Moisture & Mold

When it comes to mold, moisture is one of the most important things to consider. Moisture is what all life needs to exist - and mold is no different. So that makes moisture control very important - whether you are having a mold remediation job performed or not.

A good example of this is a large condo job that us here at HERO Remediation are working on as we speak. The condo remediation project all comes down to moisture. Many of the residents are concerned when they don't see any issue on the surface, but our moisture meters, thermal cameras, and other tools indicate a different matter, and we recommend removing sheetrock to get to the actual issue. But once we open the walls and show them the damage and mold behind it, they understand why the moisture readings we found showed that we needed to remove the sheetrock.
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Moisture - Good & Evil

Moisture control is very important, as we can see. In fact, the EPA provides a very helpful Moisture Control Guide that you can use. But without going into an entire EPA document, here are some basics that can help you keep moisture under control:

1. Use a dehumidifier. We live in Florida - so humidity is part of life here. If it is in your budget, consider having a professional dehumidifier put in your HVAC system. Some people rely on their AC system to dehumidify their home or building, but this is very often not enough.
2. Keep your HVAC system running when you are away. Humidity in the air can cause a mold issue throughout your home or building in a matter of 48 hours - that's right, just 2 days. Often times, mold issues occur because people leave for the summer, go on a vacation, or otherwise leave their home for a while and turn off their HVAC system - leaving the home to have the same humidity as the outside of your home.
3. Keep plants to a minimum. This one is a bit personal, and we are not saying that we can't have plants. But if we really love plants and fill our homes with them, it can become an issue. Especially small areas where a lot of plants are up against a window can turn that area into a steamy greenhouse. Also, consider having plants that don't require a lot of watering.
4. Don't ignore maintenance. Seems simple, but if we let a "small" leak go for too long, that small leak can make big problems. Be sure to fix leaks as soon as they are found, and don't leave other maintenance tasks undone for too long.

Stay In Control

We call it "moisture control" because it requires us to control the moisture in our home. Keeping relative humidity below 60%, keeping leaks and water issues at bay, and calling a professional like HERO Remediation whenever there is an issue - and doing it early enough that the issue doesn't become worse.