Did you know that your eaves trough should be cleaned every spring and fall? It’s true! In Calgary, we have trees shedding their leaves in the fall and more than a few gales during the summer and winter months. This can lead to branches, leaves, and all kinds of other things in your eaves trough. When enough of this organic litter collects, it can clog up your gutters. You may be wondering how this could lead to a humidity problem or mould in your basement. After all, the eaves trough is part of the roof. It couldn’t possibly affect the basement, right?
Well, while the gutter is a part of your roofing system, it’s job is to protect your entire home – including your foundation – from the water that’s shed by your shingles. When it rains, the water runs down your roof into the trough. When your gutters are in good condition and clear of debris, they usher the water through a downspout and releases it at least six feet from your house. When your eaves trough is clogged, however, water overflows from its sides. Water can then stay and collect close to your home and seep into the ground. It will fill any cracks in your foundation and leach into your house.
This is why correcting mould is so complicated and requires an expert’s skill and training. When a professional from Amity goes to your home, they aren’t just there to remove the mould. They will also explain what needs to be done to stop the growth ever coming back. Removing the mould is absolutely necessary, but if the mould is removed and nothing else changed, whatever caused the problems in the first place is going to allow mould to come back again and again and again. We work with our clients to point out the problems and advise them on how to fix these issues.
Thankfully, moulds need at least 24 hour of humidity to begin to grow. This makes implementing prevention methods a lot simpler. By clearing your gutters so that water doesn’t pool by your foundation, you may find the humidity level in your basement decreases. When you shower, leave a window open or install a vent to keep the room dry. Another way to lower humidity is to never store damp laundry. Always hang it up to dry outside or use a dryer.
Being proactive about preventing mould is always better than having it removed and fixing problems areas after the fact. If you’re interested to learn more about preventing mould in your home, call the experts at Amity today: (403) 667-8264.
