You've found mold in your house, now what do you do?

While it's virtually impossible to get rid of all mold inside your home, you can control its growth provided you eliminate sources of moisture. For starters, fix all plumbing and roof leaks, add insulation or storm windows to windows to prevent condensation, clean and repair roof gutters regularly, direct downspouts away from the house, and clean bathrooms with mold-killing products. (Many molds can easily be washed off hard surfaces with detergent or a solution of 1 1/2 cups of household bleach to a gallon of water.)

Make sure attic vents are circulating air. In addition, the EPA suggests maintaining a low indoor relative humidity (between 30 and 60 percent) by using exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen, venting dryers and other moisture-generating sources to the outside and running an air conditioner or dehumidifier.

Caution No. 1: Ripping out mold-contaminated drywall in the basement can cause spores to become airborne; the mold can then regenerate elsewhere when another source of water is introduced, says Darrin DeWitt of LVI Environmental Services.

The Allegheny County Health Department suggests any mold problems affecting more than 10 square feet be remediated by a professional contractor.

Caution No. 2: While the EPA has published guidelines for remediating buildings with mold problems, there are no laws specifying mold or mold spore limits in buildings. And unlike asbestos abatement, there is no licensing or state or federal-sanctioned certification for mold remediation. So ask how long the company has been in business and ask for references and check them out.