Water Damage Repair and Restoration For Minnesota Homeowners
Consumer Information About Water Damage Restoration Water damage mitigation is something that must be dealt with as soon as possible. Most insurance policies cover the cost of water damage mitigation, but they also require the policyholder to take the necessary steps to prevent secondary damages. You need a restoration expert that works for you to protect your interest. Under The law, it is your right to choose what company will perform work in your home or business.Preventing the presence of mold is one of many concerns for those who have suffered from a water damage event, but it should not be the only concern. In fact, most people have so many misconceptions about water damage and the potential for mold growth, that we decided to offer this consumer education message, so when you need to select a water damage mitigation company, you can make an informed intelligent decision. Here are some important steps to take immediately following a water damage event to help minimize secondary damages as well as precautions that should be taken during water damage mitigation to protect your health and safety. There are also some questions you should ask a water damage restoration company before you invite them into your home. To begin with, water damage mitigation is a specialized field that requires special protective measures, specialized equipment and testing capabilities as well as certain engineering controls to protect you and your property. Most restoration contractors know how to perform simple drying and site cleanup. Experienced companies know how to provide restoration services that protect not only the structure, but also your health. Water damage can be the starting point for many serious problems that can affect a building, damage personal property and present serious health risks to occupants. To restore property and protect health, a professional restoration contractor must carefully manage the project. He has to be knowledgeable in several disciplines… stopping bacteria from spreading, preventing mold growth, preventing secondary damage and saving the structure and its many contents. Additionally, he must be able to communicate to the water damage victims and insurance company representatives with confidence and authority. Water damaged structures can be the perfect breeding place for mold. Poor indoor ventilation can also cause molds to thrive. Wet building materials and humid indoor air are mold’s best friends. Often, a less-experienced restoration company will compound problems during water damage by not understanding the proper steps and precautions that must be taken and how critical the “Time Factor” is. The EPA says, “Stop the water leak quickly and begin restoration during the first 24 hours. It is important to dry water damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth”. While mold requires high humidity and/or wet surfaces in order to grow, it also requires a food source. Indoors, many molds grow on leather, paper and some building materials. Molds can also grow and thrive on bio-film such as cooking grease. The most effective way to prevent mold growth on water damage losses is to begin the drying process quickly. Restoration companies who are aware of possible mold growth problems usually know how to dry structural materials with heat, air movement and by lowering the indoor relative humidity. This is an effective way to dry a building because material removal is minimized and mold growth is retarded. Knowing how to determine exactly what is wet during a water loss is a critical part of the job. If areas of moisture are overlooked, molds and bacteria can grow. To protect your property and health, all of the moisture must be found and dealt...
Read MoreWater Damage Mold and Your Home
Water Damage and Mold For significant mold growth to occur, there must be a source of water (which could be invisible humidity), a source of food, and a substrate capable of sustaining growth. Common building materials, such as plywood, drywall, furring strips, carpets, and carpet padding are food for molds. In carpet, invisible dust is the food source. After a single incident of water damage occurs in a building, molds grow inside walls and then become dormant until a subsequent incident of high humidity; this illustrates how mold can appear to be a sudden problem, long after a previous flood or water incident that did not produce a mold-related problem. The Right Conditions The right conditions re-activate mold. Studies also show that mycotoxin levels are perceptibly higher in buildings that have once had a water incident Both our indoor and outdoor environment have mold spores present. There is no such thing as a mold free environment in the Earth’s biosphere. Spores needs three things to grow into mold: (1) Nutrients: Food for spores in an indoor environment is organic matter, often cellulose. (2) Moisture Moisture is required to begin the decaying process caused by the mold. (3) Time: Mold growth begins between 24 hours and 10 days from the provision of the growing conditions. There is no way to date mold. Mold colonies can grow inside building structures. The main problem with the presence of mold in buildings is the inhalation