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2014 Restoration Articles

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2014 RESTORATION ARTICLES
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Art- MZ article – Restoration- December 2014

Categories of Mold Contamination
 
When things get damp, humid, musty, smelly… there could be trouble brewing, even if you can’t see the source of the issue.
 
When your nose senses suspicious odors, especially in areas such as dark, enclosed basements, as one example, thoughts often go to, “Do I have mold?”
 
It’s a concern everyone should have, because specific types of mold, depending on an individual’s sensitives, can be hazardous to health.
 
While this topic and potential issues aren’t meant to alarm you, being informed is important and a protection to yourself and to your family. And one way to be informed is to know the various types of mold, at least a few of the common ones found in homes.
 
Alternaria
This type of mold is common as well, and normally shows up in damp areas, such as a shower, sink, under cabinets, and dark areas that may be humid. This type of mold usually, to those sensitive to it, causes asthma attacks and other allergic reactions.
 
Aspergillus
One common mold found indoors is aspergillus. It isn’t considered a substantial health threat, but it can cause issues with those who are sensitive to molds. Some severe reactions can include inflammation of the lungs, infection of the respiratory system, and other symptomatic reactions to exposure to this mold spore.
 
Aureobasidium
This mold grows best on wooden surfaces, such as natural wood furnishings, and also in paint and wallpaper, to name a few. It often exhibits a black/pink color. Over time, this mold can cause severe allergic reactions to sensitive individuals.
 
Chaetomium
The last mold we will cover here is often caused by some type of water damage situation. It can usually be found in drywall, especially when wet from water damage or other moisture intrusion. You usually identify this type of mold by its musty or “old” odor in the home.
 
Cladosporium
Often found in soil, cellulose and plant debris, in both cool and warm areas, on various surfaces such as carpet, wood floors, and fabrics. Exposure can cause breathing challenges and respiratory issues.
 
These are just a few types of mold common to homes. Do your research and you will find a very long list of potential mold threats; some of them sound extremely risky to be around.
 
Remember, if you have any questions about water damage, mold contamination, mold spores, musty odors, and potential health threats to your family and home, call your disaster restoration company. After all, it pays to call a pro!

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Art- MZ article – Restoration- November 2014

Categories of Water Damage
 
Even the smallest amount of water that intrudes into your home can quickly gravitate from a nuisance to a significant issue. And a water intrusion that involves hundreds or thousands of gallons of water may mean you become homeless for a short time, while the repair is performed
 
Did you know that water losses are given classifications? One water loss isn’t always like the next. There are differences.
 
Many water damage situations involve a basement, and often a sump pump failure. Others are from leaky pipes or even broken pipes. When this occurs, along with other types of water loss situations, did you know the water type is classified by professional water damage restoration experts as “clean?” That’s right. Even if it looks dirty, because of a lower amount of potentially hazardous contaminants in the water, it is given a “Category 1” classification. However, this type of water loss can quickly escalate into a more dangerous situation, if not removed and affected materials dried out quickly.
 
Then we have water damage situations that may contain potentially hazardous contaminants and bacteria that could be harmful to your health. An example would be a toilet that overflows, that doesn’t involve raw sewage. This would be a “Category 2” classification. A Category 1 can become a Category 2 if left unattended, because of bacteria and microbial growth occurring over time.
 
And it gets worse from here. A “Category 3” water damage situation is “black” water and is always considered dangerous to the health of occupants in a home or building. An example would be a raw sewage backup and contamination. Another would be flood waters, since you aren’t sure of the source of the water or where it has been. The contamination involved would dictate wearing personal protective equipment and even respirators. Never risk your health.
 
For Category 1 and Category 2, there is a chance you could extract and dry the area yourself. Often, it ends up in frustration and even mold growth. But for Category 3, never attempt this on your own. In fact, play it safe. Always call a professional water damage company when you have any type of flooding situation in your home. After all, it pays to call a pro!

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Art- MZ article – Restoration- October 2014

The Imminent Arrival of Old Man Winter
 
It may just be the fall season right now, but that’s about to change soon, into… winter.
 
And getting ready for winter is important, with several aspects regarding your home and protecting what’s most valuable to you. Obviously, winter is outside, but it will want to get inside, and that can cause damage you don’t want.
 
Window Awareness
If your home is typical, you have a lot of glass — windows, that is. Take a tour, inside and out, and look for areas where the weather stripping is damaged, where there are cracks in the caulking, and gaps where gaps should not be.
 
When the wind blows, do you hear it coming in the windows, or from around the windows? That’s not so bad right now, but when nasty weather strikes, that’s a different story.
 
Get your windows in shape now, before winter arrives.
 
Roof Woes
You can see some of your roof from the ground, but if you get up and take a close look, you may see shingles that need replaced, areas around the chimney or vents that could use some plugging, or other general repairs that are much, much easier now than when it is zero degrees and icy.
 
