To locate mold in a home, start using your sense of smell and your eyes. Check out these places to identify mold: near electrical outlets, air ducts, water sources, and around the toilet. If you’re tackling smaller jobs, it is possible to complete it yourself, but of course we recommend you contact us for professional help. The EPA recommends wearing N-95 respirators, non-porous plastic gloves, and eye protection when dealing with mold spores. Diluting 10% chlorine bleach in water or using a commercial mold treatment solution are other ways to limit exposure. Sometimes it might be easier to replace insulation and building materials that have mold growing on them than to try cleaning them. Here are a few areas of your home where mold often starts. The bathroomSince showers tend to remain damp, this room encourages mold growth. Many bathrooms don’t have sufficient airflow, which leads to condensation. Therefore, the bathroom provides a perfect environment for mold to grow. Pay close attention to the tub area and surrounding areas that frequently get wet. Also, keep an eye out for indications of mold whenever you perform drywall repairs anywhere in the bathroom. The basementLook for mold in the basement by checking places where water leaked in the past, such as near pipes and bathrooms with plumbing problems. Also, check the bottoms of the walls for mold, if any appears across the surface. If there is insufficient lighting in your basement, this can also contribute to mold growth. The AtticOnce mold takes over an attic space, it can quickly spread to any stored items and the surrounding walls. Before starting remediation work, you should remove as many items as possible and clean them thoroughly.
Removing mold from space won't guarantee it won't return. Some homes with mold still have mold months or years after the initial cleaning. Key indicators of the return of mold include poor ventilation, ongoing water leaks, and humidity levels in basements and bedrooms below 50%. It is important to address these issues by purchasing dehumidifiers and air conditioners.
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In all homes, there are a few major systems that need most of your attention: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and the foundation. These systems are costly to repair, so you want to make sure you catch issues early. If you have issues with the plumbing in your home, this could lead to sewage backing up and requiring extensive restoration to get your home back to normal. Here are a few signs there might be trouble brewing in your plumbing. Slow DrainsA backup into the house's drains is common. Hair and soap typically accumulate in the p-traps underneath sinks and showers, causing intermittent backups in other locations throughout the house. However, if multiple locations in the house experience a single backup, it is a sure sign of a blockage in the sewer system. Frequent ClogsInspect frequently blocked sewers for signs of scaling, roughness, or disconnected sections of pipe. Oftentimes, this happens in older cast iron pipes because of the way they deteriorate from the inside out. In some cases, pipes that aren’t sloped properly can lead to frequent clogs. To fix this issue, you might need to dig out the pipe to make sure it’s installed correctly. Sewage Backing Up Into Other PipesAnother indicator of a line breakdown down is sewage backing up into a sink or tub that's not in use. It’s important to note, however, that smells coming from a sink that isn’t frequently used could just be a sign that the p-trap water has evaporated. Try running water through the sink and see if it drains properly. However, if the sink doesn’t drain well, it could be caused by an obstruction in the main line or poor ventilation in the sewer system. It's recommended to contact a professional if either of these issues persists.
Of course, if you have sewage water backing up in your home despite trying your best to prevent it, we are always available to help with remediation to make your home like new again. A common source of water damage comes from small leaks. While they don't get as much attention as storms and disasters, a hidden leak in the wrong location can create a serious problem over time, leading to water damage and mold growth. This can get costly, so it's important to do what you can to find and prevent leaks. According to the EPA, the average household in the US wastes about 10,000 gallons of water each year just from leaks. Of course, some of those leaks will be at locations where the water has an easy path down the drain, such as at your faucet, but some can be in places where the leak isn't noticed before it is too late. So, what can a homeowner do to ensure that they aren't sitting on a ticking time-bomb? What Can You Do?Of course, the best way to find out as much as possible about the state of your plumbing system is to hire a professional plumber, but not everyone wants to spend the money on a plumber when there is no clear problem. So, another option is to look for some signs of leaks in your home. What should you look out for?
