10 Ways to Prevent Costly Mold Damage to Your Home, continued. 10. Call a professional If you can't find the moisture problem on your own, or you aren't sure how to correct a problem you do find, call a home inspector or indoor air quality consultant. Look for credentials from a respected industry organization, such as the American Society of Home Inspectors or the Indoor Air Quality Association. A house call will likely run $250 or more. Mold remediation isn't necessarily covered by home owners insurance, which typically pays only if the problem results from a sudden emergency covered in your policy, such as a burst pipe. Insurance usually doesn't pay if the problem results from deferred maintenance or floodwaters (unless you have flood insurance). By: Karin Beuerlein
10 Ways to Prevent Costly Mold Damage to Your Home, continued.. 7. Look for standing water If the air conditioner isn't the issue, search for standing water or chronic dampness that is increasing indoor humidity and providing a lovely environment for mold. Check for puddles or dampness around hot water tanks, sump pumps, freezers, refrigerators, basement doors, and windows. Inspect crawl spaces for ground water dampness or foundation leaks 8. Cover crawl space Ground water seeping into crawl spaces can add gallons of moisture vapor into your house every day. The simplest defense is to cover crawl space floors with a plastic vapor barrier-6 mil polyethylene (landscapers plastic)-that traps moisture in the ground.If you crawl in your crawl space, use a heavier plastic that won't rip as e...
10 Ways to Prevent Costly Mold Damage to Your Home, continued.. 4. Properly size your AC unit Make sure your air conditioning unit is properly sized for your house. If it's too small, the unit will run constantly, elevating costs but not the temperature; too big, and the unit will constantly start and stop, which wastes energy, too.Install an HVAC unit that is just right. For guidance, call an HVAC professional, or consult Energy Star's square footage/AC capacity chart. 5. Monitor humidity An indoor humidity monitor will help you keep track of moisture levels that, ideally, fall between 35% and 50% relative humidity; in very humid climates, at the height of summer, you may have to live with readings closer to 55%. But if you reach 60% relative humidity, it's time to look for the sour...
10 Ways to Prevent Costly Mold Damage to Your Home. Fixing mold damage is an expensive and time-consuming home repair. But you can save time and money by implementing these 10 ounces of prevention. Setting your thermostat at about 78 degrees F provides the optimal temperature for preventing moisture problems. Image: Tetra Images/Getty Image Home owners have good reason to shudder when hearing, "You've got mold!" Mold can wreck your health and finances: An extensive mold remediation can reach five figures. Mold spores are always present indoors, particularly in humid areas. You can minimize mold growth, however, by buying a humidity monitor, which helps you keep track of home moisture that lets these spores colonize. Here are 10 more ways to control and combat mold in your home. 1. Elimi...
Green Window Cleaning Makes Glass Pane-fully Clear Window cleaning with non-toxic ingredients and reusable cloths protects your health, preserves resources, gains a streak-free view, and stretches your budget. Use microfiber cloths to clean your windows--they're inexpensive, lint-free, and can be washed and reused again and again. Image: Garry Wade/Taxi/Getty Images Window cleaning is easy, and you can do it without using up and throwing away a forest of paper towels or spraying on commercial windows cleaners that contain toxic compounds. Instead, try window cleaning with environmentally safe products available through a mainstream retailer. Better still, make your own non-toxic window cleaning solution and polish your panes to a sparkling shine with a reusable cloth. Mix a green window...
Low-Cost Kitchen Storage: Cheap Stress Reduction. Courtesy of Josh Gonzalez of Coldwell Banker Prime Properties and Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Inc. Low-cost kitchen storage strategies bring calm to your kitchen, banishing stress-inducing clutter and leaving the space calm and orderly. Good news for budget-minded cleaning compulsives: Getting organized in the kitchen won't drain your piggy bank. Stash more cash and control the chaos with these low-cost kitchen storage solutions, all readily available at home centers, discount stores, and online. Rack attack: Store pots, everyday dishes, spices, and wine on racks that are freestanding, wall-hung, and ceiling-hung-and voila! Everything is in its own location, visible, and easily accessible!Position the racks where they make se...
Laminate Kitchen Countertops: Perfect Fakes; Low Cost. Courtesy of Josh Gonzalez of Coldwell Banker Prime Properties and Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Inc. Replacement laminate kitchen countertops offer durability and big style at a relatively low cost, and are worthy contenders for your kitchen retrofit dollars. Once a favorite during the 1960s and 70s, laminate kitchen countertops are enjoying new popularity as an affordable, durable, moisture-proof, and surprisingly attractive replacement for your home's worn kitchen countertops. Shop around and you'll discover a nearly unlimited selection of richly colored solids, dazzling patterns, and enticing-to-touch textures. Laminates are cagey too: Check out the options that mimic rusted metal and earthy stone slabs and see if you c...
