Solve it, Don't Hide it!

It is that wonderful and busy time of year again! Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and before you know it, New Year's Eve will be here. You may be planning on hosting a few parties at your home too, am I right? All guests want to feel comfortable at your place, which includes the temperature and ambiance of the home. Instead of painting over the mold in your bathroom before guests arrive or cranking up the heat for everyone to be cozy, how about getting to the root of your problem? By permanently repairing the issue, it will save you time and money in the future. 

How Much Money Are We Talking About?

If you wandered down into your basement right now, would you spot signs of water leakage, mold, and/or damp air? If the answer is yes, then you are losing about 10 percent in property value. 10 percent is a lot of money! Because buyers view your home with a wet basement as a fixer-upper, they will pay you 10 percent less than otherwise and that is if they decide to buy it at all. The moral of the story is that fixing your wet basement is much cheaper than not fixing it. Even if you decide to not finish your home, as long as it is dry and mold-free, you are saving money. Cha-ching!

How Can a Damp Space Affect My Home? 

If your basement is damp, it is affecting the rest of your home. How is this possible? The stack effect. The stack effect is when airflow starts from the bottom to the top of your home. This happens with every home. Air from the basement is drawn upward into the first floor, and then to the second floor. About 50 percent of the air you breathe on the first floor of your home is air coming from the basement/crawlspace. If there is mold in your basement/crawl space, then there are lovely mold spores wandering around your room. Although mold becomes dormant in the winter, the threat is not completely gone. Some areas experience mild winters, which is why mold growth is noticeable all year long. Mold thrives on organic surfaces with temperatures between 32 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity between 70 and 90 percent. Mold not only affects homeowners' health but the structure of the home. In recent years, many homes are being built with fast-growing farmed trees as opposed to old-growth trees. If you were to cut an old log, you would notice the darker inner core of the log to be about 3/4 of the wood, which can be called "heartwood". The lighter rings are sapwood. Sapwood has the sugary cellulose that mold loves to grow on- more so than heartwood. Today's fast-growing farmed trees may only be 30 years old when harvested and are mostly sapwood. If you are having damp air in your recently built home, one of the ramifications could be mold. 

Another reason how a damp space can affect your home is that it puts a hidden load on the HVAC system. Damp air costs more energy to heat and cool.  Once the humidity reaches 30 percent in the space, the latent load is compromised. With heating bills along with other prices increasing in the region, it is important to find ways where you can save money long-term. Why not start with the place you spend the most time living and hosting parties in (your home)?

Crawl space or basement, both are costing more to heat and cool if left untreated.

Painting over mold and cranking the heat up may seem like a harmless, quick fix, but your energy bills will say otherwise. With the holidays coming up, having a home that is dry and cozy enough for you and your guests is the best gift. Put the paintbrush down and call Healthy Spaces for a permanent solution to your home repair needs at 1-812-602-4025.