Humidity and moisture are two of the main factors that contribute to mold growth inside of a home, but some of the tricks to avoid them may not be so obvious. There are plenty of things that you can do to solve the moisture problem in your home, although some of them might cost you a little bit of money.
One thing that you can do is to install exhaust fans in as many rooms of the house as you can afford. Installing these in bathrooms and kitchens is the most important thing to start with, but installing them in other rooms can help with other kinds of damage, as well. They not only reduce water and mold damage to ceilings and upper walls, but they can also help to reduce the discoloration of these areas due to those who smoke inside the home.
A dehumidifier installed in a basement can help with the high humidity level down there. You should make sure that there are no ongoing leaks in that area first, though.
The humidity in the most frequented areas of your house should be kept around the mid-comfort range. If the humidity is too high or two low, the people who live with you will be uncomfortable. If the humidity is too high, mold can start to grow and if it is too low, things like nosebleeds can result from the air being too dry.
You should keep the humidity of your home somewhere around 45%, if possible. If the home or building has been wet for quite a while, it could take some time to completely dry this area out. You can use a fan to help speed up this process by moving the air around. If you cannot get the humidity to go down in an area such as a basement, you need to assume that there is still a significant source of moisture there that needs to be taken care of first.
Another way to prevent high humidity in the basement if you do your laundry down there is to never hang laundry up to dry there. If you have to hang laundry up to dry, do it outside.
You can also help prevent mold growth by insulating cold water pipes that are exposed in the basement. This helps keep condensation from building up on them and dripping to the floor as a result of humidity.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood water damage restoration chicago and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Cleaning Cosmetic Mold
Something important that you need to realize is that not all molds are toxic in nature. There are such things as cosmetic molds that do not pose any real threat to human beings or pets, such as Ceratocystis. This is blue stain mold or “blue rot” and is nowhere near the same thing as Stachybotrys atra, the frightening “toxic black mold” seen on the news. Ceratocystis does not rot the wood, is not harmful to human beings, and does not spread.
The following is a simple guide on how to remove this cosmetic mold from smooth wooden surfaces. If some of the wood framing in your home has been contaminated by Ceratocystis mold, then it can be possible to clean these and remove the mold contamination in some cases. If the contaminated wood is located on the exterior, you can use more violent methods of cleanup such as power-washing or sandblasting, but this is not recommended for use indoors. Spreading mold spores and debris throughout the house is a problem when these powered methods are used inside the house.
The best thing for removing surface mold from framing lumber is to use a sponge that has been wet with a mixture of water and borax laundry detergent. This is not to produce a completely particle-free wooden surface, but only to remove all of the surface mold. Do not use a sponge in one area and then use the same sponge in another, because of the risks of cross-contamination. Five tablespoons of trisodium phosphate mixed in a gallon of water can be used to clean up mold stains after any loose particles have been removed..
Sanding mold off of a surface is an option as long as the mold is a cosmetic one and the initial cause of the mold’s growth has been removed. High humidity indoors or leaks inside the house can restart this growth, so make sure that these issues have been resolved before attempting to sand away a cosmetic mold. A spraying method may be better than a sanding method of removal for large areas.
Before you treat the areas you have cleaned any further, the surface needs to be completely dry and the cause of the mold growth removed, in the case that the mold was not on the lumber at the time of construction.
Mold-resistant varnishes are available and have some advantages and disadvantages. Something good about sealants is that using them after a remediation project can immobilize the particles left inside some hard to reach cracks and crevices in the wood and stop them from re-growing and they will most likely reduce how much moisture the wood absorbs in the future. These sealants and sprays are never to be used as a substitute for thoroughly removing the mold, however.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
The following is a simple guide on how to remove this cosmetic mold from smooth wooden surfaces. If some of the wood framing in your home has been contaminated by Ceratocystis mold, then it can be possible to clean these and remove the mold contamination in some cases. If the contaminated wood is located on the exterior, you can use more violent methods of cleanup such as power-washing or sandblasting, but this is not recommended for use indoors. Spreading mold spores and debris throughout the house is a problem when these powered methods are used inside the house.
