Most contractors know this, but something most homeowners do not know is that the concrete in their basement is a naturally porous material and that if there is water seeping in the house through it, this is something that should be expected. Well, it should be expected if your basement was not properly waterproofed when your home was first built. The problem with water getting in the basement through the concrete usually lies with the construction of the home and not with the actual concrete itself, since water will eventually seep through any concrete at any thickness.
Keeping a dry basement can be a difficult thing to do if your basement was not waterproofed very well. Sometimes ground water is responsible for getting into the basement through the walls and the only real thing that you can do about this is to have a drainage system installed so that the soil around the house does not become oversaturated.
Checking around outside the home’s foundation is the first thing that you need to do. See if there is any water settling in pockets around the exterior walls of the house and if there is, then one thing that you can do to stop this is piling up more soil in this area to do away with the puddles. Making sure your rain gutters are completely cleared out at all times will help keep the water directed to the downspouts instead of falling down onto the ground next to the base of the house.
Cracks in concrete walls cannot be caulked shut, because the caulking will eventually be worked loose by the water and will peel off. Hydraulic cement will also not work because it does not stick to the concrete very well. Installing cement will not work, either, because cement is a rigid material and the concrete is not. Cement placed inside the cracks will become as loose as the caulking you put in before.
Cracks in the walls can be filled in with a number of different effective materials, but will either bond or not bond depending on if the surface is wet. Expandable polyurethane will work and will bond to the surface whether the surface is wet or dry. This merely creates a waterproof barrier.
An injection of concrete with a caulking gun is an option, but so is an injection of epoxy. Epoxy, however, will not bond to wet surfaces.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood and water damage cleanup and
water damage restoration> companies across the united states.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Most clothes that are damaged directly by fire cannot be saved, but those that are damaged only by the soot and ash that is left behind afterward can be if they are taken care of properly. Most often this kind of damage occurs to clothing that is hanging in the closet and becomes engulfed in smoke as the fire ravages another part of the house. Clothes that have soot and ash all over them might not be as difficult as you think that it is, but you still need to take care in the way that you attempt to clean the clothing. Most of this task will be just sorting the clothing into types of fabric and determining when to wash them.
Begin by sorting the clothes by how heavily soiled they are. Lightly soiled items need to be washed first, but they should be shaken out thoroughly first to remove excess soot.
Make piles of clothing and put synthetics with synthetics and organics with organics. Cotton and wool items will be a little more difficult to get the smoke smell out of than synthetic items, but it can be done.
Use as much laundry detergent as the detergent’s manufacturer says to use for every load you need to wash and you should also add one cup of water conditioner. Adding a half a cup of all-fabric bleach will also help. The temperature of the water also matters when washing these soiled clothing items and you should also use the most amount of water that your washer will be able to handle.
Synthetic items should be washed in warm water only in order to stop them from wrinkling when the spin cycle turns on.
All soiled items need to be washed twice and if the soot is still visible, the clothes need to be air dried instead of using the electric dryer. The smoke odor should be gone after they air dry, but if it is not, then the clothes should be aired out outside the house and washed again. Detergents that have perfumes can mask the smell of smoke damage, but after the perfume dissipates, the smell may return.
Chlorinated bleach should not be used on fabric that is organic, because the fabric might have been weakened in certain areas due to the excess heat.
Items that are not subject to dye running, such as very light colors, can be washed in hot water, but this can vary depending on the type of fabric. Look at the clothing tag and see what the care directions say.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Orlando water Damage companies.
Begin by sorting the clothes by how heavily soiled they are. Lightly soiled items need to be washed first, but they should be shaken out thoroughly first to remove excess soot.
Make piles of clothing and put synthetics with synthetics and organics with organics. Cotton and wool items will be a little more difficult to get the smoke smell out of than synthetic items, but it can be done.
Use as much laundry detergent as the detergent’s manufacturer says to use for every load you need to wash and you should also add one cup of water conditioner. Adding a half a cup of all-fabric bleach will also help. The temperature of the water also matters when washing these soiled clothing items and you should also use the most amount of water that your washer will be able to handle.
Synthetic items should be washed in warm water only in order to stop them from wrinkling when the spin cycle turns on.
All soiled items need to be washed twice and if the soot is still visible, the clothes need to be air dried instead of using the electric dryer. The smoke odor should be gone after they air dry, but if it is not, then the clothes should be aired out outside the house and washed again. Detergents that have perfumes can mask the smell of smoke damage, but after the perfume dissipates, the smell may return.
