There are a number of places in your home that mold may start to grow and theoretically, they can grow anywhere in the house, but there are some areas that are more at risk than others. Any room in the house where there is an excess amount of moisture going through it every single day is particularly at risk for mold growth and this risk should not be underestimated. A casual inspection every few weeks or every month should be done, if not due to the cost of having mold removed from the house, but also due to the health effects that mold can cause if it is let to thrive.
The very first room that you need to be concerned with is the bathroom. This is the mold center of the house 99 percent of the time, since more water passes in and out of this room than any other. Every member of your family takes a bath or a shower every day (at least, they should) and this means gallons upon gallons of water moving to and from the room, either in the form of steam or liquid. The liquid form is the most dangerous to the floor, especially if the floor is not waterproofed. This will cause not only mold growth, but also water damage to the floor joists that can cause it to rot over time. Long term damage such as this has been known to cause toilets and tubs to fall through the floor, resulting in an expense that most people do not have the money to pay for immediately.
The steam produces a problem for the ceiling and upper walls if there is nowhere for it to escape to. Most building codes require that there be a window or an exhaust fan installed in the bathroom, but you should really have both of these. The fan will remove the steam from the room and direct it outside where it will do no damage to anything.
The next room you should take care of is the kitchen. Whether you have a dishwasher or do your dishes by hand, there is always a chance that water will be spilled onto the floor and seep into an area that you cannot completely dry. This is usually because your floor is not completely sealed or has cracks in the flooring. Mold can also grow due to the steam coming from your stove, but this problem can be solved if you have an exhaust vent installed over it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Miami and
water damage restoration in atlanta companies.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Renter’s Rights Concerning Mold
Even though we know that mold exists everywhere around us, having excess amounts of it in our homes or workplaces can be hazardous to our health and should be taken care of as soon as it is noticed. If you are renting an apartment or a house and discover a mold issue on the property, you need to take this up with your landlord as soon as possible. There are a number of rights that a renter has and being guaranteed a safe and sanitary living space is most certainly one of them.
As long as the mold issue was not caused by you, your landlord is responsible for having any removal done. You can also hold the landlord responsible for any medical bills that you may incur due to being exposed to the mold, but depending upon your relationship with your landlord, having them take care of the problem may be enough for you. If your landlord has been good to you throughout the course of your stay on his or her property and you wish to continue renting from them after the incident is over, it could be in your best interest to not cause too much trouble over the issue. If you feel that your landlord has neglected the property and has allowed it to fall into disrepair and has repeatedly ignored your request for maintenance and mold removal, then seek the maximum the law will grant you under the circumstances. You should seek the compensation that is right for your situation.
The first thing that you need to do, no matter how much you trust your landlord, is send him or her a certified letter stating that mold exists on the property along with proof of this. You can obtain this proof most easily by performing a do-it-yourself mold testing kit and sending in the results or you can hire a mold inspector to look at the property.
If you do not receive a response from your landlord, a second letter should be sent in the same manner and state that you will withhold your rent until the matter is solved. This should get the reaction that you want, but sometimes even this is not enough.
The last thing that you need to do if you do not feel that your landlord has responded in a timely fashion is to send yet another certified letter and state your intent to move and bring legal action within a certain amount of days unless the problem is taken care of immediately. At this point, charging your landlord for any medical bills you may have incurred that are directly related to mold exposure is completely ethical and acceptable.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Los Angeles water damage and restoration services and Denver water damage restoration companies.
As long as the mold issue was not caused by you, your landlord is responsible for having any removal done. You can also hold the landlord responsible for any medical bills that you may incur due to being exposed to the mold, but depending upon your relationship with your landlord, having them take care of the problem may be enough for you. If your landlord has been good to you throughout the course of your stay on his or her property and you wish to continue renting from them after the incident is over, it could be in your best interest to not cause too much trouble over the issue. If you feel that your landlord has neglected the property and has allowed it to fall into disrepair and has repeatedly ignored your request for maintenance and mold removal, then seek the maximum the law will grant you under the circumstances. You should seek the compensation that is right for your situation.
The first thing that you need to do, no matter how much you trust your landlord, is send him or her a certified letter stating that mold exists on the property along with proof of this. You can obtain this proof most easily by performing a do-it-yourself mold testing kit and sending in the results or you can hire a mold inspector to look at the property.
If you do not receive a response from your landlord, a second letter should be sent in the same manner and state that you will withhold your rent until the matter is solved. This should get the reaction that you want, but sometimes even this is not enough.
The last thing that you need to do if you do not feel that your landlord has responded in a timely fashion is to send yet another certified letter and state your intent to move and bring legal action within a certain amount of days unless the problem is taken care of immediately. At this point, charging your landlord for any medical bills you may have incurred that are directly related to mold exposure is completely ethical and acceptable.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Los Angeles water damage and restoration services and Denver water damage restoration companies.
