How to Prevent Mold Growth Around Windows

Here are the best ways to prevent mildew and mold from growing around windows.

Mold grows everywhere

Mold is microscopic fungi that thrive in dusty, moist conditions. They can be found in dark places like under kitchen sinks, bathrooms, and any areas where water has leaked. Saturating into walls or floors or in wet insulated areas are all familiar places of mold. Sometimes mold also grows on windowsills. Mold growing on windowsills is also due to moisture and dust accumulation. Dust and moisture are commonly found along wooden windowsills and frames as well as windowpanes. You can also discover mold in window tracks. Any small crevices around a window offer the perfect environment for mold growth, especially if humidity and dust is in the mix.

What causes mold around windows? 

In some cases, mold on window glass may occur because of air trapped in between two window panes. The most notable cause of this is condensation. This usually happens when the warm air inside a room hits the window glass and rapidly cools from the air outside, resulting in condensation. A few factors that may cause condensation to include:

  • Wet and humid weather.
  • Inadequate heating.
  • Leaking pipes
  • Steam deposits are caused by baths and showers.
  • Wood burners and open fires.

How to Prevent mold on windowsills

It can be quite difficult to detect mold in between windowpanes since it develops in hard-to-see sections. It’s not surprising to find mold blending in with the color of your windows. This can make it almost impossible to detect it with an untrained eye. Some simple solutions to prevent mold growth include:

  • Proper ventilation in bathrooms and turning on the extractor fan. This is to ensure that all the steam produced while a shower or bath is running can escape. You can also wipe down wet surfaces to aid the process.
  • Dehumidifier-This machines come in a variety of sizes and help to get rid of excess moisture in the air.
  • Maintaining your home’s constant temperature will help control the condensation levels. This is because when warm air rapidly gets cold and then warm again, moisture is produced creating an ideal environment for mold to grow.
  • Double-glazed windows- creating an insulating layer between the cold outside and the warm inside is an efficient method to curb mold growth. Blocking heat from passing inside to outside and vice versa means that the inner pane is constantly warm, preventing the ideal conditions for mold growth.  

Mold prevention and control tips

Mold growing on the surface of a unit ventilator can be worrisome. It is possible for spores to blow throughout the property, which can be unhealthy for everyone on the premises to inhale. Be sure to give a professional mold remediation company a call if you do witness visible mold or have an unpleasant smell coming from a certain area of the home or business. 

  • When water leaks or spills occur indoors - act quickly. If wet or damp materials or areas are dried 24-48 hours after a leak or spill happens, in most cases mold will not grow.
  • Clean and repair roof gutters regularly.
  • Make sure the ground slopes away from the building foundation, so that water does not enter or collect around the foundation.
  • Keep air conditioning drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly.

Condensation on the inside of a windowpane

  • Keep indoor humidity low. If possible, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent (ideally between 30 and 50 percent) relative humidity. Relative humidity can be measured with a moisture or humidity meter, a small, inexpensive ($10-$50) instrument available at many hardware stores.
  • If you see condensation or moisture collecting on windows, walls or pipes act quickly to dry the wet surface and reduce the moisture/water source. Condensation can be a sign of high humidity. 
Actions that will help to reduce humidity
  • Vent appliances that produce moisture, such as clothes dryers, stoves, and kerosene heaters to the outside where possible. (Combustion appliances such as stoves and kerosene heaters produce water vapor and will increase the humidity unless vented to the outside.)
  • Use air conditioners and/or de-humidifiers when needed.
  • Run the bathroom fan or open the window when showering. Use exhaust fans or open windows whenever cooking, running the dishwasher or dishwashing, etc.

Actions that will help prevent condensation:

  • Reduce the humidity (see preceding page)
  • Increase ventilation or air movement by opening doors and/or windows, when practical. Use fans as needed.
  • Cover cold surfaces, such as cold water pipes, with insulation.
  • Increase air temperature.

Mold growing on the surface of a unit ventilator can be worrisome. It is possible for spores to blow throughout the property, which can be unhealthy for everyone on the premises to inhale. Be sure to give a professional mold remediation company a call if you do witness visible mold or have an unpleasant smell coming from a certain area of the home or business.

Call Palmdale’s #1 mold remediation company

It is recommended to seek expert advice from mold removal professionals with proper protective equipment, certification, and knowledge. This guarantees that during the cleaning process, the chances of spores circulating throughout your home are extremely low.  

If you have questions regarding mold removal in the high desert area, or you would like to inquire about removing mold from your home professionally, feel free to contact us at 661-390-8255. The mold technicians from Live Green Restoration ensure your damaged house or property receives the best possible mold treatment. Give us a call today to reduce the cost later.  

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fire Damage and What to do About It

Image
  A fire can happen anytime which is why it is important to have a plan ready in case an emergency strikes.  Fires Are Unpredictable No one ever expects their home to catch on fire. But unfortunately, accidents happen, and homes are often the victims of fire damage – even when families are away on vacation. Even if you take all the necessary precautions, accidents can still happen. If your home sustains fire damage, it’s important to take action immediately to minimize the damage and prevent further problems. If your home has suffered fire damage , it's essential to act quickly. Prolonging the process is a guarantee that more damage will be done. That isn't just by the fire, but also by the smoke and soot. And of course, you'll want to get your home back to normal as soon as possible so that you can start enjoying your off from work and school. After all, you deserve to get your life back to normal and have your home like it was before. By following these steps, you can st...
Read more

Why Using PPE in Biohazard Damage Restoration Is Important

Image
  We use chemical-resistant personal protective equipment, or PPE, to do the job the right way. We Protect You and Our Crew With PPE When it comes to the health and safety of the Live Green Restoration crew and our customers, we are dedicated to always maintaining a safe work environment. That is why each mold remediation job (and some extreme fire jobs) we service, you will find everyone in a PPE suit. Before we begin any restoration work, a risk assessment should be done to determine any potential health hazards that may be encountered. It takes more than just leather work gloves and coveralls to protect our crew when dealing with water restoration cleanups and mold remediation jobs. Personal protective equipment is not an option – it is a requirement. These advanced suits are specifically made to protect us from any harmful exposure to things like smoke, ash and mold spores. Read on to see why it is important to use PPE suits when restoring your property. What Are PPE Suits? PP...
Read more