The best thing for removing surface mold from framing lumber is to use a sponge that has been wet with a mixture of water and borax laundry detergent. This is not to produce a completely particle-free wooden surface, but only to remove all of the surface mold. Do not use a sponge in one area and then use the same sponge in another, because of the risks of cross-contamination. Five tablespoons of trisodium phosphate mixed in a gallon of water can be used to clean up mold stains after any loose particles have been removed..
Sanding mold off of a surface is an option as long as the mold is a cosmetic one and the initial cause of the mold’s growth has been removed. High humidity indoors or leaks inside the house can restart this growth, so make sure that these issues have been resolved before attempting to sand away a cosmetic mold. A spraying method may be better than a sanding method of removal for large areas.
Before you treat the areas you have cleaned any further, the surface needs to be completely dry and the cause of the mold growth removed, in the case that the mold was not on the lumber at the time of construction.
Mold-resistant varnishes are available and have some advantages and disadvantages. Something good about sealants is that using them after a remediation project can immobilize the particles left inside some hard to reach cracks and crevices in the wood and stop them from re-growing and they will most likely reduce how much moisture the wood absorbs in the future. These sealants and sprays are never to be used as a substitute for thoroughly removing the mold, however.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Which Flooded Items You Can Salvage
After your home has been flooded, you might walk around it after the waters have receded and wonder to yourself just what you need to try to save and what you need to get rid of pretty quickly, since you know that contaminated items left in the home can infect everything else.
One of the first things that you need to know is that porous items, especially those that have a lot of padding, will need to be thrown away. This is because they need to be completely dried out so that mold does not start to grow in them and because these items can be difficult to disinfect, since padding makes it difficult for the disinfectant to get through the entire depth of it. This means that any bed or décor pillows will need to be thrown out, as well as any stuffed animals that you have for your children.
It will also be very hard to save upholstered furniture. The dirt, silt, and chemicals often found in flood waters will get past the outer fabric fairly easily if the item is in the water for more than a couple of hours and the padding inside will soak up quite a bit of it.
Saving your curtains and other fabric items that are exposed like this depends on how much damage was done to them. The dyes in the fabric may have bled or it may have become stained from being left in the water for so long.
Items like table cloths and towels can be saved if they are washed a few times in enough disinfectant, but even items that have not come into contact with the flood water can become molded after a few days if they are left in the house, due to the high humidity.
Any electric blankets that you may have that were exposed to the flood water will need to be completely thrown away. These items could possibly have wiring damage and can malfunction if you try to use them. They are in no way safe to continue using after being submerged in water.
Blankets can be washed, but you will need to do this a few times in hot water. Chlorine bleach can sanitize these items, but you will need to be careful what you use it on, since the dyes may run on some items. Try to find a laundry detergent that disinfects, as well. Borax detergent can be helpful in killing mold.
Wooden items that have had their finishes breached by flood waters may be contaminated and will need to be disinfected thoroughly.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
North Carolina Basement water damage restoration and other states and cities such as
New Jersey Basement water damage restoration companies across the united states.
One of the first things that you need to know is that porous items, especially those that have a lot of padding, will need to be thrown away. This is because they need to be completely dried out so that mold does not start to grow in them and because these items can be difficult to disinfect, since padding makes it difficult for the disinfectant to get through the entire depth of it. This means that any bed or décor pillows will need to be thrown out, as well as any stuffed animals that you have for your children.
It will also be very hard to save upholstered furniture. The dirt, silt, and chemicals often found in flood waters will get past the outer fabric fairly easily if the item is in the water for more than a couple of hours and the padding inside will soak up quite a bit of it.
Saving your curtains and other fabric items that are exposed like this depends on how much damage was done to them. The dyes in the fabric may have bled or it may have become stained from being left in the water for so long.
Items like table cloths and towels can be saved if they are washed a few times in enough disinfectant, but even items that have not come into contact with the flood water can become molded after a few days if they are left in the house, due to the high humidity.
