Posts Tagged mold
Basement Mold – How to Seek and Destroy It
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on June 9th, 2010
Why do most people have basement mold? The answer is rather simple, actually. Most of the houses that experience the occurrence of basement mold are likely to have leaks in their basements or unseen water entry ways. This wet or humid environment is ideal for the growth of mold. In fact, many basements have mold, but the homeowners never even know it!
What we have learned about mold is the fact that it thrives in moist, damp environments and that the darkness further creates a great place for mold to grow in. So what better place than in a damp and dark basement to settle in, right?
Once you spot even just a small amount of mold in your basement you should begin looking for a leak in your pipes or somewhere that water might be seeping through into your basement. Check all the edges and corners as well as around the water heater and all the joints on your pipes. The sooner you find these leaks, get them fixed and kill the mold that is already there, the lower the chances of it spreading to other places in your home.
Having just a small amount of basement mold visible to the eye shouldn’t make you feel complacent about the situation. The thing is, there might be hidden mold behind the walls, under the carpeting and even in the ceiling. Mold can spread through spores so once you have it in one spot, it can be spread to other areas. If there is a place that is attractive for mold growth, it’s a sure bet that the mold spores will find it.
So when you do a check, make sure that you cover everything. Getting rid of just the visible mold in your basement will only be a temporary fix if you don’t also fix the water problem. You might consider getting a dehumidifier once you get rid of the existing mold and fix the leaks as basements, by nature, can be rather humid even without leaking water.
Mold can be rather persistent and, since it likes dark places, it can “hide” in areas where you might not find it so it is important that you take the steps to create an unfriendly environment for it. Keeping things neat and organized as well as stored in sealed containers can help a lot. If you have anything with fabric such as tents, or the cushions from patio furniture, you should check these periodically for mildew as once a bit of dampness gets into these fabrics, storing them in the basement can be a disaster for them and once fabrics get mildew or mold, you are unlikely to ever be able to get it out.
It’s no fun having basement mold, but if you take action when you first notice it than you will run much less of a risk of your mold problem getting out of hand. Not only is mold unpleasant to smell and look at, but it can also have adverse health effects so getting rid of it fast should be a priority.
Do you have harmful basement mold in your home? Visit http://www.householdmoldguide.com and learn more about how household mold grows in your home as well as how you can get rid of it.
Preventing Basement and Crawlspaces Mold
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on May 28th, 2010
Mold is a very common basement and crawlspaces problem as it presents a real challenge in controlling air quality. Basements and crawlspaces are is usually damp and in many cases use as a storage area, providing optimal growth conditions to molds. There are two important aspects to basements and crawlspaces mold prevention:
Controlling Humidity Levels
The first step to mold prevention is to successfully control humidity levels. Start with measuring humidity levels and detecting any unusual readings. Take measurements every 3 months to keep track of any changes that may occur when the weather changes. If humidity levels readings are higher than 45 percent, your basement is likely to suffer from mold and you must take action to detects and fix any moisture sources to lower humidity levels. Regularly inspect your basement for any water damages that generate visible or hidden moisture sources. Act fast to fix problems such as leaks or standing water. Another way to control humidity is to allow air circulation. Although it may be hard to generate air flow in the basement or crawlspace it is important. You can improve air flow by keeping you basement tidy and opening the basement door from time to time and leave a fan running for a few hours. Consider installing a dehumidifier in the basement to reduce air moisture especially during warm months. If you detect any cracks in walls or floor, seal them immediately.
Smart Storage
If you organize your basement and crawlspaces you take another important step towards mold elimination. Try to avoid storing papers, clothes, in the basement and crawlspaces because these materials can be used as nutrition for molds allowing it to spread even faster if humidity levels rise above 50 percent. If you must store these materials in your basement or crawlspace, do your best to reduce the amount of these stored materials and discard if badly damaged. In addition, if you must store these materials in the basement or crawlspace, make sure to place them properly. Proper placement means that you need to store them away from outer walls, since that is where moisture is most likely to originate. For the same reason, raise these stored materials from the floor and place them on a table or a raised surface. Never store firewood in the basement or crawlspace because it is common for firewood to become likely to become moldy within hours from the minute humidity levels raise. When firewood becomes moldy, it generates airborne mold spores that may contaminate your indoors air quality and in some cases penetrate the HVAC system and contaminate your home by traveling through your ducts.