But be safe. If you aren’t an expert and able to inspect, hire someone to do it for you!
 
Gutter Grit
Grit, debris, leaves, and obstacles tossed up there from a windy day can build up. When they do that, and winter strikes with cold, snowy bluster, a plugged up gutter can create really expensive restoration work, because if a gutter can’t drain, this might force melting ice into  your home. Get a ladder, take a look. But just like with your roof, only do that if you are an expert. Hire it done if you aren’t.
No matter what you do, occasionally water, wind and ice can damage your home. Do the right thing: Call your disaster restoration pro. After all, it pays to call a pro!

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Art- MZ article – Restoration- September 2014

How to Avoid a Moldy Basement
 
There are many types of mold that can be found in a home, whether the problem is caused by faulty construction, water damage, leaky plumbing, or other issues.
 
But what some people report is, despite no evident water damage or plumbing situations, no heavy rains, to name a few issues, they still get mold in their basements, often on the inside of their exterior block walls.
 
Nobody wants that. Mold can be dangerous to people who have exposure sensitivities to it.
 
What can you do to avoid a moldy basement problem? There are several simple steps and procedures…
 
Know your numbers
It’s important to understand humidity and monitor those moisture levels in your home. A simple hygrometer you can buy online or in a retail store gives you this information, as easy as a thermometer tells you the temperature.
 
Use a dehumidifier
Basements are known to be humid and damp, even with no evident moisture intrusion issues. A dehumidifier can remove many pints of water from the air each day. You can choose one that you have to dump the water from on a schedule, or have it drain automatically into a floor drain or sump pump. You will be amazed how much water you can remove and keep mold at bay with a dehumidifier.
 
Use exhaust fans
Simple fans can be installed that move moisture-laden air from the inside to the outside, like you would do with a bathroom exhaust fan. This might be a chore for the pros, so have them take a look at your home and see what options they might offer.
 
Inspect outside drainage
One issue that is common is moisture building up on the outside of block walls, and this moisture can seep into the interior walls of those blocks, adding too much humidity in the basement. Ensure all ground water flows away from your home and doesn’t puddle up against the walls.
 
This advice is for common issues. But if the worst happens, such as a broken pipe or water flooding into your home, now you are into a serious issue. Do the right thing and call your water damage restoration company today. After all, it pays to call a pro!

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Art- MZ article – Restoration- August 2014

Evidence of Water Damage

When something fails, such as a high-pressure fresh water source to your toilet… or perhaps a leaky drain pipe underneath the kitchen sink… no matter what it may be, you usually know what to do.

You know the drill… clean it up, get it dry, and call a professional water damage restoration company to ensure all is good and there is no possible way mold can grow. You want peace of mind, and this is the way to get it.

However, sometimes you just don’t know when things happen, when things leak or when water intrusion occurs — because it can be slowly invasive and build up over time.
There are several steps to determining if you have an actual water damage situation and when you must call a pro — and when you can do it yourself. Remember, you can’t be too cautious with the well-being of your loved ones.

The nose knows
Damp and wet areas affected by water intrusion demonstrate themselves after a day or two with a very easy to detect odor. It will just smell wet, musty, and unhealthy. If you detect anything like that, it’s time to do some serious investigating. You may not actually see the water intrusion, but no doubt it is probably there.
 
Surface damage
You can often see swelling materials, such as the particle board under a sink, providing evidence of water intrusion. When things buckle, even if you notice it after the surface has dried, there is potential of subsequent water damage, because if it leaked once… it will again!
 
Stains
You can usually see this in the ceilings and areas around water sources. Sometimes it is around windows. If you detect water marks (think of a carpet under a water fountain in a building) then you need to put your investigative hat on and figure out if it is a big deal or not — and most likely, it will be a big deal.
 
The evidence of water damage can be easy to see, and sometimes it hides and continues to affect surfaces and your health until it becomes a serious issue. If you have any water damage issues or questions, do the right thing. Call your favorite water damage professional company today. After all, it pays to call a pro!

Art- MZ article – Restoration- July 2014

Winter Prep Tips
 
It’s coming. For some, it may already be here.
The looming arrival of winter, for many in colder climates, means it is time to think of preparing the home for the invasion of frigid temperatures, gripping winds, icy rains, heavy snows, and all the other issues that come with the harshest season of the year.

Getting your home in shape so it can battle the winter elements does take some time, planning, and preparation, but the payoff is worth it. A number of issues — from frozen water pipes to ice dams in your gutters to water intrusion in the basement — can arise that can damage your home that often require either much of your valuable time and resources to repair, or the services of a disaster restoration company.

At minimum, handle these winter preparedness tasks.

Outside
Get a ladder and get to work, or hire a professional to handle it, but you must make sure your gutters are clean of all debris. Disconnect all your garden hoses, and if you can, turn off the water to those faucets.