Any electric blankets that you may have that were exposed to the flood water will need to be completely thrown away. These items could possibly have wiring damage and can malfunction if you try to use them. They are in no way safe to continue using after being submerged in water.
Blankets can be washed, but you will need to do this a few times in hot water. Chlorine bleach can sanitize these items, but you will need to be careful what you use it on, since the dyes may run on some items. Try to find a laundry detergent that disinfects, as well. Borax detergent can be helpful in killing mold.
Wooden items that have had their finishes breached by flood waters may be contaminated and will need to be disinfected thoroughly.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
North Carolina Basement water damage restoration and other states and cities such as
New Jersey Basement water damage restoration companies across the united states.
Which Flooded Items Can I Save?
You may not be very sure what you can save after a flood wreaks havoc on the interior and exterior of your home, but there are some definite things that you can save and things that you will have to throw away.
Certain items that have been soaked in dirty flood water for many hours will probably not be salvageable. Wooden shutters, aluminum, wooden blinds, things made of vinyl, and etcetera can usually not be saved. Metal items will corrode and wooden items tend to warp over time, since it is porous and soaks up water easily.
Any pillows that were in the flood water need to be thrown out, since it will be hard to get rid of all the dirt from the material. It will also be difficult to completely disinfect them.
When you purchase a disinfectant, you should make sure that it is approved by the EPA and that it has a registration number somewhere on the label. This will assure you that the cleaner meets the EPA’s requirements. Having the correct disinfectant for the task at hand is also important. Some disinfectants are only effective on hard surfaces.
Before you begin washing your clothing and other fabrics, you should make sure that the water is safe to use and it not contaminated. If the tap water is safe to drink, it is safe to wash your clothes in. You also might want to make an effort to sanitize your washing machine before you use it. You can do this by running some detergent and bleach through the washer using the most water it can handle.
You can use a water hose to get rid of mud and dirt that is still on the floors of your home and on the furniture. Dried mud and dirt can be scraped and shaken off of most textiles.
When you are dealing with water damaged furniture, you have only a few options. If flood water reached the fabric, it may be stained and if they were in the water for more than a few hours, the silt and dirt that was in the water probably got through both the fabric and the padding. Unfortunately, padding will retain water and allow mold to grow. The majority of the time, your best bet will be to simply discard the upholstered furniture altogether. Restoring this furniture will mean stripping everything down to the frame.
If water gets through the finish on some wood items, it will mildew and the joints in the wooden frame of the item may also become loose.
Mattresses or box springs can be saved if they have come into contact with only a minimum of clean flood water (such as broken water pipes), but mattresses that have been come into contact with dirty flood waters cannot be due to the biological and chemical hazards that exist in them. You should not use a mattress that has a musty odor after it dries, since this means that mold is present. Have this item sanitized by a professional.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
North Carolina Basement water damage restoration and other states and cities such as
New Jersey Basement water damage restoration companies across the united states.
Certain items that have been soaked in dirty flood water for many hours will probably not be salvageable. Wooden shutters, aluminum, wooden blinds, things made of vinyl, and etcetera can usually not be saved. Metal items will corrode and wooden items tend to warp over time, since it is porous and soaks up water easily.
Any pillows that were in the flood water need to be thrown out, since it will be hard to get rid of all the dirt from the material. It will also be difficult to completely disinfect them.
When you purchase a disinfectant, you should make sure that it is approved by the EPA and that it has a registration number somewhere on the label. This will assure you that the cleaner meets the EPA’s requirements. Having the correct disinfectant for the task at hand is also important. Some disinfectants are only effective on hard surfaces.
Before you begin washing your clothing and other fabrics, you should make sure that the water is safe to use and it not contaminated. If the tap water is safe to drink, it is safe to wash your clothes in. You also might want to make an effort to sanitize your washing machine before you use it. You can do this by running some detergent and bleach through the washer using the most water it can handle.
You can use a water hose to get rid of mud and dirt that is still on the floors of your home and on the furniture. Dried mud and dirt can be scraped and shaken off of most textiles.