Chlorinated bleach should not be used on fabric that is organic, because the fabric might have been weakened in certain areas due to the excess heat.
Items that are not subject to dye running, such as very light colors, can be washed in hot water, but this can vary depending on the type of fabric. Look at the clothing tag and see what the care directions say.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Orlando water Damage companies.
Sump Pumps in Wet Basements
Having a wet basement due to a flood, hurricane, or ground water seeping in is at the very least an inconvenience to most homeowners and at the most, it can lead to serious structural damage that can cost thousands to fix. No matter what you use your basement for, you probably have a lot of important things down there that you either use all the time or are simply in storage to be taken care of at a later date.
The best thing that you can do to prevent having a wet basement is to keep a properly functioning sump pump in it so that the water that builds up in the lowest portion of the basement is pumped out when it reaches a certain level. The pump directs the water to a drain that carries it outside and away from your home’s foundation. This makes sure that the rest of the basement does not become flooded with water.
Keeping an eye on your sump pump and making sure that it working correctly is essential if you want to keep a dry basement. After all, the pump cannot do all the work on its own. It can pump the water out of the basement during heavy rains and floods, but keeping it maintained is your job. Check the float inside the tank and make sure that it is working right by pouring a large amount of water into it. The float should rise to the top, cause the pump to turn on, the water will drain out, and the float will trigger the pump to turn off when it gets to the bottom of the tank. This is how the pump behaves when it is working properly.
Having a backup pump is also a good idea and a lot of times the backup tends to be a water pressure powered one and this will come from the water system in your house. If the electricity flips off during a storm, the backup pump that does not require electricity will take care of the water flooding into your basement.
You should also consider what kind of pump you need to install in your home. Cast iron pumps will last much longer than the plastic ones, but they do come at a higher cost.
Submersible sump pumps are something else you might want to think about. These are designed to work while under water, but these are quieter and tend to last longer than other types.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York flood water damage restoration and other states and cities such as
South Carolina mold remediation companies across the united states.
The best thing that you can do to prevent having a wet basement is to keep a properly functioning sump pump in it so that the water that builds up in the lowest portion of the basement is pumped out when it reaches a certain level. The pump directs the water to a drain that carries it outside and away from your home’s foundation. This makes sure that the rest of the basement does not become flooded with water.
Keeping an eye on your sump pump and making sure that it working correctly is essential if you want to keep a dry basement. After all, the pump cannot do all the work on its own. It can pump the water out of the basement during heavy rains and floods, but keeping it maintained is your job. Check the float inside the tank and make sure that it is working right by pouring a large amount of water into it. The float should rise to the top, cause the pump to turn on, the water will drain out, and the float will trigger the pump to turn off when it gets to the bottom of the tank. This is how the pump behaves when it is working properly.
Having a backup pump is also a good idea and a lot of times the backup tends to be a water pressure powered one and this will come from the water system in your house. If the electricity flips off during a storm, the backup pump that does not require electricity will take care of the water flooding into your basement.
You should also consider what kind of pump you need to install in your home. Cast iron pumps will last much longer than the plastic ones, but they do come at a higher cost.
Submersible sump pumps are something else you might want to think about. These are designed to work while under water, but these are quieter and tend to last longer than other types.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York flood water damage restoration and other states and cities such as
South Carolina mold remediation companies across the united states.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
A General Facts Guide About Mold
Whether you are indoors or outdoors, mold is always there. No matter where you are, there is no such thing as an environment on the planet earth that is considered to be mold-free. Wherever there are the three things that mold need to survive, there will be mold, even though you might not be able to see it. Mold is only visible to the human eye when colonies of it start to grow. Just what does mold need to grow?
Mold needs nutrients. In an outdoor environment, this would be organic matter such as dead plants or animals. This is a necessary natural event that has to take place to get rid of the some of the debris that builds up on the forest floor. In the indoor environment, molds often feed on building materials. These can include cardboard, paper on both the sides of drywall, soap, fabrics, and other kinds of dust.
Moisture is also required by mold in order to survive. In order to begin decaying organic matter and digesting it, it needs moisture. Mold often grows inside the home during the summer when moisture becomes trapped inside the house and in the house in the winter when certain areas become drafty and condensation builds up in areas.
Something else mold needs to survive is very simple and we all have a lot of it, whether we realize it or not. Mold needs time to grow. It can start to form a colony as soon as 24 hours up to ten days after it gets enough of the nutrients and moisture that it needs to survive. The longer you allow something such as a wet towel or wet piece of clothing to lie on the floor in the back of your closet, the more time you are giving mold to start growing on it.
