Whether you’re a home buyer, homeowner, or home seller, mold poses a  wide range of problems, from cosmetic issues to serious health hazards.  According to the Alliance for Healthy Homes, more than 1,000 types of  molds have been found in U.S. homes, and approximately 6-10 percent of  the general population, and 15-50 percent of people who are genetically  prone to develop allergies, are allergic to mold.
     Surprisingly, some of today’s advanced building techniques unwittingly  foster mold growth in the home. As buildings are increasingly designed  to prevent the infiltration and exfiltration of air, the materials used  lock in moisture and humidity. Older homes are at risk thanks to leaky  windows and roofs that bring in even more moisture.   
  Finding and removing mold is of the utmost importance, whether you  intend to sell your home in the near future or not. Here, from home  inspection experts, Pillar To Post (
www.pllartopost.com), are 10 tips for combating mold in your home:   
  1. Call in a home inspection professional to assess water-damaged areas. 
  2. Keep humidity low. Humidity levels should be under 40% in order for mold to stop its forward march. 
  3. 
Replace any carpets and furniture that have ever been significantly  damaged (i.e., saturated in water), even if they look OK on the outside. 
  4. Carpet in a bathroom or basement is never a good idea. Remove any that exists in those areas in your home. 
  5. Use an 
air conditioner during the summer months, even if it’s set at a  relatively high temperature, like 80. Use fans to circulate air. 
  6. Dust and clean furniture regularly, and vacuum carpets at least once a week (make sure your vacuum has a HEPA filter). 
  7. Provide adequate ventilation in hot areas. The kitchen and bath are  two of the highest-risk rooms for mold. Install exhaust fans in the  kitchen and bathroom. 
  8. When you’re shopping for house paint for big or small painting  projects, ask the sales rep about mold inhibitors you can add before  painting. 
  9. Does your central air system have a fan from the Ford Pinto era? If  so, replace it with a high-performance electrostatic 
air filter. Your  local HVAC technician can help with this. 
  10. Don’t neglect areas underneath the house—have a professional drain  and ventilate all sub-basement areas, especially crawl spaces. 
  If you do find mold in your home, remove it with a store-bought  anti-fungal solution, or get rid of it with a weak bleach solution—1 cup  bleach in 1 gallon of water. Or, if mold exists in a larger area, call  in a professional to help.  
As a Member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I, along with my  team, have a wealth of real estate and homeownership information that  may be of help to you.  Feel free to contact our team  any time to learn more about this important information, and be sure to  forward this article on to any friends or family that may be interested  as well. 
    Sincerely,
Darryl Baskin, McGraw Realtors, 918-258-2600
For professional Tulsa, OK. mold removal, contact Roger Fisher, PCC Cleaning and Restoration, 918-641-1111 or www.pcccr.com. 
For high performance air filters delivered to your door, visit www.filters4me.com.
For Tulsa Air Conditioning Repair and Replacement, contact Stephen Taylor, Air Assurance, 918-258-COOL or www.airassurance.com.  
For wholesale flooring in Tulsa, OK. contact Jim Ecrette, Prosource Wholesale Flooring, 918-252-7711 or www.prosourcefloors.com/tulsa.    Remember to ask for Darryl Baskin's wholesale pricing.
For all your Tulsa real estate needs, contact Darryl Baskin, McGraw Realtors, 918-258-2600 or www.darrylbaskin.com