When you are dealing with water damaged furniture, you have only a few options. If flood water reached the fabric, it may be stained and if they were in the water for more than a few hours, the silt and dirt that was in the water probably got through both the fabric and the padding. Unfortunately, padding will retain water and allow mold to grow. The majority of the time, your best bet will be to simply discard the upholstered furniture altogether. Restoring this furniture will mean stripping everything down to the frame.
If water gets through the finish on some wood items, it will mildew and the joints in the wooden frame of the item may also become loose.
Mattresses or box springs can be saved if they have come into contact with only a minimum of clean flood water (such as broken water pipes), but mattresses that have been come into contact with dirty flood waters cannot be due to the biological and chemical hazards that exist in them. You should not use a mattress that has a musty odor after it dries, since this means that mold is present. Have this item sanitized by a professional.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
North Carolina Basement water damage restoration and other states and cities such as
New Jersey Basement water damage restoration companies across the united states.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
House Flipping Issues: Mold and Water Damage
House flipping is an alluring business venture for almost anyone interested in making a lot of money in a short period of time, but it is not typically as easy as the home decorating shows make it out to be. While they do tend to show most of the problems that can arise while you are renovating a home for sale, what they do not do is put you and your money in the situation. It takes a lot of patience and resourcefulness and if you do not have at least both of these things, you will not succeed in this endeavor.
One of the biggest problems that can surface when you are renovating a home for resale is the presence of mold. Mold growing inside a home can be a huge problem to deal with financially and can completely ruin your budget and possibly the entire project. Before you purchase a property for any reason, you should have it tested for mold growth. As long as you do this and the house comes up clean, you should have no problem with mold growth.
Even if you have already purchased the home and find mold in it, all is not lost. Most of the time removing the affected building materials that have mold on them will fix the problem, but you need to make sure that the mold is dead to be certain. If the mold is dead and there is not a moisture problem in the home, you should be fine. You will run into more problems, however, if you discover that there is a water leakage problem in the home. Any water leaks in the house can lead to mold growth and water damaged materials need to be removed as soon as possible. Look for signs of water damage wherever the mold growth appeared to see if anything needs to be replaced. This is especially true in bathrooms, even if no mold was found there. Floors that have cracked tile in them need to be checked for signs of rotting, so you are certain that you are not installing a new tile floor only to have it collapse later on. The structural integrity of the floors is extremely important for a good flip, because if the brand new toilet, tub, sink, and vanity all fall through the floor later on, you will definitely have some explaining to do to your buyer.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.localrestoration.com and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com
One of the biggest problems that can surface when you are renovating a home for resale is the presence of mold. Mold growing inside a home can be a huge problem to deal with financially and can completely ruin your budget and possibly the entire project. Before you purchase a property for any reason, you should have it tested for mold growth. As long as you do this and the house comes up clean, you should have no problem with mold growth.
Even if you have already purchased the home and find mold in it, all is not lost. Most of the time removing the affected building materials that have mold on them will fix the problem, but you need to make sure that the mold is dead to be certain. If the mold is dead and there is not a moisture problem in the home, you should be fine. You will run into more problems, however, if you discover that there is a water leakage problem in the home. Any water leaks in the house can lead to mold growth and water damaged materials need to be removed as soon as possible. Look for signs of water damage wherever the mold growth appeared to see if anything needs to be replaced. This is especially true in bathrooms, even if no mold was found there. Floors that have cracked tile in them need to be checked for signs of rotting, so you are certain that you are not installing a new tile floor only to have it collapse later on. The structural integrity of the floors is extremely important for a good flip, because if the brand new toilet, tub, sink, and vanity all fall through the floor later on, you will definitely have some explaining to do to your buyer.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.localrestoration.com and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com
HEPA Filters and Mold Spores
Most people know generally what a HEPA filter does, but what they usually do not know is just how beneficial having appliances in your home equipped with them can be. These filters are designed to remove almost anything that you can think of in your home’s air that could be making you sick or aggravating your allergies. With more and more people working from inside their homes, the importance of the air quality inside it has also increased. For those with pets, allergies, family members who smoke, among other things, having an air purifying system in your home equipped with a HEPA filter can help you make sure that your air stays pure to about 99.97%.
It stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air” and purchasing anything equipped with one can be a great benefit to your health. The technology was originally developed by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission for the removal of 99.97% of airborne particles so that your air is as pure as it is capable of being. These filters will remove irritants from the air down to about 0.3 microns in diameter. This includes almost everything that you can think of: pet dander, dust, mold spores, smoke, chemicals, and etcetera.
A vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter can be very helpful, since most vacuum cleaners simply throw dust and other particles up into the air. Stirring up these particles into your air is bad for everyone, but it always happens when you vacuum or dust items in your home.
Air purification systems are popular in homes with people who have respiratory conditions or those who become sick easily. These can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, though, so you will want to make sure that it will be worth it to you and your family. Some families will want or need these more than others.
If you are about to undertake a fair sized mold remediation in your home or someone else’s property, you might want to think about buying a respirator that is equipped with a HEPA filter. This will really help you if you are planning on tearing out drywall or are going into a home with a high mold spore count. The last thing that you need to do when you are doing one of these necessary projects is to go in without wearing a respirator at all. Wearing a simple N-95 type respirator from the hardware store is preferable to wearing none at all.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
It stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air” and purchasing anything equipped with one can be a great benefit to your health. The technology was originally developed by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission for the removal of 99.97% of airborne particles so that your air is as pure as it is capable of being. These filters will remove irritants from the air down to about 0.3 microns in diameter. This includes almost everything that you can think of: pet dander, dust, mold spores, smoke, chemicals, and etcetera.
A vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter can be very helpful, since most vacuum cleaners simply throw dust and other particles up into the air. Stirring up these particles into your air is bad for everyone, but it always happens when you vacuum or dust items in your home.
Air purification systems are popular in homes with people who have respiratory conditions or those who become sick easily. These can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, though, so you will want to make sure that it will be worth it to you and your family. Some families will want or need these more than others.
If you are about to undertake a fair sized mold remediation in your home or someone else’s property, you might want to think about buying a respirator that is equipped with a HEPA filter. This will really help you if you are planning on tearing out drywall or are going into a home with a high mold spore count. The last thing that you need to do when you are doing one of these necessary projects is to go in without wearing a respirator at all. Wearing a simple N-95 type respirator from the hardware store is preferable to wearing none at all.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
HEPA Filter Items Reduce Mold in Your Air
Whether you are attempting a large scale mold remediation in your home or you just want to keep the mold spore level in the air of your home down on a daily basis, items that have HEPA filters in them will go a long way to assisting you in this.
“HEPA” is an acronym standing for “High Efficiency Particulate Air” and it does exactly what the name suggests: it removes 99.9% of particles out of the air in your home, including mold spores, dust, gas, smoke, allergens, and etcetera. You may not realize it, but the air inside your house may be what is making you sick, since breathing air of poor quality can cause all kinds of health problems such as headaches, dizziness, red eye, congestion, fatigue, and can aggravate asthma and other respiratory conditions.
The HEPA filter technology was first developed by the United States Atomic Energy Commission to get rid of radioactive particles in the air. To quality as a real HEPA filter, it must be able to remove 99.97% of any particles that are as small as 0.3 microns. This is equal to about 1/300 of the diameter of one of the hairs on your head. These are usually used in hospitals and in clean rooms of laboratories or anywhere that clean air is important.
There are a few different products that you can purchase to help you breathe better air in your home. These are a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner and an air purifying system equipped with a HEPA filter. Dyson is one of the most popular brands, but it is also one of the most expensive.
HEPA filtered air purifiers are also quite expensive and most of them cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. They can also be purchased by how large of an air space that you need to have cleaned. Ionic air purifiers have been competing with these, however, because the ionic purifiers make no noise.
