By Jule Dunham
A continuation of spring cleaning. Today, I would like to share with you information on ‘mold’ both inside and under your home.
This is a topic that needs to be addressed not only due to the great importance for our property, but our health as well. Mold is a serious issue and should be taken seriously. Here in the south we have a lot of moisture which contributes to mold issues.
Some people are quite allergic to different types of mold and this can cause serious respiratory problems. Today, I would like to share with you some things I learned in a class on ‘mold.’
Mold is everywhere! Can you believe it? It is really everywhere! Mold need 3 things to grow-air, food, and moisture.
There are various types of mold, but today, I will address the mold in our bathroom shower and tub area, as well as wood materials in a crawl space.
Where does the mold in the shower get food? Are you ready for this? It’s skin that is sloughed off of your body in the shower/tub. YUK! Most of us have been convinced that bleach is the answer to cleaning the grout/caulking in our bathrooms. Not only is bleach toxic, it does not kill the roots of mold on porous surfaces. While it may be effective in certain applications, it can actually contribute negatively to certain old problems. Hard to believe isn’t it? Bleach also loses its effectiveness over time. The older bleach may end up only partially killing the surface mold and create a bigger problem.
The BEST thing to use to kill mold is believe it or not – peroxide. You may also use vinegar or baking soda. Personally, I cleaned the area with Dawn dish washing liquid first, rinsed well, blotted dry, and then sprayed the peroxide on the affected area. Also, after every shower, I use a squeegee to get most of the water off the walls and use a washcloth to dry the shower walls including the corners and area where the shower walls meet the tub. Then, by using a fan it helps the shower area dry more thoroughly which reduces the chance of mold growth. Every now and then I spray the joint areas with peroxide. Peroxide is a bonus over bleach in that it does not have the strong smell which bleach has which can harm your respiratory system.
Have you ever smelled that musty smell when you enter a home? We noticed this in our home when we bought it a couple of years ago. Right away, before we moved in, we removed all carpeting and padding in our home. Doing that alone improved the musty smell right away. Another thing we noticed was that even with the air conditioner running, we still felt ìclammyî. This was due to the high humidity inside our home which was apparently coming from under the flooring. Yes, it really does rise through the flooring. Strongly consider taking up all rugs and have them cleaned. If they do have mold you may wish to replace them.
Where does mold get food in a crawl space? Did you say from skin? If you did, then I have to tell you, ìNo Sillyî. Mold gets food in crawl spaces from the wood floor joists and any other wood located there. Anytime there is a crawl space you want to be sure to contact an expert on the subject of mold under your sub-floor area. We, (my husband and I), did some extensive research in addition to the class I took, which not only confirmed what the instructor shared, but we learned how to take care of the problem ourselves.
The first step is to find the water source under the house. Our problem apparently began as the result of small water leaks in the plumbing around the manifold area that had been going on for some time prior to our purchase. After all, how often do you look under the house? Once those leaks were repaired, we were in a position to proceed to the next step. We had a moisture barrier installed and we installed a crawl space dehumidifier. This has reduced the humidity inside our home from 80% to 55%. The reduction of humidity in our home is noticeably different in the comfort of our home.
Those steps took time, after all, we are not retired, but we got it done. It can be a real challenge when the crawl space is quite short. In other words, when the bottom of the house is close to the ground. Making an access door to get under the floor in the center of the house was extremely helpful. I highly recommend it to anyone that has a short crawl space.
We could have had a company do this work for us. By doing the work ourselves we saved literally thousands of dollars. If you do the research, are physically able and feel confident that you can do it you can save that money as well. Please let me remind you again, this was a great undertaking.
Should you have any doubts at all, then call a professional.
I hope this article has helped you get a better understanding of mold and how to manage it in and under your home.
Thank you for reading my column and have a blessed week.
Remember: Say Hello. Be Kind. Be Friendly. Embrace Life and all that it really offers. Keep Life Simple. Making good relationships is very important to our mental, emotional and physical health.. Pay it forward, you will be glad you did.
Should you have a topic you would like addressed, please feel free to contact me.
Here is your local Realtor, JulË Dunham, signing off for now.
JulË Dunham, Affiliate Broker, Crye-Leike Realtors, GRI, RENE. Cell: 901-828-8471, Office: 901-840-1181 (Office) or Email: [email protected] for an appointment to speak with you, your group or club. ‘Let’s Make This Happen Together’