Discolored areas on your roof and walls is a good place to start. This is a sure sign that there is either water intrusion or a leak inside your home. Unfortunately, to fix it, you will most likely need to cut into the area and find out where the leak is located. Another sign to look out for is when your drains are slow or gurgling. While there are many different issues that could cause this behavior, it is possible that it is due to a leak. Using a snake with a camera attached can help you find any leaks inside of your pipes. Another thing that might seem obvious, but that is still missed by many homeowners is that water collecting anywhere in your home without a good explanation should be investigated. It is easy to think that a little bit of water on the floor or a damp surface somewhere is just a spill or random condensation, but it could be a sign of a problem brewing somewhere. Something to avoid in order to ensure that you minimize leaks in your pipes is to be careful with drain chemicals. Even brands that are marketed as "Easy on Pipes" or something similar can end up having a harmful effect on your plumbing. Of course, if you are dealing with damage from water-leaks in your home, your first call should be to Hero Remediation to get the best remediation service possible. ![]() Hurricane Ian was a big one. It caused untold amounts of damage, and an uncounted death toll so far. This sad occurrence is one of those occasions that make you reflect on the power of nature. But after the hurricane, there are things to take care of and beware of. Don’t Be A Victim Of Home Repair Scams In today’s world, sadly, we have to be on our guard most of the time. This is especially so when it comes to hiring somebody to work on your home. Home inspectors get to see, all too often the results of dishonest, unqualified tradesmen. This doesn’t have to happen to you though. What are some of the ways you could be scammed into getting bad or unnecessary work done? Homeowners should be especially on their guard after a major disaster, such as a hurricane, tornado or flooding etc. The roof is one area that crooks will use to get you to spend unnecessary money on. They will often determine that a lot of work has to be done just by looking at the roof from the ground, be very cautious of hiring someone who does this. Another scam that doubtless sounds familiar to you, is a workman showing up at the door, offering to re-seal the driveway. You will most likely be told that they have some left over from another job, and will offer to do it at a cheap price. While the price, and the job might look good at first, be careful! Materials used for the job are traditionally super low quality, often it will just be black paint and last no time at all. If an alleged HVAC professional wants to charge you a lot of money to replace “broken parts”, ask them to show you first, where they are broken and, if they are in need of replacing, get them to show you the new parts still in their packaging before they install them. Be careful when hiring a painter to do work. Make sure you are getting the quality of paint you have agreed on. Sometimes a shady contractor will use cheaper, low quality paint, and pour it into the high-quality paint cans It must be mentioned, though, that while you should always be on your guard and watch out for scam artists, there are still, many skilled tradesmen out there who are honest. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions. An honest worker will be happy to answer them. Trust HERO Remediation We are here to help after the disaster. We are true professionals, have a long list of happy clients, and work hard to help you rebuild your life. When hurricanes or other disasters impact your business, it is important to have the tools on hand to ensure that your business is cared for as quickly as possible. Every minute can translate into money lost for you, and this is why a professional company like Hero Remediation is a good partner for any business. We know the challenges that come from being unable to run your business due to elements out of your control, and will work with you to make the process as painless as possible. What We Can Do For YouThe main issues that we deal with are wind and water damage due to storms, leaks, and similar events. We also help with mold remediation to keep you Our team can get up and running helping your business to get back in business in as short of a time as possible. By utilizing the best tools and using highly trained staff, downtime can be kept to a minimum. This is why hiring us will end up saving you money. We have experience working with a wide range of businesses, so we know the different needs and preferences you might have. Why It's ImportantWhen it comes to any type of service, most of us like to shop around. While there are some people that still go with the first service that comes to mind, the internet has made it easier than ever to do price shopping. Instead of having to call businesses up and getting prices, you can often find out prices with just the click of a button. While this is great when you are trying to save money, it could also end up hurting you in the end. Why is that? Well, you know that whenever you are buying a physical item, you usually do more than look at the price. You also check out reviews, and if at all possible, getting a chance to try the item out can give you a good idea of whether or not it is going to be right for you. There is no reason to treat remediation services any different. What Makes Us Special?When you are looking for remediation services, you want someone with experience with the type of property you own. Our team has a wide range of experience. Just to mention a few, we have worked on Schools, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Condos, Residential Properties, and much more. Whatever property you have, we most likely have been working on something similar.
Other factors to take into consideration are the methods used, and how quickly you get a response. We take pride in our quick response time to requests from clients, and our methods are designed to be minimally destructive so that you get your property in the best shape possible after disaster strikes. Our staff has the experience and training needed to give you the best product possible, and still at a reasonable price. You might not think of it, but you have an amazing tool available to you that will help you to find out when there is an issue with mold in your home – your nose! While the human nose isn’t as sensitive as some animals, it is still able to tell when something is off. This is why it is a good practice to listen to your nose. When there is a smell that is musty or off in some way, it could be that you have detected mold growth in your home. What Can Be Done?Of course, you need to know what to do about it. There are some tools available for homeowners to test a suspicious substance for themselves, and usually it will need to be sent in to a lab. Of course another option is to use a professional service, such as us here at Hero Remediation. We have trained professionals that are able to help in the testing and remediation of mold problems.