One last thing that molds tend to need in order to continue growing is heat. Not all molds need a significant amount of heat in order to grow, but many do. Molds have been known to survive at extreme temperatures and remain dormant, but not actually continue growing. They can be exposed to temperatures around 2 degrees Celsius and still only become dormant instead of dying like some other organisms would do.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Mold needs nutrients. In an outdoor environment, this would be organic matter such as dead plants or animals. This is a necessary natural event that has to take place to get rid of the some of the debris that builds up on the forest floor. In the indoor environment, molds often feed on building materials. These can include cardboard, paper on both the sides of drywall, soap, fabrics, and other kinds of dust.
Moisture is also required by mold in order to survive. In order to begin decaying organic matter and digesting it, it needs moisture. Mold often grows inside the home during the summer when moisture becomes trapped inside the house and in the house in the winter when certain areas become drafty and condensation builds up in areas.
Something else mold needs to survive is very simple and we all have a lot of it, whether we realize it or not. Mold needs time to grow. It can start to form a colony as soon as 24 hours up to ten days after it gets enough of the nutrients and moisture that it needs to survive. The longer you allow something such as a wet towel or wet piece of clothing to lie on the floor in the back of your closet, the more time you are giving mold to start growing on it.
One last thing that molds tend to need in order to continue growing is heat. Not all molds need a significant amount of heat in order to grow, but many do. Molds have been known to survive at extreme temperatures and remain dormant, but not actually continue growing. They can be exposed to temperatures around 2 degrees Celsius and still only become dormant instead of dying like some other organisms would do.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
A General Facts Guide About Mold
Whether you are indoors or outdoors, mold is always there. No matter where you are, there is no such thing as an environment on the planet earth that is considered to be mold-free. Wherever there are the three things that mold need to survive, there will be mold, even though you might not be able to see it. Mold is only visible to the human eye when colonies of it start to grow. Just what does mold need to grow?
Mold needs nutrients. In an outdoor environment, this would be organic matter such as dead plants or animals. This is a necessary natural event that has to take place to get rid of the some of the debris that builds up on the forest floor. In the indoor environment, molds often feed on building materials. These can include cardboard, paper on both the sides of drywall, soap, fabrics, and other kinds of dust.
Moisture is also required by mold in order to survive. In order to begin decaying organic matter and digesting it, it needs moisture. Mold often grows inside the home during the summer when moisture becomes trapped inside the house and in the house in the winter when certain areas become drafty and condensation builds up in areas.
Something else mold needs to survive is very simple and we all have a lot of it, whether we realize it or not. Mold needs time to grow. It can start to form a colony as soon as 24 hours up to ten days after it gets enough of the nutrients and moisture that it needs to survive. The longer you allow something such as a wet towel or wet piece of clothing to lie on the floor in the back of your closet, the more time you are giving mold to start growing on it.
One last thing that molds tend to need in order to continue growing is heat. Not all molds need a significant amount of heat in order to grow, but many do. Molds have been known to survive at extreme temperatures and remain dormant, but not actually continue growing. They can be exposed to temperatures around 2 degrees Celsius and still only become dormant instead of dying like some other organisms would do.
Whether you are indoors or outdoors, mold is always there. No matter where you are, there is no such thing as an environment on the planet earth that is considered to be mold-free. Wherever there are the three things that mold need to survive, there will be mold, even though you might not be able to see it. Mold is only visible to the human eye when colonies of it start to grow. Just what does mold need to grow?
Mold needs nutrients. In an outdoor environment, this would be organic matter such as dead plants or animals. This is a necessary natural event that has to take place to get rid of the some of the debris that builds up on the forest floor. In the indoor environment, molds often feed on building materials. These can include cardboard, paper on both the sides of drywall, soap, fabrics, and other kinds of dust.
Moisture is also required by mold in order to survive. In order to begin decaying organic matter and digesting it, it needs moisture. Mold often grows inside the home during the summer when moisture becomes trapped inside the house and in the house in the winter when certain areas become drafty and condensation builds up in areas.
Something else mold needs to survive is very simple and we all have a lot of it, whether we realize it or not. Mold needs time to grow. It can start to form a colony as soon as 24 hours up to ten days after it gets enough of the nutrients and moisture that it needs to survive. The longer you allow something such as a wet towel or wet piece of clothing to lie on the floor in the back of your closet, the more time you are giving mold to start growing on it.