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Basement Mold Cleaning Protocols For Correct Mold Remediation
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on May 4th, 2010
At most times mold and mildew will become a problem in your basement because of humidity and other moisture problems. Basic mold cleaning depends on finding the source and them attacking the problem later. First, in order to find the source of the problem you are going to need to understand how to look throughout the basement area. When doing an inspection for a basement, make sure to look at the carpeting and all the perimeter walls. This is a main priority to find the source of any moisture intrusion inside the basement or added area.
Most problems occur because of high humidity levels or because moisture has migrated towards the attic or basement area. Since moisture and water fall down because of gravity, it usually settles around the basement area. Basement mold cleaning really depends on attacking the source and then finding a solution to prevent the mold and mildew from coming back. When mold remediation companies attack a basement problem, they usually will have an inspection to find the mold areas.
Once they find the mold areas, nine times out of ten they will do or remove wall boards or carpeting. It is important if you have the opportunity to look behind wall boards inside the basement area. Wherever there is water stains or moisture stains, there’s usually going to be mold not far behind. Water damage is usually the first cause of mold growth inside your basement. If you do take on a basement mold cleaning project, be sure to have natural cleaning products and the correct tools to properly remediate the area. Some natural cleaning products are effective to remove black mold and mildew and also prevent its growth from coming back. These types of cleaning products are known as encapsulates.
These Encapsulate are products which will block and prevent mold growth from coming back. There is safe products such as Safe Shield and Molderizer which are organic products to correctly remove and prevent mold from coming back inside your basement. Be sure to do a full inspection inside the basement area and also use correct mold remediation protocols to handle any mold removal issues.
Since you will most likely be able to find the source if you look hard in your basement. Always check out perimeter walls and carpeting. You are going to have to decide on some type of cleaning action or protocol to follow. It is always recommended to follow remediation guidelines, which can be found at http://propertyperfections.net.
But, also you will need to use natural cleaning products to not disrupt the natural environment inside your home or attic. If you were to use bleach or any other harsh chemicals, the air and chemical and harsh smell would dissipate throughout the entire home. It is important to know that at times bleach is more toxic than black mold when inhaled. For example, a mold inspector went inside a mold remediation project at the time.
He went and did a full inspection, and then was ready to do a testing. The problem was the room was so fully infected with bleach and other harsh chemicals, that the inspector had a hard time doing the testing.
No matter, he still did the inspection, but the mold remediation company failed miserably. This is because they used bleach to clean the area, and no matter how much bleach they actually used, it did remove some of the mold, but the mold came back and was liberated into the air, not cleaning any of it. So, upon the mold inspection test, the mold inspector had high read outs of black mold and other toxic mold spores. If the problem was correctly remediated using natural cleaning products and other organic cleaning products.
The basement mold cleaning project would have went a lot smoother. This type of project happens more times than not. Just remember to correctly remediated any mold issues and other building materials that have visible black mold. Carpeting, wall boards, ceiling or other building materials that may have visual staining or black mold enzymes growing on them, should and must be removed. After the removal of the products, then you are going to spray down with a liquid solution, such as Safe Shield or Molderizer to correctly remove mold and clean the area effectively.
After it is a clean, you will need to protect your family and home from black mold coming back. It is recommended to use a mold cleaning product that prevents mold as well. Mildew and mold will come back, if not shield it and correctly remediated it. It is guaranteed you will have a mold problem six months later if you do not encapsulate all building materials that were inside the mildew and mold cleaning projects. To be an effective mold remediation company, you will most likely need your tools and natural cleaning products, so you do not disrupt the natural environment of your home. These items and following the correct guidelines will assist you in your basement mold cleaning project.
