You Love Your Home - So Act Like it

11 Mar

If you have a home on the Gulf Coast, you probably love it for many reasons - the ocean breeze, the warm rain and its rhythmic pattering, the long summer and early spring. Without the tropical weather, your neighborhood wouldn’t be studded with scenic palm trees and live oaks, or blossoming magnolias.

Yet, all this beauty comes with a downside. Over time, intense humidity takes a toll on your home. The wet ground causes foundations to swell and shift. The clear blue sky lets the sun bake our windows and crack the caulk and sealing around them. The warm air finesses our French doors and windows sills, making the wood bloat and leaving space for the outside to creep in.

Your AC is Aching

To compensate, your air conditioner is working over time. Keeping the air inside cool is nearly impossible with all the warm air flowing in through structural flaws. To make matters worse, when warm, humid air circulates through your AC and air ducts, that moisture gets absorbed by debris in the system.

Things like dander, dust, and dirt collect in your home air systems over time. It’s easy to write that off as ‘normal’ or ‘unavoidable,’ and let the problem grow until the system needs fixing or replacing. The reality is that your home air quality should be attended to diligently, not only for the integrity longevity of your air systems, but for your own health. Your air conditioning is like the lungs of your home - if pollution is constantly allowed in without any measures taken to clean up, the situation can quickly become dangerous.

When pollutants that gather in air ducts are exposed regularly to a warm, moist environment, they become a breeding ground for mold. Because this system is responsible for circulating the air around your home, it carries mold spores to every corner and crevice, making every surface a potential petrie dish.

Don’t Let Mold Infect Your Life

Mold spreads through your home like an infection. This can have disastrous health consequences for anyone with a weakened immune system, such as someone with an autoimmune disorder or anyone who has recently undergone surgery or cancer treatment. Mold can exacerbate issues like asthma or thyroid disorder, and can cause such far-reaching health problems as to be fatal in the cases of already vulnerable residents. At best, it can cause brain fog and breathing trouble for perfectly healthy people.

Since the symptoms of mold exposure can resemble many sicknesses, it is difficult for a doctor to accurately diagnose the health problems caused by this. It is so important to be proactive about preventing mold growth, so that your health never has to suffer. On the Gulf Coast, mold growth affects fifty percent of beach homes, meaning it can absolutely affect you too.

Detecting and Treating

You may see signs of mold circulation around your windows. If little splotches of black mold appear beneath your window, there is likely a larger colony in the wall cavity underneath. If you notice that your doors aren’t fitting properly into their frame, if you see sunlight coming through a crack around the window frame, or if you notice condensation on your windows, you can identify an air circulation hazard before it becomes a costly problem.

There are tricks to remove visible mold, such as spraying it with white vinegar, but the best way to combat mold growth is by attending to your home air quality regularly. Clean your air conditioning and air ducts regularly, and be vigilant about having your windows and doors properly sealed. The humidity inside your home should be less than fifty percent at all times and any other sources of moisture such as leaks should be addressed with urgency.

A home is a huge investment. But, more importantly, it’s a space for safety and comfort, whether that is for you, your family, or for guests. Keep your home smart and healthy - don’t let toxins move in.