Ah, June. School’s out, the days are long, and the weather’s getting toasty. We get it—your vacation is beckoning. (So’s ours.) But before you slather yourself with SPF 75 and reach for a margarita, do yourself a favor and tackle a few maintenance projects. A little pain now means a big gain later—you’ll ensure your home runs smoothly through the dog days of summer.
It may not seem like it, but this month is the perfect time to think about, and tackle, mold in your home. June kicks off a stretch of the hottest months of the year, especially in Southern states where heavy rain is also the norm. And experts say that heat and moisture actually provide the perfect climate for mold to flourish.
But before you start thinking that tackling mold is going to break the bank, there’s an easy trick you can use to keep mold at bay: Lower your thermostat.
“Some homeowners try to save money by setting the thermostat at an unsafe high temperature, especially in high humidity areas,” says Phil Kuczak, air-conditioning service and installation manager at Best Home Services in Naples, Florida. “The cost savings on the power bill could quickly be far outdone if you end up with a mold problem.”
Also avoid leaving your AC fan in the “on” position (instead of “auto”). This can cause rapid mold growth, especially in high-humidity regions. Here’s why: If your fan is running continuously, then any moisture that’s condensed on your AC’s evaporator coil during cooling doesn’t have a chance to drain off—and it can be blown back into your home.
Kuczak also cautions against trying to limit or increase airflow to certain rooms by shutting supply grills. That can cause condensation buildup, leading to mold growth around those grills and in the adjacent ceiling or wall.
That was the good news. Unfortunately, if you discover that you have a big mold problem, expect to pay a small fortune for a pro to remove it. Home Advisor says that homeowners spend up to $3,200 on average for mold remediation. So why not try and stop mold before it starts? It’s as easy as lowering that thermostat.
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