of mycotoxins. Molds may produce an identifiable smell. Growth is fostered by moisture. After a flood or major leak, mycotoxin levels are higher in the building even after it has dried out (source: CMHC). Food sources for molds in buildings include cellulose-based materials, such as wood, cardboard, and the paper facing on both sides of drywall, and all other kinds of organic matter, such as soap, dust and fabrics. Carpet contains dust made of organic matter such as skin cells. If a house has mold, the moisture may be from the basement or crawl space, a leaking roof, or a leak in plumbing pipes behind the walls. Insufficient ventilation can further enable moisture build-up. The more people in a space, the more humidity builds up. This is from normal breathing and perspiring. Visible mold colonies may form where ventilation is poorest, and on perimeter walls, because they are coolest, thus closest to the dew point. If there are mold problems in a house only during certain times of the year, then it is probably either too air-tight, or too drafty. Mold problems occur in airtight homes more frequently in the warmer months (when humidity reaches high levels inside the house, and moisture is trapped), and occur in drafty homes more frequently in the colder months (when warm air escapes from the living area into unconditioned space, and condenses). If a house is humidified artificially during the winter, this can create conditions favorable to mold. Moving air may prevent mold from growing since it has the same desiccating effect as lowering humidity. Minnesota Water and Flood Restoration Expert There are many ways to prevent mold growth. A Minnesota Water and Flood Restoration Expert is capable of repairing the damage – usually by removing the affected areas and eliminating the cause of the excess moisture with state of the art equipment and experience. Industrial pumps will remove the water quickly and efficiently. High velocity fans will dry the area in no time at all. Experience counts when dealing with mold, mildew, fungus and water that might be contaminated will keep you and your family...
Read MoreMold and Hidden Water Damage
Mold From Ongoing Minor or Hidden Water Damage Virtually everyone has some type of mold or another somewhere in their home. Although not all types are toxic, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish types without lab testing. Black molds can develop from water intrusion like water seepage, improper drainage and irrigation, plumbing leaks, rain and condensation issues. While toxic mold is less common than other mold species, it is not rare. For that reason, it is imperative to treat and remove all molds as if they are potentially harmful. Regardless of the type of mold found, a home containing mold is essentially not a healthy home. Exterior Water Intrusion Mold can grow on any wet building materials. Once it is discovered, it must be addressed quickly and appropriately. Delayed or improper treatment of mold issues can multiply repair costs significantly. When building materials such as wood siding, brick, concrete block and stucco are exposed to moisture sources from outdoors, over time that moisture can penetrate exterior walls and enter the wall cavity, creating perfect conditions for mold growth in between exterior and interior walls. Eventually the moisture and mold can penetrate all the way through to the interior side of wall surfaces. By that time, extensive damage to the structure has already taken place. Water and Mold Cleanup and Repair Begin any cleanup by drying your home, including removing any water-damaged items to help facilitate drying. Water-damaged walls and floorboards will need to be thoroughly dried, and drywall will likely have to be thrown away. All wet insulation, carpet, and similar items will also have to be thrown away. If you are cleaning personal items, there will be some hard choices to make. Cloth materials can normally be cleaned by laundering them several times to remove the impact of the water. Many other porous items, such as couches, stuffed animals, papers, and some older pictures, will have to be thrown away if they have been in the water for longer than 48 hours. Remember, it is better to throw something away than have it become a source of mold in the future. The long-term health issues associated with mold can be reduced by ensuring that a proper cleanup is done. If you suspect you have a mold problem from hidden water damage, it is always best to hire a qualified and experienced specialist that is knowledgeable in the latest water extraction and drying methods. If your home was flooded for longer than 48 hours, you will probably need to consult a Certified (IICRC) Water Damage Restoration Professional. A proper inspection can help detect water intrusion issues early, saving thousands of dollars in repairs costs. Some of this information was quoted from an article called “Is Indoor Mold Contamination a Threat to Health?” by Harriet M. Ammann, Ph.D., D.A.B.T. – Senior Toxicologist at Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington. Is Indoor Mold Contamination a Threat to Health.pdf Download Or for a full copy of her report in Microsoft Word format CLICK...
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