We will first analyze the data to give you a full picture of what the issue is, and how harmful the particular type of mold is. After that we will develop a plan of action for you to know each step in our process. Depending on the type of mold and how extensive the infestation is, we will make sure you know what to expect. Our team of expert mold remediators will then go to work and make sure that your property is completely free of mold and restored to its original state. After everything is done, even the most sensitive nose will be unable to pick up any traces of mold in your home, and you can rest easy knowing that your family’s health is not going to be affected by mold spores in the air. It's That Time Of Year AgainOfficially, the Atlantic hurricane season begins tomorrow. It runs from June 1st until November 30th and it always brings a lot of destruction in its path. The past couple of years have been worse than ever, and scientists predict that this year will follow the same pattern with more serious storms and extreme weather patterns. The last two years, forecasters actually ran out of names for the named hurricanes, something that usually doesn't happen, but it seems to become the norm these days. More storms translated into more hurricanes making landfall than usual as well, and that can be expected to repeat this year. So knowing all this, what precautions should you take? Prepare For The WorstOne of the most common problems after storms is that people aren't as prepared as they should be. Many have the "It's not going to happen to me" mentality, and because of this, they don't expect to be in a tough situation after a storm. To avoid that, prepare as if every single storm was heading straight for you. Having a go-bag prepared with the essentials to survive if you need to leave your home suddenly is a great way to prepare. It is also wise to keep a constant supply of non-perishable food and drinking water stored at home in case you get stuck in your home for an extended period of time. What Comes AfterIf your life is turned upside down after a storm, Hero Remediation is going to be your best friend. We can help you deal with water damage in your home and make sure that your home doesn't take more damage after the fact. Keeping our number at hand is yet another thing you can do to prepare for the hurricane season.
Dealing with strange odors in your home is never fun, and sometimes it can be tricky to figure out exactly what the cause is. There are some specific events that might require a professional service to deal with the odors in your home, and we're going to consider a few of them in this post. FireWhether it is a small fire that is contained quickly, or a major one that does a lot of damage to your home, rebuilding damaged sections of your home is most likely going to be your first concern, but you will notice that the odor of smoke keeps lingering a long time after all the repairs have been finished. While you might feel like the odor lessens after a period of time, this is basically just your nose getting used to it. An easy way to verify this is to go away from your home for a day or two. When you get back, you will definitely notice the odor. Cigarette SmokeThis odor is probably the worst you can deal with in a home if you're not a smoker yourself. At times, people have bought homes not noticing the odor until they started living in the building, and at that point, it's their problem to deal with. The problem with cigarette smoke is that there might be several items in your home that makes the odor linger for longer. There could for example be a film on all the lightbulbs in your home which would start smelling when the lights are turned on. It's also common that filters in your HVAC system absorb the smoke odor. MoldThe main consideration when it comes to mold odor is that the source of the odor needs to be addressed first of all. Usually you will find mold growth in dark damp areas of your home, so mold remediation should be your first step. After that is cared for, odor removal comes next. Our ToolsWe use a chemical-free process for odor removal here at Hero Remediation. It is accomplished by using Hydroxyl generators.
Identifying signs of previous water damage is essential because this will help you prevent future costly repairs like mold infestation. As a home buyer, hire a professional to thoroughly check for signs of earlier water damage. If the water damage is not found as soon as possible, it can result in costly repairs as well as a health risk because of molds.
Identify Water Damage: 1. Outside the Home The ground should slope away from your home and not towards it to avoid water damage. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell whether or not the grade is proper around your home, but it can cause serious problems if water is not kept away from the foundation. Water can get in the minor cracks, and as it works its way, you could be experiencing water damage in no time. 2. Inside the Home An obvious sign of water damage inside your home is water rings on walls or ceilings. This could result from something as simple as a leak from the roof or a leaking pipe. By examining the area around sinks and bathtubs, looking for warped floors and soft spots the source might be found. 3. In the Basement and Attic We are experts at finding water damage. We will be checking for damp basements that can cause mold infestation and lead to health risks and expensive repairs. Hiring a professional expert is essential to ensure that your home is safe from water damage. We will check signs of water damage and overall condition to ensure that you are buying a home in its peak condition. |
AuthorHERO Remediation is Central Florida's premier flood and water damage restoration company. Fully licensed and experienced. Archives
December 2022
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