Posts Tagged mold removal
Water Damage Restoration Risks
Posted by GuestPoster in Uncategorized on January 1st, 2011
If water damage repair is necessary on your property due to flood water damage or other disasters, you may need to contact a professional water removal and restoration company for help. Water removal and mold removal are no simple tasks. There are many risks associated with these jobs – risks you should understand before undertaking what may appear to be a very simple water removal job.
The first risk that water damage poses is the direct threat of contamination in the water itself. Proper water damage cleaning involves removing any contaminants that have been introduced by water both from the materials and air inside an affected property. Given the right combination of temperature and humidity, saturated properties quickly develop microbial contamination. These microorganisms replicate quickly and can lead to serious health issues including infections and toxic diseases.
In order to combat these forces, your flood water damage restoration company will need to use a variety of specialized equipment and substances. These techniques involve inherent risks – risks that can be mitigated, though not entirely eliminated, through proper techniques and training.
Water damaged properties are always at risk for electrical dangers, including electrocution. Water conducts electricity. When electrical circuits carrying live electricity are saturated with water, nearby inhabitants who come into contact with the water may get electrocuted. Another risk involves direct contact with the antimicrobial agents that are applied to affected water damage surfaces. These agents may exacerbate allergies and lead to respiratory problems if property occupants are not properly protected.
Finally, any water damage restoration job involving the removal of debris and re-construction of property elements has the potential to cause personal injury to those involved. In Atlanta, where water damage is a common occurrence (learn more about water damage Atlanta), numerous accidents have been reported simply because property owners and water damage restoration companies didn’t take the necessary precautions to ensure personal safety for those involved in the water removal and cleaning process.
How to Check for Attic Mold
Posted by GuestPoster in Home and Furnishings on May 29th, 2010
Attic mold can become a serious problem if you don’t have enough venting up there to keep moisture to a minimum. Optimum venting is a must and requires at least one vent in the roof itself, an a couple of vents in the roof overhang to help keep air circulation flowing.
One of the biggest problems involving mold in attics is no or very little insulation. In addition, too much insulation can cause vents to become plugged and minimize the air circulation. Most professionals recommend that the more insulation you have in the attic, the more venting you will need. Without proper airflow attics can become prone to molding due to excessive moisture.
If you believe you may already have mold growing in your attic, one of the first signs that there is a problem is when you smell a musty or pungent odor in the air. Even if you don’t smell anything, you should still check for mold.
You can either have a professional inspect for mold or if you know you can do it yourself, you can take a flashlight and check the nail points on your shingles on the roof for rusty or black stains, which would indication a moisture problem. If you find there are black stains in the rafters, then you definitely have a mold problem.
Before you can begin mold removal however, you need to stop the moisture source and prevent further problems by unplugging any vents that are plugged, adding vents if needed or installing a fan. And while you’re at it, check to see that the bathroom and kitchen fans are not blowing moist air into your attic.
Once you’ve removed the moisture, you can purchase a product designed for attic mold clean up, or hire a mold removal professional if the job is more than you can handle.
Furniture Mold Removal After Hurricane Katrina
Posted by admin in Home and Furnishings on September 19th, 2009
Let’s be honest, life is not always perfect and when Mother Nature is involved there’s always the possibility that anything can happen. Take for instance hurricane Katrina and the waters that damaged homes and lives. While not every home could be saved, some families were able to recover a few of their possessions like an heirloom chair or desk even though it was in need of some furniture mold removal help.
And although many resources were not available at that time, to keep the cost of mold removal down, many people found that simply leaving their favorite treasures out in the sun helped, while others relied on a simple solution of vinegar and hot water.
They also used other mold removal home remedies such as lemon juice, salt and water, or a strong solution of soap and water, depending on the size of the problem. While a lot was lost because of hurricane Katrina, it’s also wonderful to know that not every heirloom was lost thanks to the knowledge of a home remedy or two used for furniture mold removal.
What Is Black Mold?
Posted by admin in Home and Garden on June 17th, 2009
With as much information that’s available on the Internet, it’s very easy to find out what black mold is. However, not a lot of information is available on the spores that are actually the very reason mold grows.
Spores are actually a small single-celled asexual reproductive body that is produced by fungi. The spores are then capable of developing into a new individual without sexual fusion. In simpler terms this means that the spores can move from area to area and allow mold to continue to grow which is bad news for homeowners.
That is why when you see a professional seal off an area with a sheet of plastic when working in a specific area where black mold is present; they’re actually preventing the spores from reaching other areas of the home.
So now that you know what a black mold spore is, you may want to think twice before you just scrub away the toxic fungus without sealing off the area first.