Is Mold in Your Home?

Your walls may be alive — and not in a good way. Mold spores growing in your home can cause allergic reactions in you, your pets, and your kids. Fortunately, it's easier to prevent and address than most homeowners think.

Mold continues to be an important topic for builders, homeowners, and regulators alike, and there's still a lot of confusion about what actually causes it and what works to prevent it.

The good news is that the best way to avoid mold in your home is to control moisture. In the summer, when humidity is highest, that often means running air conditioning or a dehumidifier.

How to Keep Mold Out of Your Home

• Keep kitchen and bathroom windows open, or run exhaust fans, to move moisture outside
• Make sure your clothes dryer vents to the outdoors, not into the attic or crawl space
• Dehumidify your crawl space or basement — the floor and walls can be a source of moisture buildup
• Make sure your attic is properly ventilated
• Reduce condensation risk by adding a crawl space dehumidifier
• Act quickly if your basement or crawl space floods, both to clean up and to prevent it from happening again
• Choose mold-resistant materials where you can, but remember they only help when the rest of the home is properly built, sealed, and maintained