Nobody likes mold. The fungus is not only an ugly blight but also can actually cause health problems for you and your family. The EPA gives a long list of problems it can cause: allergies, asthma attacks, irritation, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and opportunistic infections.
Most of these potential health problems are spread through the air, through the release of spores or toxic substances known as mycotoxins. So, although mold may grow on solid surfaces, it is really an air-quality problem.
Mold does not require much to survive. It feeds on organic materials, which includes most everything in your home: wood, wallpaper, textiles, food, etc. It thrives at room temperature, but can survive colder or warmer air. It prefers to stay out of direct sunlight. In other words, it likes the inside of your home, and it can be difficult to prevent it from growing there.
Like all living things, though, it does require water to survive. It doesn’t need much; even high humidity can cause it to grow. But that does provide the one key to preventing mold: control the humidity of your indoor air.
Here’s some advice for how you can do exactly that:
- Use a dehumidifier. Mold can utilize moisture in the air to grow, but only if the relative humidity is at least 70 percent. You can control the humidity with a dehumidifier. (You don’t want the air in your home to be too dry, either, but a humidity level of 35 percent to 50 percent is considered “just right” for indoor air.)
- Eliminate leaks. Even small leaks, like a dripping faucet, can provide enough water for the fungus to grow.
- Use exhaust fans when you cook or take a shower to remove the moist air from your home.
- Insulate any pipes or air ducts that are cold enough to produce condensation, and make sure your A/C condensation drains properly.
For more details or prevention tips, contact the pros at Paitson Bros. Heating & Air Conditioning. We can answer any questions you have, and check your home for any potential moisture or humidity problems. Call today; we’d be happy to help.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Paitson Bros. Heating and Air Conditioning services Terre Haute, IN. To get started, check out our website.
Jeff Paitson is a third generation business owner who continues to run the business with the same values that have been passed down from previous generations since 1922.
Jeff’s belief is that the business belongs to Jesus Christ; therefore 10 percent of the company’s profits go toward the Maryland Community Church.
Jeff is a Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce member and in his spare time, he enjoys 
Ethan Rayburn is a lifelong resident of Terre Haute and a 2005 graduate of Purdue University.
An Eagle Scout, Ethan spent four years as a non-profit executive with the Boy Scouts of America before joining Paitson Bros. as a comfort advisor and later General Manager. In that role, Ethan has brought a renewed enthusiasm for customer care, integrity, value, and service to Paitson Bros. Heating & Air Conditioning.
Ethan enjoys singing and was a member of the Purdue Varsity Glee Club. He also enjoys playing and coaching soccer, spending time with his family and two young boys, and volunteering his time and resources with his church, Terre Haute First Baptist Church, which he has attended from a very young age.
One Comment
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as possible. You see, it genedally does not move around in the air-like viruses.
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