Follow correct basement mold cleaning guidelines and discover which products you will need to keep basement mold from ever coming back. Have questions about mold remediation, ask mold expert Maurice.
Basement Mold Cleaning Tips And Techniques
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on April 29th, 2010
To clearly get rid of your basement mold problem, you need to consider a few things. Where is the source of the problem and after you clean the problem, what do you do to prevent it.
In this technique you will learn how basement mold cleaning in not only about investigating to find the source, you need to clean and prevent black mold from coming back. Basement mold cleaning projects are difficult because of the locations basements are usually in. They are below homes and ground level. This allows mold to migrate into the lowest area of the home. Also, these basements are dark and usually have a high amount of moisture. This is a perfect condition for black mold and mildew. So what can you do for a smooth basement mold cleaning project. The answer is quite simple, below you will find where to look for the mold and then how you will clean basement mold and what product to use for mildew to not come back.
Basement Mold Cleaning Areas To Look For Mold:
Basement Carpeting – The basement carpets always seem to soak up moisture. It is a good idea to check around perimeter walls for these carpets for mold. In order to kill carpet mold you must find the source of the problem.
Wood Pilings and Ceiling Areas – Since moisture migrates because of gravity look up at your ceilings and investigate wood pilings. These are very popular sources for mold and mildew.
Perimeter Walls And Panels – Have a look at your perimeter walls as these will have mold growth and become prime suspects for mold and mildew growth. Be sure to have a look behind the panels if you can and view close to the floors, these will be problematic areas.
Find the source of the problem – Before you clean the mold be sure to find the source of the problem. Basement mold cleaning can be a difficult event, do not clean a whole basement and forget to prevent it from happening again.
Once you have scouted out these areas in your basement and found if they have mold you will most likely found the source of the problem. Now to get to how to remove the mold and prevent it from coming back. In order to remove the mold, you will either remove the building materials by doing a small mold remediation project. This is sometimes not needed, but it is a judgment call.
If you have mold and mildew on the wood of the basement then you will need to wire brush the surfaces. This breaks apart the mold, it is also recommended to use a natural cleaning product such as Safe Shield or Molderizer, these natural cleaning products are quite powerful and safe. Which ever option you choose try to break apart the surface, most times the wood will be so stained with mold and mildew that you need to wire brush, sand down, and use a cleaning again. Most mold remediation companies will use the natural cleaning products. The biggest reason to use these natural cleaning products is simply the protection and encapsulation. Which brings me to how to prevent the mold from coming back. Mold in order to stop it from coming back you need to cut it off from the food source. In this basement mold cleaning case, use a clear barrier to encapsulate the product and prevent mold growth.
Try to clean and protect your basement by using natural cleaning products at http://www.propertyperfections.net and correct mold remediation protocols which will clean and prevent mold and mildew growing in your basement.
Is basement mold cleaning got you upside down. Try natural cleaning products that are designed to clean basement mold and prevent mold growth. Need advice about black mold ask a mold expert and hear your answer on a live tele-seminar.
Basement Mold Cleaning Clues To A Better Mold Remediation
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on April 21st, 2010
Basement mold may be the most difficult to handle with the environmental conditions and horror stories that have been seen. In your basement mold and mildew are usually growing where you can not really notice, this turns into a nightmare about four to six weeks later where a costly basement mold cleaning project comes into play and mold remediation bills which are soon to follow. But if you knew how to prevent and correctly handle a basement mold cleaning project you will definitely be in much better shape.
When discovering you have mold in the basement, it always is a shock. But do not worry, basement mold does have its solutions and can be solved very quickly. Do not go and be a superhero and remove all the mold immediately. In most cases, in other basement mold cleaning projects that have been observed, many mold remediation contractors will remove the mold. But what they will forget to do is actually remove the source of the problem. In order to make sure your basement mold problem does not come back to haunt you, try to find the source of the problem. In a basement mold cleaning project, you really need to do investigations around all perimeter walls. Also look at carpeting as basement carpeting is usually a prime suspect for black mold and mildew.