One last thing that molds tend to need in order to continue growing is heat. Not all molds need a significant amount of heat in order to grow, but many do. Molds have been known to survive at extreme temperatures and remain dormant, but not actually continue growing. They can be exposed to temperatures around 2 degrees Celsius and still only become dormant instead of dying like some other organisms would do.
Facts About Toxic Black Mold That You Need To Know
One of the most dangerous molds that a person can have growing in their home or place of business is the one that we have all come to associate with the term “toxic black mold”. This is Stachybotrys chartarum and it is sometimes simply called “stachy” for short. The media has made it famous in the past few years and it has been largely responsible for the resurgence of the awareness of the dangers of mold. The health consequences of this mold living in your home are fairly dangerous and can even end in death in some extreme cases.
This mold is fond of growing on such things as wood that has been water damaged or in some cases, on paper or cardboard that has been piled up and allowed to be wet. It does not grow on plastic or on non-porous surfaces such as tile in the bathroom or the kitchen or on concrete or counter tops. Any wood or cellulose-based items that have been wetted and let to dry naturally will eventually become contaminated with mold and will probably end up spreading to the rest of your household. This particular kind of mold needs almost non-stop moisture or humidity to continue to live. It is typically a greenish-black color, slimy, and wet when it is found in the home and it needs such things as cotton, wood, or paper to grow for very long. Even though the wet spores of this mold do not get into the air very easily, if it is let to try, these spores will enter the air in your home as soon as the air is stirred by a fan or an air conditioner and this can be very hazardous.
This is one of the most dangerous kinds of mold that you can come into contact with. It has been known to kill a person’s brain cells and cause sicknesses that can have a similar effect as Alzheimer’s Disease. Symptoms of this include dizziness or disorientation of any kind, such as blanking out or forgetting what you were doing while you were in the middle of doing it or memory loss. If you are not old enough to be at risk to have Alzheimer’s Disease, it is advised that you see your doctor as soon as possible. If you are concerned that mold may exist, conduct some do-it-yourself mold tests in your home in order to rule out or identify mold as the cause.
Some common symptoms of mold exposure have been known to be pneumonia, headaches, bloody noses, or any other kind of respiratory issue. Mold also aggravates pre-existing conditions such as asthma or emphysema. Exposure for long periods of time can cause kidney failure, liver failure, or bleeding of the lungs in babies.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Water Damage Restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors
This mold is fond of growing on such things as wood that has been water damaged or in some cases, on paper or cardboard that has been piled up and allowed to be wet. It does not grow on plastic or on non-porous surfaces such as tile in the bathroom or the kitchen or on concrete or counter tops. Any wood or cellulose-based items that have been wetted and let to dry naturally will eventually become contaminated with mold and will probably end up spreading to the rest of your household. This particular kind of mold needs almost non-stop moisture or humidity to continue to live. It is typically a greenish-black color, slimy, and wet when it is found in the home and it needs such things as cotton, wood, or paper to grow for very long. Even though the wet spores of this mold do not get into the air very easily, if it is let to try, these spores will enter the air in your home as soon as the air is stirred by a fan or an air conditioner and this can be very hazardous.
This is one of the most dangerous kinds of mold that you can come into contact with. It has been known to kill a person’s brain cells and cause sicknesses that can have a similar effect as Alzheimer’s Disease. Symptoms of this include dizziness or disorientation of any kind, such as blanking out or forgetting what you were doing while you were in the middle of doing it or memory loss. If you are not old enough to be at risk to have Alzheimer’s Disease, it is advised that you see your doctor as soon as possible. If you are concerned that mold may exist, conduct some do-it-yourself mold tests in your home in order to rule out or identify mold as the cause.
Some common symptoms of mold exposure have been known to be pneumonia, headaches, bloody noses, or any other kind of respiratory issue. Mold also aggravates pre-existing conditions such as asthma or emphysema. Exposure for long periods of time can cause kidney failure, liver failure, or bleeding of the lungs in babies.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Water Damage Restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors
Water Damaged Vehicle Facts that You Need To Know About
If you are looking to buy any kind of vehicle, whether it is a car, truck, or a piece of farm equipment like a tractor, one of the things that a lot of people do not think about checking into is whether or not it has been flooded before. Even if a vehicle has been flooded, a record of the flood may not be obtainable from a vehicle history report. If the owner of the car did not report the flooding of the vehicle to the insurance company, then it will not appear on a vehicle history report, such as one obtainable from Carfax.com. There are, however, other ways to check to see if the vehicle you are considering buying is water damaged. It is not as difficult as it might seem to detect whether a vehicle has been water damaged or not, although if you do not know what to look for, you can be duped in a New York minute. How can you tell if a car has been water damaged? Here are a few tips.
