Why is the Winter a Perfect Time for Mold?
Because mold’s favorite living conditions are dark, damp, and humid areas, you would think mold wouldn’t show up until the summer to start wreaking havoc on your home and your breathing.
Mold can find a way to grow even in the dead of winter if the conditions inside your house are right. Water leaks lead to mold. So you want to take precautions to protect your pipes when it freezes.
Inevitably, the temperature will drop a little and the trapped heat will evaporate and can leave condensation in the duct work and behind your furnace.
This creates the perfect environment for mold growth and is often one of the most frequent areas we find mold growth in the winter.
Here are some home protection tips for all of our friends in the area:
1. Raise your thermostat temperature in your home, 2 to 4 degrees above your normal setting.
2. Take all programmable thermostats out of setback mode and set on a permanent HOLD. Your heating system will not be able to recover until temperatures rise and the windchill diminishes. Our heating systems cannot overcome temperatures -20 F with wind chill up to -50+F. They are designed to operate at 0 degrees outdoors.
3. If you have a furnace; replace the filter.
4. Limit opening exterior doors, including garage doors.
5. Make sure air vents and radiators are not blocked or obstructed.
6. In homes with plumbing fixtures near exterior walls, make sure you open up cabinet doors to allow more heat to circulate around the pipes.
7. Also, for faucets on exterior walls allow the faucets to drip out water to help prevent the water from freezing and busting your pipes.
8. If you have to go outside, make sure you wear layers of clothes.
9. DO NOT USE YOUR OVEN or a GRILL TO HEAT YOUR HOME.
Please check on neighbors and elderly residents during these extreme temperatures. Stay warm and safe this week and share this email with any of your family and friends.
Mold Removal in Your Home
Hopefully you will not have any damage after the cold passes. If you have any questions or concerns about mold in your home, we are here to help.
We never recommend trying to remove mold on your own if it’s a bigger patch than about 10 square feet. Any larger than that and it’s going to be almost too much for you to take on without professional assistance.