Inspect any trees and remove branches that may get heavy with ice and fall onto your home.

Look at the caulking and trim around your windows and doors, and make them as air tight as possible.

Inside
Have your heating system inspected, and don’t forget the fireplace or insert, if you have them. The wrong time for a heating system to go bad is when it is needed. An honest, reputable HVAC company may be able to prevent the unthinkable — your house losing heat and freezing up, with all kinds of damage occurring as pipes freeze and break, among other issues.

If you have any other heat sources, such as portable heaters, kerosene heaters, etc, inspect them and especially the cords. They are cheaper to replace now than when everyone is running to the store to buy them.

As you did on the outside, inspect the interiors of your windows and doors, and repair them to keep out cold wind. On a windy day, do your inspection with a butane lighter, as any air activity will show up in a flickering flame.

If you have sump pump system, determine how old it is and check with the manufacturer on recommended replacement frequencies. A failure of a sump pump is a guaranteed way to come home to inches — or feet — of water in the basement.
If the unthinkable does happen, don’t panic. Call your favorite disaster restoration company right away. After all, it pays to call a pro.

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Art- MZ article – Restoration- June 2014

Disaster Assistance
 
When something happens to your home, something that damages it, you have one thought in mind: What you can do to fix it and repair it so you can get on with your lives.
 
That damage can come from many sources. It can be a tree falling onto your roof. It can be water seeping into the basement. It can be water gushing from a broken pipe. It can be from a failed sump pump. It can even be more catastrophic, such as from high winds or even a hurricane, if you live in parts of the country that are subject to those types of storms.
 
When any of these issues occur, someone has to pay for the repairs. That’s where professional disaster restoration companies come to the rescue. They have the know-how and expert skills to fix any issues that arise from disaster restoration situations.
 
But again… someone has to pay…
 
You might be thinking that your homeowner’s insurance plan will cover any disasters that might occur. The typical insurance plan does cover most issues — but not all. Some of them do not cover specific types of flooding situations. If a pipe outside your home, such as an outside spigot, were to break and flood your home, that may not be covered. Every policy is somewhat different.
 
It’s smart — in advance — to discuss with your insurance agent about what is covered and what is not, and to get a handle on your deductible, as you are responsible for that in the event of a loss.
 
When insurance fails…
 
Unless you have a pretty healthy balance in your checking account, you may be looking for some assistance if your homeowner’s policy comes up short. Besides the obvious use of credit cards to pay for work on your home, there is government assistance you can use for help.
 
The U.S. Small Business Administration is the answer for many people. And not just those who own businesses. The SBA has money to loan to homeowners as well, those who find themselves in a situation where they need money to do necessary and significant repairs to their homes. The SBA has disaster loan application forms online that you can find with a simple online search.
 
As with all disaster restoration situations, it’s always smart to get the best help available. Do the right thing and call your favorite disaster restoration company. After all, it pays to call a pro!

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Art- MZ article – Restoration- June 2014

Mold Facts For Everyone
 
Mold is everywhere and is necessary for life. But too much of it — and especially if what is considered by many a harmful variety — can be hazardous to the health of many.
 
Not everyone is sensitive to exposure to mold. Some people can be around it and have no side effects at all. Others have allergic reactions, asthma symptoms, and various respiratory issues.
 
The absolute best defense to mold exposure is to keep as much of it out of the home in the first place. There is no way to eliminate all molds, but some practical mold prevention steps are necessary to a healthy home.
 
Controlling moisture is the primary goal to minimizing mold growth. Mold is a live organism and needs moisture to grow and spread. If you reduce moisture in the home, you take away the food source of mold. For many homes, this means concentrating on the basement. Water seepage into basements is a common cause of mold growth. From expensive steps such as hiring a company to seal off basement walls, to inexpensive steps such as running a household dehumidifier — whatever you decide to do is going to help any moisture situation.
 
Venting bathrooms, laundry rooms, and other moisture-generating areas of the home is also smart. Physically removing air laden with moisture means mold growth is limited.
 
Running the air conditioner during humid periods of the year keeps the humidity content lower in the entire home. Yes, it costs to run the AC, but it will cost you more if you have a mold problem and need professional remediation.
 
Keep an eye on areas that suffer from condensation, such as windows, doors, even pipes under sinks. Condensation is an excellent source of moisture that mold will use to grow.
 
Remember, mold can be found almost anywhere, and can grow on virtually any surface, such as wood, paper, and dirty carpet (mold usually does not grow on clean carpet).
 
If you discover moisture intrusion issues, such as from a leaky pipe, drain, toilet, or in the basement — anywhere in the home — take steps to fix the issue. And be sure to inspect for mold growth.
 
If you see any evidence at all, do the right thing. Call your professional water damage company right away. After all, it pays to call a pro!

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