Wet spring weather leads to mouldy basements

The wet weather in the Greater Toronto Area this spring doesn’t just ruin golf games and picnics; it creates a breeding ground for toxic mould.

A study posted in The Globe and Mail two weeks ago chronicles the troubles of Carole Blackburn, a mother of two in Scarborough, Ontario. Repeated rain has ravaged her home, which has “weeping” tiles and poor foundation. Her basement floods every year.

Ms. Blackburn is just one of many GTA residents experiencing the havoc of major water damage at home at this time of year. The simple cost of property damage is a major threat – but the accumulation of toxic mould that accompanies the moist conditions is even more dangerous.

Without proper mold removal, a soggy basement can become a breeding ground. The mould can lead to breathing difficulties and cause countless other health problems.

There are steps you can take to combat mould if your house has taken damage from flooding and allowed it to grow. You can hire a Toronto mould removal company to eliminate the problem. You can also, of course, get the jump by ensuring your basement doesn’t flood in the first place.

Potential solutions include installing a backwater valve in your basement; extending your downspouts so that they route water away from your home instead of close to basement windows; regularly cleaning debris from your eavestroughs; keeping snow away from your basement windows and doors during the winter; or even raising or building up the ground around your house so that water drains away from it instead of toward it.

Making the proper preparations to combat flooding can save you from crippling property damage. Better yet, it can protect you from the health problems caused by toxic mould.

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