Even though mold has been around almost since the beginning of life on this planet, we have only just begun to understand the true hazards of mold and started to classify it into different groups depending on what it does to us and to other organisms on the planet. Depending on the effect that mold has on the health of human beings, hazardous molds are put into three categories: toxic, pathogenic, and allergenic.
The least serious of these seems to be the allergenic, as they only tend to either cause allergies or aggravate the allergies a person already has. Asthma and other respiratory diseases and disorders can also be aggravated by the presence of mold in a home or in a business. Anti-histamines can be taken to help with the symptoms, but these do not tend to do a lot of good. Getting rid of the infection is generally the best way to deal with these symptoms and prevent them from coming back. As with any mold, the people most at risk to show symptoms are young children, pets, and the elderly, although those who are pregnant and especially those with HIV or AIDS can also be effected.
Pathogenic molds are not as common as toxic or allergenic molds, but these can be the most dangerous threats to anyone who has HIV, AIDS, or another type of immunodeficiency. Anyone that has just had surgery of any kind should also be wary of getting around any kind of mold, even if it is just the mold spore count on the news that is high for the day.
Toxic molds are molds such as Stachybotrys atra that produce mycotoxins and while these kinds of molds are not as common living in our homes as others, they can cause significant damage to our health and can even cause death in the most extreme cases. Penicilliosis is an opportunistic infection mostly affecting HIV patients and even though this disease is endemic to Southeast Asia, anyone with an immunodeficiency traveling to or from that area is at risk for infection.
The bottom line is that no matter what kind of mold you have in your home or your business, it is a serious health threat to you, your family, your pets, or your workers. If you can see mold growing anywhere in your home or you are experiencing strange symptoms, purchase some do-it-yourself mold testing kits.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut water damage restoration contractors and other states such as
North Carolina mold remediation contractor companies across the united states.
Friday, September 28, 2007
The Prevention of Water Damage
Unless a flood or a hurricane is what causes the water damage to your home, the water damage that we have to deal with is usually highly preventable. Most kinds of water damage that are not caused by mother nature are things that we can prevent, although sometimes we tend to forget just how to go about stopping these things from happening. You can prevent water damage to the inside of your home from most sources, but the question is just how do you do it?
One thing that you can do is pay attention to your water heater and make sure that it is located on the lowest floor of your home, preferably the basement. It should be elevated off the floor and in some kind of large drain pan connected to plumbing in the floor so if it does begin to leak, any water will go straight from the unit down into the plumbing system. This will stop most water damage to your floor, especially if your water heater is located on top of a wooden floor instead of a concrete one.
The pipes and hoses that lead to your dishwasher and your washing machine can be some of the worst offenders. These leak more often than people realize, but keeping a check on them regularly for cracked spots or weakened areas can be the key to preventing a huge spill. If it busts and you are not home, even a crack just 1/8 of an inch wide can leak up to 250 gallons an hour into your floor.
If you live in a home and not an apartment, you probably have to deal with cleaning our your rain gutters every fall when the leaves change color and begin to fall from the trees. These gutters are important to keeping the rain from settling around the foundation of your home and allowing it to sink into the ground. Clean out these gutters fully every year and make sure that the downspouts are also clear of any debris.
Repairing any leaks that might be in your roof is also essential to preventing water damage to your ceilings and the insulation in your attic, especially if the insulation is fiberglass. Once this insulation gets wet, it does not work anymore and will eventually cause your ceiling to collapse if it is not removed and replaced as soon as possible.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
North Carolina Mold Remediation and other states such as
New Jersey Sewage Damage Cleanup companies across the united states.
One thing that you can do is pay attention to your water heater and make sure that it is located on the lowest floor of your home, preferably the basement. It should be elevated off the floor and in some kind of large drain pan connected to plumbing in the floor so if it does begin to leak, any water will go straight from the unit down into the plumbing system. This will stop most water damage to your floor, especially if your water heater is located on top of a wooden floor instead of a concrete one.
