Real Estate Inspections

How to Control Moisture in Your Home

The levels of moisture in your home are critical to your home’s overall health. Too little and the dryness can cause wooden items to crack and cause problems to homeowners’ respiratory systems. Too much and the moisture can cause numerous health hazards for homeowners and their pets, create mold, attract cockroaches and dust mites and peel lead paint.

As a little moisture is beneficial to not only the homeowner’s health and their overall comfort level but also to the structure and health of the home, it is recommended to have an average humidity level of between 35% and 45%. This percentage level will help to create a comfortable living space and will help to protect the items that are within the home: musical instruments, drywall, wooden furniture, etc.

If unsure as to your home moisture level, the following list of possible signs of excess moisture will be beneficial:

• Rusting metal
• Rotting wood
• Mold growth
• Condensation on piping and / or windows
• Peeling paint, wallpaper, or blistering materials
• Deterioration of other structural elements/items
• Visible water leaks and / or stains
• Musty odours
• Discoloration of various surfaces
• Standing water

These occurrences may be visible to the naked eye but may also be hidden from sight. In addition, each occurrence may be within the home, out of doors, or both. A home inspection can help to determine if your home is experiencing excessive levels of moisture.

For those already experiencing high levels removal of moisture from the air depends on many factors such as the severity of the problem, the season, and where the dampness is located. The following are tips to help prevent and eliminate excessive moisture from your home:

• Regularly clean and maintain the home’s gutters, making sure to drain moisture away from the home’s foundation
• Install and run fans in bathrooms and kitchens or open the room’s windows for adequate ventilation
• Vent all fans to the outside of the home
• Do not arrange or store items so that they are touching the interior side of an exterior wall
• Dry all clothes in a dryer that vents directly to the outdoors or use an outdoor clothes line
• Repair all plumbing leaks, roof leaks and cracks in the foundation
• Insure all soil and landscaping near structure’s foundation are graded away from the structure
• Install floor drains or sump pumps in basements as necessary
• Keep temperatures inside the home comfortable  and not excessively hot in Winter or cool in the summer

 

UNDERSTANDING THE EXISTANCE OF MOLD

Simply put, mold is a type of fungi. It is the growth of multicellular filaments called hyphae and is considered a single organism. This single organism is made up of a connected network of branch-like hyphae and is referred to as a colony or in technical terms, a mycelium.

Like all fungi, mold draws energy from the organic matter in which they live. By decaying complex biopolymers into substances that they can absorb, mold plays an important role in the decomposition of organic material.

Basically, mold recycles.

We see this in the occurrence of spoiled food, composting, etc.

While mold is a form of recycle, it is also a form of healer. As some species cause disease or rot, others play an important role in the production of various foods, beverages, antibiotics, and enzymes.

In our daily lives mold is present everywhere in nature. It only becomes visible once mold colonies begin to grow. In artificial environments such as our homes, the humidity and temperatures are often perfect enough to begin its growth. These colonies take on the appearance of downy or furry coats growing mainly on food and other surfaces but can also be found airborne. Mold spores can remain airborne indefinitely as well as cling to clothing or fur and may be able to survive extreme temperatures and pressure.

Although mold spores are a common component of household and workplace dust, large quantities begin to cause health hazards to people, such as allergic reactions and respiratory problems.

In addition, there are some species that produce greater harm by their production of mycotoxins. Some studies have claimed that high levels of mycotoxins can lead to neurological problems and in some cases, death.

Molds found within the home are usually located within damp, dark, or steam filled areas such as bathrooms and basements. Regular symptoms to these household molds include watery, itchy eyes, chronic cough, headaches, migraines, difficulty breathing, rashes, tiredness, sinus problems, and frequent sneezing.

If mold is a problem within your home, it is important to clean it up and remove all excess water and moisture.  Removing the moisture issue could be as simple as fixing leaky plumbing or sealing concrete floors, but repair of the problem depends on its degree and the issue at hand.

When cleaning mold of off hard surfaces, it is best to use detergent and water making sure all surfaces are completely dry when finished. For materials that are more porous, such as ceiling tiles, drywall or carpet, removal of mold may not be possible. These items may then need to be replaced by a trained professional.

If you believe that you have a mold issue in your home and wish to find out the extent of it, contact Golden State Home Inspections. The inspection process will help to determine how large of an issue mold is within your home.

If you have concerns about health issues related to mold, visit your family physician. They will be able to assess your health concerns and answers any questions that you may have regarding this matter.

SHOWCASE: Ikea’s Futuristic Kitchen

Entertainment throughout time has always contained stories and ideas based on one’s imagination for what the future holds; the most well know version of this being the movie series Back to the Future. However, Ikea, the international home products retailer, along with Future Laboratory, an internationally recognized trend-analysis business, has taken this idea, expanded and created the kitchen of the future.

Earlier this year, Ikea commissioned Future Laboratory to produce and distribute (within the UK and Ireland) a survey to find out what consumers believed kitchens would look like in the year 2040. More than 2,000 individuals shared their ideas and helped to create the company’s unique kitchen designs of the future.  The three new designs contained elements generally seen in the movies or read about in books: 3D food printers, self-cleaning counters, multi-touch taps. Much of these designs carry elements of getting “back to nature”, growing your own, being green. In addition, they also contain functions for greater comfort, such as aromatherapy-infused walls and mood adjustable lighting.

Whether or not these are kitchens that you would like in your home, the ideas they bring are fun to think about.