Garage Mold Prevention

12/31/2019 (Permalink)

Have you ever noticed any discoloration in your garage? Since mold thrives in moist, humid climates your garage is the perfect target for spores. This New Year, take the time to prevent this from happening

• Look for leaks – Inspect all areas in the garage including moving all items/boxes against the wall, checking out the boxes, the roof, floor, gutters, and any exposed pipes. If there are any problem areas, fix them as soon as possible, and make sure they are not leaking until you can fix them.
• Use waterproof storage – Water is attracted to any porous materials, which includes any cardboard, paper, or drywall. Switching to either plastic or metal storage containers will help keep water from sticking around in your garage if it does happen to get in. It also helps keep items inside the boxes clean and mold free, while cardboard will allow the mold to grow inside and reach the items.
• Seal garage door – Check to see if your current weather stripping around the garage door is is old and torn. If it looks like it is in rough condition, replace it ASAP. Having your stripping in good condition will help keep the weather out.
• Decrease humidity – Since garages naturally have a high humidity reading, it is important to control minimize it as much as you can. One way you can do this is to leave the garage door open a few sunny hours a day. This will help dry air circulate inside and kill spores. You can also use a dehumidifier as needed.
• Remove standing water – Hopefully, you find none of this in your garage, but if you do, remove it as quickly as possible. This will eliminate the molds source of growth. You can also put a fan pointed on the area to help it dry faster.
• Extend gutter downspouts –Look outside, and make sure that your downspouts extend at least 10 feet away from the home. This will help redirect the water away from the garage foundation and help keep water from seeping in at the base. You can pick up downspouts at any home improvement stores.

If you are still experiencing more mold growth than you realized, reach out to the professionals, and we can come and look at what you have going on. We are now even doing mold testing, where we can tell you exactly what is going on within your home!

SERVPRO of Daviess County, Kentucky. 270-683-1888.