Moisture?

6/13/2019 (Permalink)

Mold in your home can cause numerous issues. If not treated properly in the early stages, mold damage can become rather expensive. Not to mention, mold can cause various types of health issues. Lucky, we have some tips on how to prevent mold in your home. If you have mold in your home, we provide emergency services 24/7 so please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Identify problem areas and fix the problems immediately

If you notice your basement flood every time it rains, get it fixed before the mold spreads to other areas in the house.

Dry wet areas immediately

Areas that get wet after a heavy rainfall or even just a spill onto carpet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours. If you experience items that cannot be dried within this time frame, you want to remove the items that cannot be dried- carpet, furniture, bedding.

Direct water away from your home

Ensure that the foundation of your home does not allow for any flooding to seep into your home.

Clean or repair roof gutters

A roof can leak due to clogged gutters. During and after fall, ensure the gutters are free from natural debris such as leaves and twigs. Occasionally, you want to check to make sure the gutters are not blocked by any debris so they work properly.

Moisture Control

3/30/2018 (Permalink)

Mold in your home can cause numerous issues. If not treated properly in the early stages, mold damage can become rather expensive. Not to mention, mold can cause various types of health issues. Lucky, we have some tips on how to prevent mold in your home. If you have mold in your home, we provide emergency services 24/7 so please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Identify problem areas and fix the problems immediately

If you notice your basement flood every time it rains, get it fixed before the mold spreads to other areas in the house.

Dry wet areas immediately

Areas that get wet after a heavy rainfall or even just a spill onto carpet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours. If you experience items that cannot be dried within this time frame, you want to remove the items that cannot be dried- carpet, furniture, bedding.

Direct water away from your home

Ensure that the foundation of your home does not allow for any flooding to seep into your home.

Clean or repair roof gutters

A roof can leak due to clogged gutters. During and after fall, ensure the gutters are free from natural debris such as leaves and twigs. Occasionally, you want to check to make sure the gutters are not blocked by any debris so they work properly.

Removing mold from concrete

3/30/2018 (Permalink)

Mold thrives in a place that is dark and humid which is stereotypically a basement. With the perfect environment, microbial growth can happen anywhere including a surface that is not usually mold prone. Concrete is that surface. So what do you do when you walk down to your basement and it is covered in mold? You can always call SERVPRO of Dublin, Vidalia, Claxton. But if you want to attempt to clean it yourself follow these guidelines. To avoid any possibility of breathing in the bacteria, wear a mask to protect your health. Clean with a mixture of detergent and water. After creating the cleaning mixture, scrub the area to remove the mold. Once this part is complete, you want to spray the area with a disinfectant to reduce the possibility of regrowth. If you are worried about not treating the area properly, call us at (912) 538-1323.

Common Myths about Mold

3/20/2018 (Permalink)

All mold is bad. When facing mold in your home and business, it is understandable to see how all mold could be considered unhealthy. Not every mold that grows indoors is a dangerous mold. There are some molds, that are good for humans, such as penicillin. According to the CDC, there is always some mold everywhere – in the air and on many surfaces. An environmental specialist should be consulted to determine if there are any dangerous molds in your home or business.

Bleach kills mold. Bleach is a powerful cleaning agent. It can kill a whole host of bacteria on non-porous items. Killing mold, however, is not something bleach was ever intended to do. In fact, bleach is not a remedy recommended by the EPA or OSHA. Using bleach could lead to more damage due to the corrosive nature of the product.  The same caution and advice holds for other consumer level retail cleaning products.

Cleaning up Mold Can Be Done Yourself. In small areas, this may be possible with the right products and equipment. Most people, however, are simply not equipped to do a proper mold remediation. Attempting to remediate a small area yourself could lead to larger problems if caution is not taken when disposing of mold infested debris. Lack of proper containment in a small area, could lead to infecting the entire residence causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage.

Painting Over Mold Will Seal it and Prevent Regrowth. Also referred to as encapsulation this is a good method but only when done within a full mold remediation protocol. A common household fix is to use bleach to wipe down the problem area. Bleach will discolor the mold, but not remove it. Once the area is wiped down with bleach, then it is painted in hopes it will seal in any mold that was missed and prevent future mold from growing. This method does not work unless the initial cause of the mold growth is addressed and corrected. Underlying causes of mold can be excessive moisture or excessive humidity. If the moisture problem is not repaired or eliminated then the chances of the mold returning are greatly increased.

SERVPRO of Dublin/Vidalia/Claxton will be ready for your mold mitigation and restoration needs! Our crews are highly trained restoration professionals that use specialized equipment and techniques to properly remediate your mold problem quickly and safely.

Mold vs Mildew

3/20/2018 (Permalink)

Plain and simple, mildew and mold are fungi. Fungi can live in many different types of habitats such as in soil, on vegetation, and on surfaces exposed to moist conditions like a wall or ceiling after flood damage. Fungi reproduce by spores and quickly can spread.

What is mildew? 

Mildew is mold in its early stage and often the term is used interchangeably with the word mold. That whitish-gray, powdery substance sometimes seen on the leaves of a plant is mildew. Mildew is a surface fungi that grows on organic material like plants and food as well as wood or fibrous items like:

• Drywall
• Insulation
• Cardboard/paperboard
• Wallpaper
• Fabric

How is it different from Mold? 

Mold ranges in color from green to gray, brownish and black. It may appear fuzzy, flat or even slimy. Green slimy mold may develop in the damp, shady areas of decks and even vinyl siding, while indoors, mold can develop on grout, tile and other surfaces found in and around bathrooms and other areas with high humidity and inadequate ventilation.

