presence of biotoxins. They can be especially dangerous to children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.
- These indoor pollutants all grow better in damp or humid environments — which is why you frequently find them in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry or utility rooms, and unfinished basements. Controlling humidity is one of the best ways to prevent mold growth.
- Ventilation, whole-house dehumidification, and stand-alone dehumidifiers are all excellent ways to control humidity. Your air conditioner also lowers humidity while it’s running, but if you have a serious humidity problem, your A/C probably won’t do enough to resolve the problem on its own.
- Mold, mildew, and fungal spores, as well as bacteria, are released into your indoor air and carried on air currents to be inhaled or to find other places in your home to grow. This means that air filtration and air cleaning can both help to reduce the spread of mold and other pollutants. An air filter or electrostatic air cleaner can remove the particulates from circulation — but if they’re placed in a damp area, they can provide a new place for mold to grow. An ultraviolet (UV) light installation is another option: it kills mold spores, as well as other organic particulates like bacteria. Combining a filter and a UV air cleaner can give you the benefits of each one.
If you’re looking to prevent mold and bacteria growth in your Hamilton home, or to improve indoor air quality in general, give us a call at Elite Air!
