Looking for black mold hiding places
Looking for black mold hiding places
If you have excessive moisture anywhere in the residence, you should be concerned about black mold which flourishes in the moisture. Granted, Colorado is a very dry climate, but areas like Boulder CO, Louisville CO, and Longmont Colorado are still not safe from mold issues. There are a few favorite places that black mold will hide and they aren’t always the most obvious. If a potential buyer should see them, he will be unwilling to tackle the problems that are indicated. You need to find the cause of the problem ahead of any customer because it would concern your family’s health.
The obvious candidates for molds to hide would be your tub and your shower where there is plenty of moisture. Mold can form easily in a bathroom that is not well ventilated. Even bathrooms fitted with fans may not be fully ventilated especially if the fan has to be switched on separately. If you have small children in the home, programming light and the fan to come on together makes it easier to prevent mold. You can arrange for an electrician to do this.
Keep an eye on the caulking around the tub surround or at the seams where the enclosures are fixed to the walls. If the caulking is cracked, moisture can get in and create favorable conditions for mold to grow. Make a point of renewing your bathroom caulking every year. Not only does this make the caulking look new and clean, but it keeps air from getting to the mold and makes it more difficult to grow.
The next favorite place for black mold to flourish is the basement. Drywall in a finished basement can play host to black mold because of the moisture seeping in through the cracks in the foundation. When the mold makes its presence felt on the front of the wall, you will already have a leak and a damp smell because of bad ventilation.
There are no cheap fixes for foundation cracks but you might find that the accumulation of rainwater in the basement caused by blocked gutters is the cause of the problem. Building up the dirt around the base of the foundation on the outside can help keep water sloped away and sometimes, this will fix the problem.
Drywall affected by moisture will not dry out properly because it will mold and disintegrate so replacement is your only option. Poor ventilation in the basement is a major cause of mold and can be remedied by the use of a dehumidifier.
Another place to look is under the kitchen sink and bathroom vanity because leaky drains and faucets can cause situations where black mold can grow. A leaky roof or cracks in the caulking around rooftop ventilators can even cause black mold to grow in your attic. In fact, any area in the home which is poorly ventilated and moist can create ideal conditions for black mold.
There are many special mold and mildew cleaners that are available and work well though bleach water is sometimes an economical substitute. Chemicals that clean swimming pools contain anti-mold chemicals but use ventiation equipment while using these chemicals so that you don’t inhale black mold by accident. Call in an expert if you feel that you cannot resolve the problem by yourself.
If you’re ever in the market for Colorado real estate, be sure to visit AHF – your Colorado residence experts