Mold 101

3/20/2018 (Permalink)

While developing, mold forms multicellular filaments called hyphae and adopts single-celled growth habits called yeasts. A large taxonomically diverse number of fungal species exist that can grow on the inside of your Nashville area home.

As the tubular branching mycelium threads over a contact surface, fluffy white threads begin to cover various surfaces found on your property. Mold damage occurs as these microbes systematically produce new colonies, becoming more and more visible to the human eye during the late stages of its life-cycle. Mold causes various stages of biodegradation to natural materials used to construct your home. Often leaving you and your family exposed to pathogenic molds that produce inhalable toxic compounds. There are thousands upon thousands of known mold species, making discovering the type of mold existing in your home useless.

The kind of mold that exists makes no difference whatsoever in how SERVPRO approaches treating the growth found in your home. Our technicians use a variety of strategies based on the extent of exposure that exists, using containment and control methods to stop the spread in its tracks, preventing further growth. Although mold plays a major role in our planet's ecosystem, having it in your home can produce unhealthy results. Therefore, at the first signs of mold growth in your home, it is important to contact a licensed, qualified professional, like those offered at SERVPRO, for help.

Attempting to mitigate or remove mold alone can result in additional growth or additional exposure that you want to avoid. SERVPRO can help you regain control over your home’s indoor environment, and drastically improve the quality of the air that you breathe. Remember, the longer you take to act the longer mold has to develop. Given enough time, many species of mold adjust to various living conditions, surviving in harsh conditions including extreme cold, highly acidic solvents, anti-bacterial, or even within petroleum products.

Obtain professionally certified mold remediation services by calling SERVPRO of Dublin/Vidalia/Claxton today. We are here to help members of our community when you need us the most (912) 538-1323.

Humidity in the Home

3/15/2018 (Permalink)

Humidity can cause mold to begin to grow in a home. Below are a few ways to reduce humidity in your home or business which will reduce the possibility of microbial growth!

• Vent appliances that produce moisture, such as clothes dryers, stoves, and kerosene heaters, to the outdoors, where possible.  (Combustion appliances, such as stoves and kerosene heaters, produce water vapor and will increase the humidity unless vented to the outside.)  
• Use air conditioners and/or de-humidifiers when needed. 
• Run the bathroom fan or open the window when showering.  Use exhaust fans or open windows whenever cooking, running the dishwasher or dishwashing, etc.
• Actions that will help prevent condensation:
• Reduce the humidity.  
• Increase ventilation and air movement by opening doors and/or windows, when practical.  Use fans as needed. 
• Cover cold surfaces, such as cold-water pipes, with insulation. 
• Increase air temperature.

These are different ways to lower the likelihood of microbial growth in your home. If you believe you have mold in your home or business, give your SERVPRO of Dublin/Vidalia/Claxton a call at (912) 538-1323. We will make it look “Like it never even happened.”

It’s Never Too Late to Clean Up Mold!

12/7/2016 (Permalink)

Common Indoor Mold: Cladosporium, Penicillium, Alternaria & Aspergillus

Here in the middle Georgia area, we have the ideal climate for mold to develop and thrive. Since mold can start to develop in as little as 48 hours after water damage, it is imperative that any damage due to a fire, flood, broken water pipe, or leaky foundation be cleaned up promptly and properly. This cleanup will help you avoid significant property damage to your Conroe and The Woodlands home due to mold.

After Spring storms and summer showers, comes the damp, and moisture forecast, and the result of mold infestation is high. It is important to address any signs of mold immediately and correctly. Homes in our area are often affected by mold in bathrooms and basements,  mold can develop anywhere in your home, especially if you have experienced any type of flooding. 

Mold spores spread through the air, so even areas that were not directly affected by floodwaters can soon become home to serious mold infestations. Mold is often found in air ducts, which can cause it to spread quickly. SERVPRO of Dublin/Vidalia/Claxton is always ready to help you restore your home after a water damage or in the event of mold.Time is of the essence: the longer you postpone cleanup, the longer the mold remediation process, the more expensive,  and more inconvenience for you and your family.

If you are starting to see or smell mold in your home, a thorough cleaning and disinfecting is required, and the sooner the better. Mold has the potential to cause health effects, so cleanup should be conducted with proper protective clothing, masks and gloves. Bleach and water should be used to kill the mold in all affected areas. Scrub the solution into the area, rinse, and dry thoroughly. If saturated drywall and insulation was not removed after storm damage, you likely need a thorough evaluation by a professional emergency water damage restoration team.

Water damage that was not properly remedied prior to rebuilding may have caused mold to start growing behind your new walls or under your new carpeting. If the structure of your home was not properly disinfected, dehumidified, and dried, mold may be thriving. Your local SERVPRO of Dublin/Vidalia/Claxton teams see this frequently. In a rush to make properties habitable, steps are often skipped, leading to mold infestations. If you believe you have mold growth from recent floods or other water damage, call us immediately. We can quickly help you identify problem areas and start the mold remediation process.

Our mission is to help our neighbors, friends, and community members quickly recover from damage caused by natural disaster, fire, sewage backup, or other events. Regardless of the size or type of damage, we can quickly respond and start the evaluation and investigation into the cause, as well as the best way to restore your property  to its original state. Call us today at (912)538-1323, we work directly with insurance companies and carriers to help relieve a portion of the burden of the rebuilding process in order to make your loss "like it never even happened."