(Courtesy of ARA Content)

Right now it’s pretty dry outside; but when winter ends and spring begins, chances are good you’ll have problems with moisture in your basement. Whether it comes from the melting snow that finds its way into your home through cracks in the foundation or humidity which comes in through the walls and the concrete floor, moisture is a bad thing.

If you don’t take steps to stop it, you could find yourself dealing with an unhealthy situation. It doesn’t take much moisture for mold to start growing. When present in large concentrations inside your home, exposure to the spores can cause such symptoms as nasal and sinus congestion, cough, skin and eye irritations, breathing difficulties and upper respiratory infections.

Mold has been in the news a lot lately, particularly in New Orleans where homes and businesses now drying out in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina are filled with it. There,s nothing people with homes in New Orleans could have done to prevent mold exposure, but if you know your home has problems with moisture, you need to take action.

Among the steps the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends you take to reduce moisture and keep mold from growing in your home:

* Seek out and fix the source of water problems – leaky sinks, toilets, etc.

* Vent bathrooms, washing machines, dishwashers and other moisture-generating sources to the outside.

* Reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e. windows, piping, exterior walls, roofs or floors) by adding insulation.

* Avoid installing carpeting in area where there is a perpetual moisture problem, like around sinks and concrete floors which experience frequent condensation.