The first thing that you should do is check and see if there are any signs of rust in the trunk, dashboard, glove compartment, and under the seats. Check also for silt and mud. These are dead giveaways that the car has been flooded.
Also take a good look at the upholstery in the car. If it does not appear to match the interior or if it fits loosely, then it might be a replacement for the original material that was in the car.
Open the car door and put your head inside and inhale deeply. There should not be a musty odor in the vehicle and you should also not smell any air fresheners. Air fresheners are usually used by car dealers and individuals who have something to hide.
Test all the electronic components of the vehicle and make sure that they work. The turn signals, heater, windshield wipers, and etcetera should be checked several times to insure that they work correctly and are reliable.
Check underneath the dashboard and move some of the wires back and forth. Bend them. If they have been wet before they will be brittle and will probably crack as you flex them.
Last, but not least, have a mechanic that you trust do an inspection of the car. Always do this before you purchase any used vehicle to make sure that there is nothing wrong with the car that the owner did not tell you about.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Orlando water damage restoration companies and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
The first thing that you should do is check and see if there are any signs of rust in the trunk, dashboard, glove compartment, and under the seats. Check also for silt and mud. These are dead giveaways that the car has been flooded.
Also take a good look at the upholstery in the car. If it does not appear to match the interior or if it fits loosely, then it might be a replacement for the original material that was in the car.
Open the car door and put your head inside and inhale deeply. There should not be a musty odor in the vehicle and you should also not smell any air fresheners. Air fresheners are usually used by car dealers and individuals who have something to hide.
Test all the electronic components of the vehicle and make sure that they work. The turn signals, heater, windshield wipers, and etcetera should be checked several times to insure that they work correctly and are reliable.
Check underneath the dashboard and move some of the wires back and forth. Bend them. If they have been wet before they will be brittle and will probably crack as you flex them.
Last, but not least, have a mechanic that you trust do an inspection of the car. Always do this before you purchase any used vehicle to make sure that there is nothing wrong with the car that the owner did not tell you about.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Orlando water damage restoration companies and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
The Miracles Of Mold
Mold has been around for millions of years and while certain varieties of it can be quite harmful to our health, there are other varieties that have been used by human beings for years in order to improve our quality of life in one way or another. It has been used in foods, medicines, and to help decompose organic matter.
Many different kinds of foods have been made with mold over the years, one of the most famous of which is cheese. Blue cheese was invented quite by accident a long time ago when mold had started to grow in a block of cheese that had been left to age. It is salty, crumbly and is a somewhat acquired taste, if the blue mold veins of the cheese do not stop you from tasting it in the first place. Roquefort and gorgonzola are also made with molds. The culturing of just the right kind of mold to make these blue cheeses has become a science over the years and these moldy cheeses are often referred to as the “kings” of cheese.
Aspergillius oryzae or “koji-kin”, as it is known in Japan, has been used for centuries to create the Japanese alcoholic drink of sake. Without the magical koji, they say, there is no sake. Sake is not the only type of drink that uses the koji mold as an ingredient. It is sprinkled on top of steamed rice and provide the enzymes that are needed for making the sugar the yeast needs to grow. The mold has an immensely important role in the creation of sake and any brewer proud of his drink is sensitive about its handling. Depending upon the flavor wanted in the sake, the koji-creation process can be affected by different temperatures, the kind of rice used, the mineral content of the water, and other factors seriously affect the final product.
Penicillin was created by Alexander Fleming back in the early 1900’s by accident and it has been used by countries worldwide since then in order to help the human body fight all kinds of infections. While some people have been known to be allergic to penicillin, allergic reactions are not so common as to stop doctors from prescribing it.
Aside from the uses that human beings have made of mold, its natural role is to decompose dead organic matter in its natural environment. This is one reason that it often finds its way into our homes, because our homes tend to be made of wood and sheetrock that has paper on it. This is what mold feeds on and until we start making our homes out of synthetic materials, we will probably have a hard time keeping mold out of them.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
Many different kinds of foods have been made with mold over the years, one of the most famous of which is cheese. Blue cheese was invented quite by accident a long time ago when mold had started to grow in a block of cheese that had been left to age. It is salty, crumbly and is a somewhat acquired taste, if the blue mold veins of the cheese do not stop you from tasting it in the first place. Roquefort and gorgonzola are also made with molds. The culturing of just the right kind of mold to make these blue cheeses has become a science over the years and these moldy cheeses are often referred to as the “kings” of cheese.
