Taking steps to eliminate mold help keep your indoor environment healthy and, in many cases, reduce potential allergies and other physical reactions. Effective mold control also minimizes expensive damage to building materials. Because dormant mold spores exist everywhere in nature — including inside buildings — the best way to eliminate mold is to prevent the conditions that trigger inactive spores into live, growing mold in the first place.
What Makes Mold Grow?
Common conditions that support active mold growth include:
- Moisture. Chronic moisture that activates dormant spores may result from minor plumbing leakage in unseen locations. HVAC units may also contribute moisture.
- Elevated humidity. High humidity may be a natural factor of the local climate or it may result in places where water vapor commonly accumulates, such as in the kitchen and bathrooms.
- Low light. Mold is killed by direct sunlight and thrives in dim or dark areas of the house. Basements, crawl spaces, closets, attics and other dark places all provide an environment that’s friendly to mold.
- Food. Mold thrives on organic food sources — especially wood and paper — that’s common inside homes. Household dust often contains tiny particles of organic matter, so unoccupied, dusty areas are more likely to spawn mold growth.
- Temperature. Mold thrives in common household temperatures that are roughly above 70 degrees.
Eliminate Mold
Identify and eliminate sources of mold-spawning moisture in the house:
- Look for any plumbing issues such as minor leaks to help eliminate mold. Cold-water pipes may also generate chronic condensation (“sweating”) in warm indoor environments.
- Inspect the attic for roof leakage and the crawl space for puddles or chronic wet spots.
- Ventilate humid rooms, including bathrooms and the kitchen. Vent fans should exhaust moist air all the way to the outside — not into the attic.
Call in the Pros
If mold is suspected, a mold remediation professional can test indoor air to confirm the presence of reproductive airborne spores, then track down and remove established mold growth, sterilize contaminated surfaces, and remove/replace infected building materials where necessary.
Consult the experts at Paitson Bros. for practical options to detect mold and permanently eliminate it from your home. We’ve been keeping the indoor environment comfortable and healthy since 1922.
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.
Paitson Bros
1 (812) 232-2347
Serving the Wabash Valley, IN Area Since 1922