Overview: It’s another winter in Calgary. The weather outside might be frightful, but inside the home it’s pretty delightful, with Christmas trees, warm cozy fireplaces and steamy windows. Wait… steamy windows? As mystic as that may sound, steamy windows most likely mean that mold is ready to move in with you and your family. Read the article below to find out how to deal with this most unwanted guest.
The Window Seat
Mold loves having a great view and if your windows are steamed up there is a good chance that mold is ready to make its move. Windows in homes during the winter steam up when the air inside meets the cold window glass. You’ll often see droplets of condensation forming on the bottom of window frames. Add in a food source (usually wood from the frames) and you have the ideal conditions for mold to flourish. Mold is an interesting paradox - it needs the wood to grow on but at the same time it weakens and destroys it. A little mold on the windowsill may not seem like a big problem, but you wouldn’t eat bread that had the slightest mold growth so why ignore it on the window frame? The smallest amount of mold can grow and expand at an alarming rate. Big or small, mold still releases spores into the air and the tiny particles are harmful when breathed in.
Ventilate
A properly ventilated home will have views from their windows free of condensation and homes that are steamed up are an indicator of poor ventilation. Living in the great North means that Canadians have to be savvy enough to ventilate their homes! It comes down to simple mathematics: move out X volume of stale air and it will be replaced with X volume of fresh air. How to accomplish this? It’s simple, open a few windows and run exhaust fans periodically (kitchens and bathrooms are great) and the air quality in your home will improve greatly, and the moisture on the window frames will be reduced.
Dormant Mold
If your home has had steamy windows, there is a great chance that there is mold growth around the windowsills. Before you go running to get the bleach, professionals at 24/7 Restoration recommend you kill the mold at its source and take preventative measures to make sure it doesn’t keep reappearing. Since your window frames are most likely made out of wood (a food source for mold) and you like your home to be nice and warm (mold’s favourite climate), the one factor you can control is moisture. First treat the infected area with a fungicide (preferably non-bleach) and then clean the mold site with a sponge by soaking up all the surrounding moisture. Remember that dormant mold can lay low and when opportunity strikes (like a steamy window) it can rapidly grow back. Make sure to clean and dry the windowsills and remove all of the mold. Once the mold is removed it’s important to keep your home well ventilated to prevent moisture from accumulating along the windows.
Bottom Line: It’s winter in Calgary and those steamy windows may have a romantic feel about them, but it’s probably a better idea to ventilate your home and keep the moisture from allowing mold to crash the party. Mold is extremely resilient - it fights to survive and thrive. If all the windows in your home begin to have mold growth or if the mold growth anywhere in your home exceeds 1 square meter, it’s no longer an amateur fight. The mold has gone pro and you will need a professional to properly remove it. The team of mold remover contractors at 24/7 Restoration are undefeated against mold and their specialty is dealing with resilient mold growth and mold removal. Don’t let the mold take your windows and home down!
For more information on Mold Removal in Calgary or if you believe Mold is on the verge of taking over your home, contact 24/7 Restoration today at (403) 247-4365.