Removing Mold And The Equipment You Need
The process of removing mold from your home can be a long and tedious one, depending on how large the infection is and whether you are choosing to take care of the problem yourself or have a professional take care of the problem for you. The most efficient solution for those who have the money, but not a lot of time is to have a professional mold remediation company remove the mold and all affected materials from the property, but not everyone can afford to have this done. So, the option of removing the mold yourself is available, but only for those who have the knowledge and proper equipment to do so.
You can perform most mold removal projects on your own, but projects that require you remove material from walls, floors, or ceilings are best undertaken by those who have experience in interior remodeling and renovation. Scrubbing mold off of certain areas of the home is fairly easy and is an efficient way to deal with a mold problem, as long as the mold has not embedded itself into the surface. Drywall is particularly at risk for having to be replaced if the mold infection becomes too extensive.
You will need buckets of water and the cleaning solution of your choice, along with sponges, rags, or whatever you decide to use while doing the cleanup. Wearing latex or rubber gloves is recommended for this, since coming into contact with mold can cause skin rashes. Heavy trash bags will be needed to dispose of waste in.
Something else you may want to purchase is a respirator, particularly if you are going to be opening up any walls and releasing mold spores into the air. An N-95 respirator can be purchased from your local hardware store and is the lowest level of protection available. If you want more protection than that, you can purchase a half or full face mask respirator with a HEPA filter attached to it.
Wearing disposable protective clothing is also recommended if the mold problem is extensive in any area of the house. Protective shoe covers should also be worn and duct tape used to seal up the gaps in the suit on the wrists and ankles.
Something else you may want to purchase is an air purifier with a HEPA filter built into it. This will help clean the air in your home and remove almost anything you can think of, including mold spores stirred up by the removal, and your health will improve. Depending on your financial situation, you may not be able to afford this, but if you can afford it, purchasing one of these air purifiers will be one of the best health investments you can make.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Miami water Damage companies.
You can perform most mold removal projects on your own, but projects that require you remove material from walls, floors, or ceilings are best undertaken by those who have experience in interior remodeling and renovation. Scrubbing mold off of certain areas of the home is fairly easy and is an efficient way to deal with a mold problem, as long as the mold has not embedded itself into the surface. Drywall is particularly at risk for having to be replaced if the mold infection becomes too extensive.
You will need buckets of water and the cleaning solution of your choice, along with sponges, rags, or whatever you decide to use while doing the cleanup. Wearing latex or rubber gloves is recommended for this, since coming into contact with mold can cause skin rashes. Heavy trash bags will be needed to dispose of waste in.
Something else you may want to purchase is a respirator, particularly if you are going to be opening up any walls and releasing mold spores into the air. An N-95 respirator can be purchased from your local hardware store and is the lowest level of protection available. If you want more protection than that, you can purchase a half or full face mask respirator with a HEPA filter attached to it.
Wearing disposable protective clothing is also recommended if the mold problem is extensive in any area of the house. Protective shoe covers should also be worn and duct tape used to seal up the gaps in the suit on the wrists and ankles.
Something else you may want to purchase is an air purifier with a HEPA filter built into it. This will help clean the air in your home and remove almost anything you can think of, including mold spores stirred up by the removal, and your health will improve. Depending on your financial situation, you may not be able to afford this, but if you can afford it, purchasing one of these air purifiers will be one of the best health investments you can make.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Miami water Damage companies.
Mold Prevention All Over the House
Mold growing in your home can be a serious problem not only for you, but also for the building itself. The negative health effects it can have on you, your family, and your pets are bad enough by themselves, but when you add the structural damage it can do, what it costs to have it removed, and how unsightly it can be, it is a nightmare for any homeowner to deal with. There are a number of places in your home that are at risk for mold growth and you should do a casual inspection of these areas often, since it can start to grow in about 48 hours.
The bathroom is the worst area of the home at risk for mold because this room sees so much water going in and out of it every day. Hopefully everyone in your home takes a bath or a shower at least once a day and if they do, then this is somewhere around or even over a hundred gallons a day. Steam collects and becomes soaked up by the ceiling and will cause mold to grow there over time. Ceilings have been known to collapse due to this kind of moisture buildup, so having an exhaust vent installed in the room to let the steam outside into the atmosphere is a good idea. The bathroom floor should also be waterproofed. Hard, non-porous surfaces are not good environments for mold to grow on, but if they get underneath to the wooden sub-floor, they will thrive.
The kitchen is another area of the home at risk and an exhaust vent should be here, too, and preferably located over the stove. This is also an area that needs to have a water tight floor, since it is also a place where spills of liquid happen often. Dishwashers and ice makers in the refrigerator also have a tendency to malfunction if they are old or in disrepair.
Basements have their own humidity problem to deal with most of the time and you can fix this by repairing any water leaks that may be there and installing a dehumidifier can also help. If you do laundry or have an extra bathroom here, an exhaust vent is a must. Replacing window wells and piling more soil around the foundation of your house can help stop water from seeping inside, as well.