The pipes and hoses that lead to your dishwasher and your washing machine can be some of the worst offenders. These leak more often than people realize, but keeping a check on them regularly for cracked spots or weakened areas can be the key to preventing a huge spill. If it busts and you are not home, even a crack just 1/8 of an inch wide can leak up to 250 gallons an hour into your floor.
If you live in a home and not an apartment, you probably have to deal with cleaning our your rain gutters every fall when the leaves change color and begin to fall from the trees. These gutters are important to keeping the rain from settling around the foundation of your home and allowing it to sink into the ground. Clean out these gutters fully every year and make sure that the downspouts are also clear of any debris.
Repairing any leaks that might be in your roof is also essential to preventing water damage to your ceilings and the insulation in your attic, especially if the insulation is fiberglass. Once this insulation gets wet, it does not work anymore and will eventually cause your ceiling to collapse if it is not removed and replaced as soon as possible.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
North Carolina Mold Remediation and other states such as
New Jersey Sewage Damage Cleanup companies across the united states.
Renting a Water Damaged or Moldy Apartment
If you are renting an apartment or a house for the first time, you should view the apartment before you move in and make note of any damages that might already exist in the apartment. For most people this is common sense, but if this is your first time renting, you might not think about it until later on when the landlord tries to say that damage that existed before you moved in was actually caused by you afterward.
If there is any water damage to the kitchen or the bathroom, take pictures of it and show it to the landlord before you move in. Date the pictures and if possible, have your new landlord sign them. If your landlord will not put his signature on the back of the image, be wary about renting from him or her.
If you discover that mold is growing in the apartment shortly after you move in, you will want to inform your landlord immediately that there is a problem. Do not wait. If it is caused by wet clothing or towels that you left on the floor of the bathroom for several days, then the landlord is not likely to be very sympathetic to the problem, but if it is on the ceilings or in the ventilation system, then it is probably not due to anything you have done since you have been in the apartment.
The first thing that you need to do after you discover mold is growing in your apartment or rented home is to notify the landlord immediately. Do not do this by phone, do it by certified mail so that you have a legal record that the letter was received. If your landlord does not contact you or come over to see about the problem, send another notice via certified mail. Tell him that you are withholding your rent until the problem is addressed. If the complaint is still not acknowledged, send yet another letter via certified mail and tell him that you are moving out within a certain amount of time and he will be liable for your moving costs and rent differential if he does not take action.
It is the landlord’s responsibility to provide you with a safe and healthy place to live. Repairs on the facility must be kept up because even after you leave, these problems will still exist on the property. It makes no sense for you to repair something that does not belong to you if you were not the one who was responsible for its damage.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut water damage restoration and other states such as
New Jersey Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
If there is any water damage to the kitchen or the bathroom, take pictures of it and show it to the landlord before you move in. Date the pictures and if possible, have your new landlord sign them. If your landlord will not put his signature on the back of the image, be wary about renting from him or her.
If you discover that mold is growing in the apartment shortly after you move in, you will want to inform your landlord immediately that there is a problem. Do not wait. If it is caused by wet clothing or towels that you left on the floor of the bathroom for several days, then the landlord is not likely to be very sympathetic to the problem, but if it is on the ceilings or in the ventilation system, then it is probably not due to anything you have done since you have been in the apartment.
The first thing that you need to do after you discover mold is growing in your apartment or rented home is to notify the landlord immediately. Do not do this by phone, do it by certified mail so that you have a legal record that the letter was received. If your landlord does not contact you or come over to see about the problem, send another notice via certified mail. Tell him that you are withholding your rent until the problem is addressed. If the complaint is still not acknowledged, send yet another letter via certified mail and tell him that you are moving out within a certain amount of time and he will be liable for your moving costs and rent differential if he does not take action.
It is the landlord’s responsibility to provide you with a safe and healthy place to live. Repairs on the facility must be kept up because even after you leave, these problems will still exist on the property. It makes no sense for you to repair something that does not belong to you if you were not the one who was responsible for its damage.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut water damage restoration and other states such as
New Jersey Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
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