Almost anything with a HEPA filter in it is going to be expensive, but in the end it will probably be worth it, especially if you have small children or elderly people in the house. It will be even more beneficial if you or a member of your house has a respiratory condition like emphysema or asthma. If you are about to take on a large mold remediation project, purchasing a respirator equipped with a HEPA filter may be something that you want to consider, since opening up walls and removing contaminated material will stir up all kinds of particles.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
“HEPA” is an acronym standing for “High Efficiency Particulate Air” and it does exactly what the name suggests: it removes 99.9% of particles out of the air in your home, including mold spores, dust, gas, smoke, allergens, and etcetera. You may not realize it, but the air inside your house may be what is making you sick, since breathing air of poor quality can cause all kinds of health problems such as headaches, dizziness, red eye, congestion, fatigue, and can aggravate asthma and other respiratory conditions.
The HEPA filter technology was first developed by the United States Atomic Energy Commission to get rid of radioactive particles in the air. To quality as a real HEPA filter, it must be able to remove 99.97% of any particles that are as small as 0.3 microns. This is equal to about 1/300 of the diameter of one of the hairs on your head. These are usually used in hospitals and in clean rooms of laboratories or anywhere that clean air is important.
There are a few different products that you can purchase to help you breathe better air in your home. These are a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner and an air purifying system equipped with a HEPA filter. Dyson is one of the most popular brands, but it is also one of the most expensive.
HEPA filtered air purifiers are also quite expensive and most of them cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. They can also be purchased by how large of an air space that you need to have cleaned. Ionic air purifiers have been competing with these, however, because the ionic purifiers make no noise.
Almost anything with a HEPA filter in it is going to be expensive, but in the end it will probably be worth it, especially if you have small children or elderly people in the house. It will be even more beneficial if you or a member of your house has a respiratory condition like emphysema or asthma. If you are about to take on a large mold remediation project, purchasing a respirator equipped with a HEPA filter may be something that you want to consider, since opening up walls and removing contaminated material will stir up all kinds of particles.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
There are a nControlling Humidity to Prevent Mold
Number of ways to keep the humidity in your home from building up to a level that it allows mold to grow inside the house. The air in your home should not be made completely dry, however, because both airs that are too dry or too wet can cause you and the other members of your household significant discomfort. Having air that is too dry in your home can cause nosebleeds, but having air that is too wet will allow mold to grow, which in turn can cause some serious health problems.
One thing that you should seriously consider is installing a dehumidifier in your basement, if you have one. This is one of the most difficult areas of your home to keep the humidity down in, so sometimes purchasing a piece of equipment to help is necessary. Other ways to keep the humidity in your basement down are pretty cheap, though, in comparison. If the concrete walls in your basement are leaking, you can usually fix this with an injection of concrete using a caulking gun. Something else that you can do is to install an exhaust fan in the basement to alleviate some of the moisture. If you use the basement to do laundry, one of the worst things that you can do is hang clothes up to dry there, since as the clothes dry out, the moisture evaporates and saturates the air around them.
To keep your house as dry as possible, you need to clean up spills of water as soon as they happen and these spills are most likely to happen in the kitchen or the bathroom. Both of these rooms should have tile installed on the floor that is water tight, so any spills that do occur do not leak water into the sub-flooring. Sub-flooring that keeps getting wet will eventually crumble, leaving your toilet, bathtub, or sink on the ground under the house. Most people have not had to deal with a floor collapse in their home, but water damage or termites are the usual culprits.
Replacing the plumbing in your home can also help with preventing water damage (and thus, excess humidity) in the house. Older homes may have plumbing that needs to be replaced, since these can not only become inefficient due to mineral buildup inside them, but are also more likely to leak. If you notice any discoloration of the drywall in your house near the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room, you might have a leak behind the wall that needs to be dealt with.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Mold Remediation and
water damage restoration companies across the united states.
