How H20 Can Hurt Your Home
Water is the lifeblood of the planet and crucial to everything that makes us human – and more. But it can be a big troublemaker, too, as we’re not the only thing that thrive on it. The liquid can have profound effects on a range of qualities in your home that ultimately impact on healthy and well being.
Fortunately, it is not all doom and gloom. There is plenty you can do to make sure the balance of water in your house is in check, and in the process ensure that your home responds well to indoor air quality testing. Keeping water in check will make sure that your house is structurally stable, to boot.
Reducing Standing Water Levels
One of the biggest causes of problems like damp, mold and contagious waterborne diseases is having large bodies of standing water. Huge water heater tanks, septic tanks below the home and water butts in the garden create natural water stills. Whilst the enclosures for these items are often sufficient, the EPA recommend that all moisture is minimized to reduce mold. This includes standing water. Another cost effective way to reduce mold in your home is to treat your furnace filters with a Mold Magnet. This simple spray on product will help your standard furnace filter capture 1000 times more mold.
There are a few ways to keep the ‘regular’ water levels down. One way is to have a tankless water heating system that exclusively employs groundwater, rather than leaving large amounts of hot or chilled water around.
Increase Ventilation
Ventilation is absolutely key. It is impossible to entirely eliminate moisture or mold from the atmosphere of your home, so you need to be able to remove the spores and mold from your house or keep them away from active areas. Install fans in ‘wet’ rooms, like the kitchen and bathroom. For other areas, ensure you’re keeping moisture to a minimum and open windows if it isn’t too cold or wet outside – you don’t want to invite more water in.
Increasing ventilation is also a case of ensuring warm, dry air remains in your home. Frequently, insulation is ineffective due to heat loss. Consider every space in your house and make sure it’s properly sealed. For those who don’t have the money to a minimum and open windows if it isn’t too cold or wet outside – you don’t want to invite more water in.
Increasing ventilation is also a case of ensuring warm, dry air remains in your home. Frequently, insulation is ineffective due to heat loss. Consider every space in your house and make sure it’s properly sealed. For those who don’t have the money the money to spend on a professional job, the supplies to complete the work can be found cheaply and there are a plethora of free instruction manuals on the web.
Effects On Household Pollution
You might be wondering what’s so important about getting the house well ventilated and kicking mold out. Well, aside from the inherent health problems – particularly respiratory – that mold brings, there are studies that have established that excess humidity brings other problems. First, bacteria and mold distribute volatiles into the atmosphere of your home, which bring unpleasant smells and can have an adverse affect on your digestive system if ingested.
The building materials in your home can also be degraded by excess water and mold, affecting the structural integrity of your house and causing widespread damage. This can be combated by using green building materials and keeping your house ventilated.
Water is all important but brings that mortal enemy, mold, which is no laughing matter and has long been a thorn in the side of proud homeowners. It can bring health problems, affect the quality of your air and put a literal dampener on you. However, it’s straightforward to rectify – all you need are these tips and a bit of vigilance.