Aspergillius oryzae or “koji-kin”, as it is known in Japan, has been used for centuries to create the Japanese alcoholic drink of sake. Without the magical koji, they say, there is no sake. Sake is not the only type of drink that uses the koji mold as an ingredient. It is sprinkled on top of steamed rice and provide the enzymes that are needed for making the sugar the yeast needs to grow. The mold has an immensely important role in the creation of sake and any brewer proud of his drink is sensitive about its handling. Depending upon the flavor wanted in the sake, the koji-creation process can be affected by different temperatures, the kind of rice used, the mineral content of the water, and other factors seriously affect the final product.
Penicillin was created by Alexander Fleming back in the early 1900’s by accident and it has been used by countries worldwide since then in order to help the human body fight all kinds of infections. While some people have been known to be allergic to penicillin, allergic reactions are not so common as to stop doctors from prescribing it.
Aside from the uses that human beings have made of mold, its natural role is to decompose dead organic matter in its natural environment. This is one reason that it often finds its way into our homes, because our homes tend to be made of wood and sheetrock that has paper on it. This is what mold feeds on and until we start making our homes out of synthetic materials, we will probably have a hard time keeping mold out of them.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
Some Notes About Mold For homeowners And Tenants
No matter whether you are a landlord, tenant, homeowner, or an employer, there are some general facts about mold that everyone should be aware of. Everyone knows that exposure to mold can be a very dangerous thing, but not everyone knows the most important things about it that can be the difference between a mold infested home, a lot of lost money, bad health and a healthy, happy home.
One of the most important things that you should realize is the fact that no matter what you do, you cannot remove all of the mold from your home. Mold has existed for millions of years and will continue to exist for millions more; you cannot completely stamp it out from where you live or work because it is truly everywhere. The only thing that you can do is stop it from taking root in your home and becoming a nuisance.
Make sure that the ground at the base of your home slopes away from it so water flows away from the foundation. Water that is allowed to settle at the foundation will seep inside the home and allow mold to begin to grow.
Pay attention to the mold warnings that you see on the news sometimes. If you are elderly or have small children, especially those with asthma or other respiratory conditions, you should not go outside if the spore count is high.
In order to discover just what kind of mold you are dealing with in your home, you need to have a mold laboratory test the mold that you have sampled into a do-it-yourself mold kit. Only they can tell you just what kind of mold you are dealing with and whether or not it is dangerous.
Something important to remember is that mold is not always visible and does not really need standing water in order to grow. Actually, most kinds of mold do not need any more than the condensation that can form on the cold pipes in your basement or on your windows. It requires only some high amounts of humidity, food, and warmth.
Lastly, if you move into a home or an apartment and mold exists on the property, you should understand that it is not your responsibility to have the mold removed, it is the owner’s simply because if you choose to move out, the mold will still be there.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Mold Remediation and
water damage restoration> companies across the united states.
One of the most important things that you should realize is the fact that no matter what you do, you cannot remove all of the mold from your home. Mold has existed for millions of years and will continue to exist for millions more; you cannot completely stamp it out from where you live or work because it is truly everywhere. The only thing that you can do is stop it from taking root in your home and becoming a nuisance.
Make sure that the ground at the base of your home slopes away from it so water flows away from the foundation. Water that is allowed to settle at the foundation will seep inside the home and allow mold to begin to grow.
Pay attention to the mold warnings that you see on the news sometimes. If you are elderly or have small children, especially those with asthma or other respiratory conditions, you should not go outside if the spore count is high.
In order to discover just what kind of mold you are dealing with in your home, you need to have a mold laboratory test the mold that you have sampled into a do-it-yourself mold kit. Only they can tell you just what kind of mold you are dealing with and whether or not it is dangerous.
Something important to remember is that mold is not always visible and does not really need standing water in order to grow. Actually, most kinds of mold do not need any more than the condensation that can form on the cold pipes in your basement or on your windows. It requires only some high amounts of humidity, food, and warmth.
Lastly, if you move into a home or an apartment and mold exists on the property, you should understand that it is not your responsibility to have the mold removed, it is the owner’s simply because if you choose to move out, the mold will still be there.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Mold Remediation and
water damage restoration> companies across the united states.
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