One thing that you should seriously consider is installing a dehumidifier in your basement, if you have one. This is one of the most difficult areas of your home to keep the humidity down in, so sometimes purchasing a piece of equipment to help is necessary. Other ways to keep the humidity in your basement down are pretty cheap, though, in comparison. If the concrete walls in your basement are leaking, you can usually fix this with an injection of concrete using a caulking gun. Something else that you can do is to install an exhaust fan in the basement to alleviate some of the moisture. If you use the basement to do laundry, one of the worst things that you can do is hang clothes up to dry there, since as the clothes dry out, the moisture evaporates and saturates the air around them.
To keep your house as dry as possible, you need to clean up spills of water as soon as they happen and these spills are most likely to happen in the kitchen or the bathroom. Both of these rooms should have tile installed on the floor that is water tight, so any spills that do occur do not leak water into the sub-flooring. Sub-flooring that keeps getting wet will eventually crumble, leaving your toilet, bathtub, or sink on the ground under the house. Most people have not had to deal with a floor collapse in their home, but water damage or termites are the usual culprits.
Replacing the plumbing in your home can also help with preventing water damage (and thus, excess humidity) in the house. Older homes may have plumbing that needs to be replaced, since these can not only become inefficient due to mineral buildup inside them, but are also more likely to leak. If you notice any discoloration of the drywall in your house near the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room, you might have a leak behind the wall that needs to be dealt with.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Mold Remediation and
water damage restoration companies across the united states.
Why You Need a Waterproof Safe
Our lives are often contained in our legal papers and other documents that are important to us, so taking good care of them and keeping track of where they are at all times is pretty important for most people. If it is not important to you, it should be, since losing these items can cause you problems later on. These documents can include anything from a birth certificate to a death certificate and from divorce papers to marriage papers and everything in between. Insurance documents, contracts, bank statements, tax records, and anything else that you can think of that you might need in the legal arena is something that you need to take care of and while this may seem like a daunting task for most people, it really is necessary in order to retain a somewhat organized life.
But, what do you do when a flood strikes your home? The documents that you have done so much to take care of are often flooded along with the rest of your home and depending on the amount of time they stayed in the water, they may not be salvageable. One thing that you can do to protect your most important documents is to purchase a waterproof safe. These can protect your papers in some of the most dilapidated watery conditions in a way that other plastic containers and drawers cannot.
When sewage, chemicals, bacteria, and other things contaminate your home and everything in it, you will want to know that the copy of your homeowner’s insurance policy is safe. Floods are not covered by most insurance policies, but if you have purchased it, you will want to find your copy of the policy as soon as possible after the event occurs. If it is lost in the sea of contaminated items in your home and damaged beyond repair, you may be in trouble. Water damaged papers are difficult to salvage sometimes, but you will not have to worry about this if you have a waterproof safe in your home to hold your most valuable possessions and documents.
Purchasing a safe that is both waterproof and fireproof can be an even better investment. Unlike water damaged documents, fire damaged documents are usually not salvageable, since there is often only a scrap or two of it left after the fire is over.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut Mold Remediation services and
flood and water damage cleanup companies across the united states.
But, what do you do when a flood strikes your home? The documents that you have done so much to take care of are often flooded along with the rest of your home and depending on the amount of time they stayed in the water, they may not be salvageable. One thing that you can do to protect your most important documents is to purchase a waterproof safe. These can protect your papers in some of the most dilapidated watery conditions in a way that other plastic containers and drawers cannot.
When sewage, chemicals, bacteria, and other things contaminate your home and everything in it, you will want to know that the copy of your homeowner’s insurance policy is safe. Floods are not covered by most insurance policies, but if you have purchased it, you will want to find your copy of the policy as soon as possible after the event occurs. If it is lost in the sea of contaminated items in your home and damaged beyond repair, you may be in trouble. Water damaged papers are difficult to salvage sometimes, but you will not have to worry about this if you have a waterproof safe in your home to hold your most valuable possessions and documents.
Purchasing a safe that is both waterproof and fireproof can be an even better investment. Unlike water damaged documents, fire damaged documents are usually not salvageable, since there is often only a scrap or two of it left after the fire is over.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut Mold Remediation services and
flood and water damage cleanup companies across the united states.
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