Control Humidity to Prevent Mold Growth

1/2/2019 (Permalink)

In high humidity areas like Florida, your home can experience mold damage without leaky pipes or a damaged roof.

When you live in a subtropical area, like Florida, the high humidity both outside and inside can have consequences far beyond personal discomfort. Given the right combination of free floating microbial particles and ambient moisture, the interior of your home can exhibit significant mold damage, even without leaky pipes or a damaged roof. SERVPRO of Fernandina Beach/Yulee can help you evaluate whether the mold damage you are experiencing in your home is traceable to simple high humidity or if other sources of water need to be uncovered. We also then will work with you to use a variety of techniques to reduce the moisture levels of the air within your house so that fungal growth will be reduced, slowed, and then halted. 

Existing mold damage linked to high humidity in Fernandina Beach and North Jacksonville should be treated with the EPA approved procedures. Our SERVPRO of Fernandina Beach/Yulee mold remediation technicians are well trained in this best-practices methodology. Containment, cautious but thorough removal, and proper disinfection will bring the microbial activity to a baseline where no future growth is expected. As long as you are careful to monitor the humidity, mold spread should cease.

The Mold Remediation Process

Every mold infestation is different, from the amount of mold to the types of materials affected. Each scenario requires a unique solution, but the general process stays the same. The steps listed below illustrate our process for a “typical” mold remediation infestation:

1. Emergency Contact -  Call us at (904) 729-2401
2. Inspection and Mold Damage Assessment
3. Mold Containment
4. Air Filtration
5. Removing Mold and Mold-Infested Materials
6. Cleaning Contents and Belongings
7. Restoration

Here are some tips to follow to control humidity to prevent mold problems:

The level suggested for the interior relative humidity of your home is 60 percent or less to discourage mold growth. Do not guess to maintain this level. Invest in a good quality hygrometer to be certain your humidity levels are within the parameters that will discourage mold growth. 

To reduce the moisture content of the air within your home, make sure all exhaust fans are working properly in high moisture generating rooms like the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry areas. Be sure all family members are using them regularly when cooking, showering, and washing clothes.

Dryers should vent to the outdoors. Remember to run air conditioners regularly as they remove moisture from the air. Do not use vaporizers or humidifiers in the house. If all of these measures do not reduce the humidity to proper levels, invest a dehumidifier to reach and then maintain that 60 percent standard. Be sure all equipment used to reduce humidity is checked for proper drainage of the water removed from the air. Empty the water condensed as needed or set up the machine to discharge into a sink or drain.

Following these steps will help to prevent mold issues.

If you do experience mold problems, SERVPRO of Fernandina Beach/Yulee is a Florida-Licensed Mold Remediator. In the state of Florida, any person or company advertising or representing oneself to be a mold remediator—or taking samples for purposes of testing for the presence of mold—must have a license. SERVPRO of Fernandina Beach/Yulee is licensed; Our license number is MRSR450. A licensed contractor has the training, expertise and experience required to do the job well, safely and to code.

If you have mold issues call, us at 904.729.2401. We’ll make it "Like it never even happened.”