Mold can exist in a home due to varying factors. Some of these include excessive humidity, ruined and faulty appliances, seepage, spillage and other possible leaks from the roof. If left unattended, the mold can flourish and ultimately cause a very huge nightmare. One common solution that homeowners can try out when dealing with mold is to use a dehumidifier. It sucks excess moisture, reducing chances of mold existence. This article gives insights on whether a dehumidifier can help with mold.
What is a Dehumidifier?
A dehumidifier is a device that sucks moisture from the air thus reducing the accumulated dampness in a given room. Preferably, the relative humidity in our homes should range from around 30% to 60%. If it exceeds this, then the time you should consider an alternative means such as a dehumidifier to reduce the humidity in your room.
Does a Dehumidifier Help with Mold?
It is quite overwhelming for you to start the process of removing all the spread and rampant mold spores in your home. It is also vital to note that mold still thrives in places and in the air even when there is no ample moisture. When the level of humidity in your home grows bigger, the mold starts to grow on surfaces such as walls, furniture or even on other things such as cloth wear. This is where a dehumidifier helps by reducing the amount of humidity in the air and it results to the prevention of mold.
This therefore implies that a dehumidifier cannot kill mold but it can help to prevent mold by reducing the levels of humidity in the air. The lack of moisture therefore deprives the mold of any humidity on which it can thrive.
Advantages of Using a Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier helps to control the amount of humidity in your home hence avoiding and preventing the mold and any other allergens that might increase in case the indoor moisture is high. The dehumidifier also reduces any other mold accompanying pollutants and bad odors. This avoids health hazards thus keeping your home relatively safe. It also spares your furniture and hardwood from mold by reducing moisture.
How to Select a Dehumidifier and Where to Install It
The choice of a dehumidifier depends on the levels of humidity in your home. There exist small dehumidifiers and larger ones that can safely cover the whole home with ease. The choice thus depends on your budget and the extent of prevalence of mold. You should opt for a bigger dehumidifier in case you want to dehumidify a sizeable area and a smaller one if the moisture is not in all areas of your home. Mold often thrives in wet and humid areas. It is therefore wise for you to install your dehumidifier in areas such as the bathrooms, the kitchen or even in the basement in case you have one.
The Purpose of a Hygrometer
It is recommended for you to purchase a hygrometer in your local store so that you can measure and monitor the levels of humidity in your home. This helps you to know when you can use the dehumidifier to reduce the amounts of moisture in the air before the mold spreads and spirals out of control.
It is also worth noting that besides using a dehumidifier, it is vital to trace the leaks and other given sources where moisture spawns from thus ensuring that the spread of mold is curtailed directly at the source.
Is a Dehumidifier Enough for Dealing With Mold?
A dehumidifier is supposed to be used as an adjunct to other mold prevention solutions. It is therefore prudent for you to seek the services of an experienced professional company to deal with mold problems. After that, a dehumidifier can be installed to curb any increase in moisture or humidity thus preventing the recurrence of such instances any further.
This article has properly illustrated that a dehumidifier cannot kill mold. However, it can be effectively used to play a central role in mold prevention by reducing the levels of humidity. If the source of the humidity is traced to a water leakage, you should seek the services of a plumber or you can DIY in case it is not overly technical. It is good to note that only experienced professionals who offer mold remediation services should exterminate mold physically. This is the best way to deal with mold, as doing it yourself is not only dangerous but you can end up doing a poor job.
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