5 tips to prevent mold and mildew in your summer rental
Opening up your summer rental or cabin at the beginning of the season is usually an exciting ritual that comes with the promise of upcoming fun or income, but it's not so enjoyable if you find that unnoticed mold has been growing in your property for months. Whether you rent a summer home yourself or rent out your property to guests, taking steps to keep mold out of your property during both the summer and the offseason is a must. Here are five helpful tips for preventing mold in your summer rental!
Why Are Summer Rentals and Cabins More Prone to Mold?
Although any home or business can have problems with mold under the right conditions, summer rentals and cabins tend to be more prone to mold issues than the average building. Because summer rentals and vacation homes tend to be closed up during the majority of the year, it is often easier for high levels of humidity to build up and other moisture-related issues to arise without being detected until the damage has already been done. Whether you own a summer rental that you rent to other vacationers, are renting someone else's Airbnb, or are heading to your own cabin for the summer, it is a good idea to air out your space to minimize allergies and check for mold or other damage at the beginning of the season.
Dangers of Mold
Although the individual spores that cause mold are usually not dangerous, mold buildup can be harmful to your health, property, and possessions. This can be especially true in summer rentals because minor mold is often not caught before it spreads and becomes more difficult to deal with.
Mold can cause a variety of eye, nose, and throat problems, especially for people who are allergic to it or have asthma. In addition, it can lead to costly repairs if parts of your summer rental are irreparably damaged and need to be replaced.
Preventing Mold and Mildew in Your Summer Rental
Taking steps to prevent mold and mildew from occurring in the first place is far more efficient than cleaning it up or hiring a professional to do so. Here are five tips for keeping moisture and mold out of your summer rental!
Keep Your Summer Rental's Humidity Levels Low
Humidity is a common source of mold, especially in summer rentals, and taking steps to proactively manage humidity can go a long way toward minimizing mold. Installing a dehumidifier, running fans while cooking and showering, and adding attic ventilation can all help pull moisture out of your air and off surfaces, which significantly cuts down on damp areas where mold spores can land and reproduce. Consistently monitoring your summer rental's humidity levels can help you identify areas that may be especially prone to mold before they become problematic, and taking steps to keep them between approximately 30-50 percent can make your home less conducive to mold growth.
Choose Mold Resistant Materials
Certain materials, such as wood, wallpaper, and upholstery, tend to be more conducive to others. If you are in the process of building or remodeling your summer rental, choosing alternative materials can make your rental less likely to grow mold in the first place or help keep it from coming back. Water-resistant wallboard, primer, and similar materials help prevent moisture from settling on your surfaces, which makes them less able to grow mold.
Use Moisture Management Insulation or House Wrap
Similarly, moisture-resistant insulation or house wrap helps prevent mold from growing on the outside of your home. Standard insulation tends to trap moisture, which leads to mold growth inside your walls, and replacing it with specialized insulation that does not do this is a helpful tip to keep in mind when building a new summer rental. House wrap, which is applied underneath the siding of your summer home, can also help keep rain water and other moisture out of your walls. This strategy can be particularly helpful if your summer rental or cabin is located in an area that is prone to heavy rain or snow, especially during parts of the year when you are not around to monitor conditions.
Keep Exterior Water Away from Your Summer Rental
Understanding the water situation outside your summer rental or cabin is a must when it comes to effectively managing potential mold sources that are not related to humidity, especially when you are not around to actively keep an eye on things. Consider the amount of rain and snow the area in which your summer rental is located typically gets, any nearby rivers or lakes that may be prone to flooding, and whether your summer rental is in a low-lying area. Adding a French drain can help direct groundwater and other exterior water sources away from your summer rental and make it more difficult for water to reach and enter the building.
Clean and Repair Your Summer Rental's Gutters
Keeping your summer rental's gutters clean, unclogged, and in good repair helps you make sure they are doing an efficient job of getting water off your roof and away from your building. Gutters that are leaking or filled with leaves often allow too much rain water or melting snow to pool on your roof, which may leak into your walls or attic and lead to mold growth.
What Do I Do if My Rental Property Has Mold?
Although you may be able to deal with minor mold yourself, it is often best to have more significant mold problems professionally removed and cleaned. This tends to be the case in most mold situations that are discovered upon opening up a summer rental for the season, as mold that has been left alone for several months has often had plenty of time to exceed the recommended ten square foot maximum for DIY repairs.
Choosing AdvantaClean's mold removal services is an efficient option for getting mold out of your rental property. We are always here to clean up both minor and severe mold, as well as to offer suggestions for preventing future mold buildup from occurring. Contact us today to learn more about our mold removal and mitigation services or to schedule a consultation!
