Archive for the ‘Mold And Bacteria’ Category

Equipment to Remedy Mold

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

It does not take long to realize that one who chooses to remedy a mold infestation on their own, as opposed to hiring a professional to do the deed, will probably be wondering as to what the safest way to do this is.  It is important that safety is first and foremost on the long list of things to take into account when dealing with the scourge on one’s home that is mold.  Aggravation of asthma, emphysema, respiratory infections, rashes, eye infections, and even death are just some of the health complications that can come about from having mold in the home. 

One of the best ways to ensure that the remediation process is as safe as possible is to know the kind of tools the job will call for. And to know what the job will call for, you must know just how much mold needs to be removed.  If there is mold growing on the walls of your home, then trying to wash the mold off with mold killing chemicals probably, and unfortunately, will not work. In fact, possibly the only solution is the most expensive solution and that would be completely removing and replacing the drywall. However, if the mold has not seeped all the way into the drywall, then this may not be required.

It comes highly recommended that one uses heavy duty mold killing chemicals in the remediation process. If you read product reviews, it should be easy to become committed to buying a particular cleaner. It is also recommended that you buy a high strength brand of trash bag to keep on hand, should any contaminated materials be discovered that should be disposed of immediately.  It is very important that you do not touch anything contaminated that you throw away, as it is possible to cause cross contamination. 

You should also purchase some sort of respirator during the remediation process, no matter how serious the contamination is.  A half or full face mask respirator will most likely be required if you are going to be removing the drywall or any other possible building materials from your home or building.  A full face mask can be purchased for roughly $130. You should also buy disposable protective clothing which is fairly inexpensive, especially when you consider the amount of protection that will be received from them. Breathable gloves should be, but these can often only be bought in bulk quantities.

You should also purchase a vacuum with a HEPA filter. These vacuums collect mold spores that have settled onto the floor and have possibly worked their way into the fibers of your carpet.

Bronxville Flooded Basement Clean Up

Keeping a Bathroom Free of Mold

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

We want our bathrooms to stay as clean as possible and the idea of something unsanitary such as mold living in it is a little gross to most of us. Bacteria is bad enough, but when you start thinking about the fact that fungi might be growing in what’s supposed to be one of the cleanest places in your home, you tend to wonder what you can do to prevent it from happening to you. How can you do that? Here are a few tips.

Don’t put carpet in your bathroom. If your toilet overflows, having carpet at its base will prevent you from being able to soak up all the water and if it isn’t cleaned up properly and is allowed to dry naturally, mold can start to grow within 48 hours. The best kind of floor to have in the bathroom is a tile one and caulking around the bathtub and walls will make sure the water can’t escape into the wood behind it.

One of the most important purchases you can make if you buy an older home is a bathroom vent that will allow steam and warm air to escape outside into the atmosphere instead of collecting and causing condensation on your ceiling. The sheetrock on your ceiling will absorb this condensation and become water damaged over time if the steam from your shower or bath has nowhere to go. If you don’t have a vent like this installed in your bathroom, it will save you money to have one installed as quickly as you can gather the funds to do so.

Throwing wet or damp towels and rags into your bathroom closet and leaving them in contact with the floor, even if you do have a tile one, will cause mold to grow if they’re not removed regularly. It’s best to use a clothes hamper or something else to put the clothes into besides just leaving them on the floor. Dirty clothes baskets or bins should be emptied often, at least every two days. Even if they’re in a bin instead of on the floor, mold can still start to grow.

If you discover mold growing anywhere in your bathroom on the sheetrock or around the floor, it’s best to assume that the mold is also growing inside the wall, ceiling, or floor. Most of these building materials will need to be replaced as soon as possible.

Wet Carpet Drying