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 bathroom is the worst area of the home at risk for mold because this room sees so much water going in and out of it every day. Hopefully everyone in your home takes a bath or a shower at least once a day and if they do, then this is somewhere around or even over a hundred gallons a day. Steam collects and becomes soaked up by the ceiling and will cause mold to grow there over time. Ceilings have been known to collapse due to this kind of moisture buildup, so having an exhaust vent installed in the room to let the steam outside into the atmosphere is a good idea. The bathroom floor should also be waterproofed. Hard, non-porous surfaces are not good environments for mold to grow on, but if they get underneath to the wooden sub-floor, they will thrive.
The kitchen is another area of the home at risk and an exhaust vent should be here, too, and preferably located over the stove. This is also an area that needs to have a water tight floor, since it is also a place where spills of liquid happen often. Dishwashers and ice makers in the refrigerator also have a tendency to malfunction if they are old or in disrepair.
Basements have their own humidity problem to deal with most of the time and you can fix this by repairing any water leaks that may be there and installing a dehumidifier can also help. If you do laundry or have an extra bathroom here, an exhaust vent is a must. Replacing window wells and piling more soil around the foundation of your house can help stop water from seeping inside, as well.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Here Is How To Prevent House Fires
Fires happen all over the world, but the fires that happen inside a person’s home are often the most preventable and all it takes is a little diligence and some common sense to discover what the fire hazards in your home are and how to get rid of them when you find them.
It is a fact that most house fires happen in the kitchen. Even though a great number of these small stove fires go unreported because they do not do any damage, you really need to learn what you can do to prevent them from happening in the first place, because it only takes a second or two for a small fire to spread into a much larger one. House fire prevention begins in the kitchen by learning that you should never leave anything on the stove unattended unless it is an emergency and you should never leave the house to go and run errands during this time unless someone is going to be there to keep an eye on the cooking.
You also need to be careful with deep fryers and electric skillets. Any appliance that emits a large amount of heat needs to be monitored consistently to make sure that it does not overheat and catch on fire and you should not ever have to use an extension cord with these. Small extension cords like the ones you would use for lamps will NOT work and will melt. If you must use an extension cord, make sure it is a heavy duty one with a gauge of at least 14.
Heating shortening and oil in the kitchen also poses a significant problem, since it is so flammable. Heat these slowly so that they do not burn and do not catch on fire and if you have to leave the room, turn them off or have someone watch them for you.
Space heaters are also a big problem during the winter time and like with deep fryers and electric skillets, do not use an extension cord with these. Do not place them near drapes or other fabric items and keep children away from them. Also try not to leave them on overnight while you are sleeping unless you absolutely have to and even then, make sure you take the necessary steps to keep flammable items away from them. Do not use these in the bedrooms of small children due to the amount of flammable stuffed animals, pillows, and blankets that are likely to be there.
The worst thing that you can do is let yourself become comfortable with these appliances and allow yourself to think that you know what you are doing and a fire cannot happen to you. Letting your guard down in this manner is what causes a large amount of house fires.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Houston Fire Damage Water Restoration Contractor companies and
Los Angeles Water Damage and Restoration Services.
It is a fact that most house fires happen in the kitchen. Even though a great number of these small stove fires go unreported because they do not do any damage, you really need to learn what you can do to prevent them from happening in the first place, because it only takes a second or two for a small fire to spread into a much larger one. House fire prevention begins in the kitchen by learning that you should never leave anything on the stove unattended unless it is an emergency and you should never leave the house to go and run errands during this time unless someone is going to be there to keep an eye on the cooking.
You also need to be careful with deep fryers and electric skillets. Any appliance that emits a large amount of heat needs to be monitored consistently to make sure that it does not overheat and catch on fire and you should not ever have to use an extension cord with these. Small extension cords like the ones you would use for lamps will NOT work and will melt. If you must use an extension cord, make sure it is a heavy duty one with a gauge of at least 14.
Heating shortening and oil in the kitchen also poses a significant problem, since it is so flammable. Heat these slowly so that they do not burn and do not catch on fire and if you have to leave the room, turn them off or have someone watch them for you.
Space heaters are also a big problem during the winter time and like with deep fryers and electric skillets, do not use an extension cord with these. Do not place them near drapes or other fabric items and keep children away from them. Also try not to leave them on overnight while you are sleeping unless you absolutely have to and even then, make sure you take the necessary steps to keep flammable items away from them. Do not use these in the bedrooms of small children due to the amount of flammable stuffed animals, pillows, and blankets that are likely to be there.
The worst thing that you can do is let yourself become comfortable with these appliances and allow yourself to think that you know what you are doing and a fire cannot happen to you. Letting your guard down in this manner is what causes a large amount of house fires.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Houston Fire Damage Water Restoration Contractor companies and
Los Angeles Water Damage and Restoration Services.
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