Controlling Moisture in Your Home

9/29/2021 (Permalink)

Extra moisture in your Franklin County, MO home can cause damage and encourage potentially harmful mold and mildew growth.

How can you reduce moisture in your home? Learn to keep moisture out and prevent damage and mold.
Activities such as cooking, bathing, and dish washing can add moisture into the air. Even some heating appliances can cause additional humidity in your home, for example: unvented gas or kerosene models. Droplets can accumulate on common cool surfaces during the winter, such as windows, walls, and doors that lack proper insulation. This can cause rot and peeling of paint and is a good environment for mold growth.
If you happen to see moisture accumulating, be sure to dry it promptly. Be sure to take care of the issue that is causing the moisture.
Storm doors and windows can minimize cool surfaces in the winter by separating the interior from cold air outside. Upgrading your windows to double and triple pane can also help insulate the interior glass. This will also make your home more energy efficient.
Opening drapes and blinds in the winter allows warmth to the interior glass. Some condensation can occur, but the improved circulation makes it less probable to accumulate. Insulating cold-water pipes eliminates a common cool surface.
Bathroom exhaust fans, dryer exhaust and ducted kitchen exhaust hoods that vent to the outside remove moisture that some activities create. Keep the devices free of dust, lint, grease or anything that could keep them from working efficiently.

Other ways to reduce air moisture:
•Covering pots while cooking, when possible
•Leaving room doors open to allow good air circulation
•Storing firewood outside
•Covering aquariums

Moisture in the home is not always as obvious as water beading on a window. Poor ventilation in an attic can result in condensation, promoting mold growth in the framing elements of the house. A sealed, unused fireplace creates an opportunity for moisture problems. If air doesn't circulate in the fireplace, condensation can accumulate on the walls and soak into the masonry. If you have a crawlspace, moisture from the soil can enter your home, increasing the level of humidity. A vapor barrier over the bare soil blocks the moisture.
Rain that seeps into your home's foundation can lead to moisture problems. Make sure your gutters work properly and direct water away from your home's foundation.

Some moisture problems require more complex solutions, and sources of moisture may be hidden. It may be time to call a professional like SERVPRO. Extra moisture in your home can cause mold. Mold can produce allergens and irritants so if you suspect you have a mold issue, you should call us to inspect your Franklin County, MO home. We are trained mold damage specialists who get started quickly to get your Franklin County, MO home (or business) back to normal, with specific training and certifications to handle your restoration needs.

If You See Signs of Mold, Call Us Today – (636) 583-5200