Every month of the year has some kind of awareness topic that is featured, and most are pretty valid topics.  For September there is one I wanted to highlight because I've spent some time working in hazard remediation of the potential big problem, mold.

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Among other things, September is National Mold Awareness Month.  Mold can cause a lot of health issues such as a runny nose, skin rashes, a sore throat, coughs, and other bothersome symptoms.  Many of these are worse or bother a lot of people more if you already suffer from allergies.

Mold poisoning can also occur if you're exposed too heavily, a condition known as mycotoxicosis.  Symptoms from that can cause headaches, mood changes, body aches, and even memory loss.  Much of that will be in the more severe cases, but it's still something to be aware of, so here's some things to look out for in preventing home mold issues.

Water leaks can lead to mold problems

You'll probably notice leaks in your more lived in areas of your home.  It's the potentially less used areas like basements where less visible piping might have a very small leak.  Take the time to do a good once over of everything you can easily access in your house, especially checking behind any access panels you have where plumbing is hiding.  If you do notice a leak, get it fixed asap and do your best to clean up any impacted wood or sheet rock.  Oftentimes if it's mostly surface mold you discover, you can use one of many products available from stores like Menards to help clean it up.

Keep carpet out of potentially damp areas

Think of places like bathrooms, basements, or kitchens.  These are all areas that moisture can be an issue which can eventually lead to mold build-up, even to a small degree.

Less humidity usually means less mold

If you don't run a humidifier in your basement or potentially damp areas of your home, consider getting one. It's only a small chore to empty them out, and keeping humidity down means less chance of an active breeding ground for mold.

Check your bathroom vents and fans

These can be often unchecked items and can get clogged with dust making them less efficient.  Less venting from a fan in a bathroom means more of a chance for that dampness prone area to end up with mold issues.

Consider getting a home mold test kit

Mold test kits to use at home aren't that expensive and can at least give you some insight on a potential problem.  You can of course call a professional company if your concerns are extreme and if people in your household are experiencing health issues, but the kits are easy enough to use on your own.

That's a few of my thoughts on Mold Awareness Month, and Mold Only has some more information on keeping your home free from some potential bad health problems.

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