Try to look above at the ceiling area for any wood pilings that have mold stains and mildew.
If they do, you are going to need a natural cleaning product that will remove the mold stains and encapsulate the wood area. In any case, if there is mold in your basement, before diving in make sure you have proper equipment and be sure to use the correct cleaning protocols. You can damage yourself as well as the rest of the house if you do not correctly remove black mold from your basement. In one case, if you do not seal the AC vents, or other parts of the basement, you can actually liberate mold spores.
Black mold can become a huge problem once you let it escape the area which it was growing on. Many basement mold problems come from just not correctly handling the issue fast enough. If you have basement mold and mildew, be sure to take action quickly but know what you’re in for. Many mole problems can be caused from high humidity levels, lack of circulation, and other environmental problems. If you have a moisture event such as a leaky sink or water that has come in the basement, you can then see probably black mold forming in about six months or less. With the black mold growing inside of the basement, you will most likely not even know about it.
Check under your carpeting inside the basement as the carpets are huge problems for future mold growth. Allow yourself when digging into a basement mold problem to correctly find the source of the problem. Basement mold can be fixed and solved very quickly. Just try natural cleaning products as these will definitely help in your mold projects.
In summary you must be at first an investigator for the source of the problem like a mold inspector. Then after you have found the source you need to fit the role of a mold remediation expert to take care of the basement mold cleaning project. By playing both roles or hiring professionals you will definitely save yourself headaches and more expenses in the future. Always remember which ever route you take to clean black mold try a natural mold cleaning product to remove and prevent mold from coming back like Safe Shield or another great product is Molderizer.
Discover how handle your next basement mold cleaning project. Follow the correct guidelines so you do not turn your next basement mold cleaning project into a nightmare. Need advice ask a mold expert for free advice, Maurice Manhattan can help you.
Mold In Basements
Posted by admin in Mold In Basements on June 23rd, 2009
Mold is a tiny microscopic organism that consumes organic material. Mold reproduces by releasing spores in the air which then attach on other surfaces which is how it regenerates. Mold is a type of fungi and in nature there are over 100,000 different species. In nature mold helps to decompose or break down organic matter such as leaves, wood and plant debris. Mold is useful in nature but when stuck in our homes such as in our basements it becomes a problem. Not only does mold release a bad odor but some people are very allergic to it.
Mold can enter your home as a tiny spore. Spores are small enough to be carried within the air for example if you have a window open and the breeze blows in from outside into your house spores can attach to the walls. Spores can stick to your shoes and be carried in that way also. This is normally not a problem if you have a dry home but if there is a lot of moisture present in your home the mold will thrive. The mold will feed on organic matter within your home such as the paper within your sheet rock walls, your carpeting and insulation.
Look at it this way moles are ever present they are a part of nature. If you have a mold problem within your basement the only way to cure the problem is to stop the root of the matter. The root of the matter is you probably have a moisture condition within your basement. There are different kinds of moisture conditions within different basements. There can be a leaky pipe from the house above or ground water could be leaking through the wall through a crack into your basement. Or the soil around your basement could be saturated with water and the water is moving through your basement walls and floors.
The only way to control mold within your basement is to control the moisture condition. The leaky pipe must be fixed or the underground water must be drained away. There’s a process called a French drain which is installed under your slab which will remove underground water from around your basement. Also the grading around your homes perimeter must be sloped away from the walls and out to the yard. This will help prevent saturation of your soil next to your basement walls.
Another solution would be to add a dehumidifier In your basement. If you have a sink in your basement you should hook your dehumidifier up to your sink drain. This will ensure that you can always have a dehumidifier on if necessary and never have to worry about dumping the water out.
In closing if you have mold present in your basement most likely you have a moisture or water condition. If you plan on redoing your whole basement and ripping everything out or if your basement is bare you should have no problem finding your moisture or water condition. If your basement is already finished you will have to do some investigative work to try to find the source of the moisture or water. So go find that water problem first, then worry about getting rid of moldy old walls and ceilings
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