Mold Prevention

Mold growth can be prevented. Mold growing in a home or building requires moisture, warmth and food. Depriving mold of any of these tree items will stop it from growing, but it will not kill the mold that is already there. Mold spores will remain dormant and, if the moisture, warmth and food all reappear, mold will begin to grow again. Some precuationary steps that can be taken to prevent mold growth are:

Clean regularly to remove possible sources of mold growth paying special attention to bathrooms and other areas in the home that are likely to generate an abundance of moisture.
Repair water leaks in your roof, windows, plumbing or any other part of the home or building as soon as possible.
Make sure gutters and downspouts are clear of debris that may block the flow of water from the roof.
Make sure areas around the foundation are graded so that rainwater does not flow toward the foundation.
In the kitchen and bathroom, open windows or use exhaust fans when enganging in activities that produce moisture. Exhaust fans should be vented to the outdoors and not to the attic or crawl space.
If you have water problems in your basement or crawl space, clean up affected areas as quickly as possible and take immediate steps to resolve the source of the problem.

The most important steps in controlling mold growth are to clean any existing mold to eliminate excessive moisture.