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All Important Factors Of Water Damage And MoldTwo of the most important factors of a health concerning issue, is water damage and mold. A good indicator that your home could be sick and potentially dangerous to your health is if your home has been a recent recipient of water damage. Wet basements or even damp basements minus the tell-tale signs of a pooling moisture leak can be great sources of mold to be blossoming in and you would not even be aware of it! There is other possible water inlets in to which mold can be given a head start in growth and these include, but not limited to:
The problem with the majority of these leaks is that they can be concealed and unseen to the regular untrained eye. It is understood completely, that the average homeowner, is not a trained and seasoned water detection expert as well they should not be. Concealed water damage and mold go hand-in-hand like peanut butter and jelly. Homeowners have other more pressing concerns with paying the mortgage, clothing and feeding the children and the better-half, and all the other things that are so important in life. That is why we here have felt so compelled to assist you, the honest and hardworking homeowner, with educating the homeowner, on the mold issue. Mold is frequently found in places where water has damaged construction materials and articles of furniture by flooding or plumbing leakages.
Mold can also be discovered growing inside walls wherever there is a combination of warm damp air and cooler wall surfaces. A great example of this could be the cold outside of an exterior wall and a warm interior wall. The space in between which can be anything from concrete block to wood, insulation, and drywall, will have a dew point scenario, and with that extra moisture, mold can flourish unseen. Another source of mold intrusion is within the pipes of the house. Water damage and mold are two of the biggest problem in the home ownership world today, and ones to look out for most definitely. Strange Odors Should Be Investigated ImmediatelyDo you notice a strange musty-odor that you cannot recall being there before? You know that you have cleaned the house, top to bottom, yet there still remains that alien odor? There can be a plethora of reasons for this unseen and different odor yet possibly there can be an answer. The answer is one that no homeowner likes to hear, yet it is one that is annually in the top three for residential home issues. The answer is water. The wet, wild, and sometimes extremely shy culprit is the main factor of why mold exist in the home in the first place. Water damage and mold, although easily corrected, must first be located and the source of the water intrusion be repaired. Having a moisture problem in the home is a major dilemma both aesthetically and environmentally. The question above, if answered with a resounding “yes”, is the reason for any homeowner to take immediate and correctly advised action. The above question and answer may be frightening to some and as well it should be for the health concerns primarily. Most individuals are not armed with the best information about how to go about alleviating this moisture problem, and that is cause for alarm to any homeowner. The question that normally comes next after the discovery of the water problem is "Who can I trust to give me the correct answers?" The answer is right here on these pages. Once the water damage and mold problem is repaired and alleviated, the home will return to its great balance, and feel like a castle once again! Make sure before any departure from this website is conducted, that you sign-up for the world’s best water damage and mold information newsletter, be achieved firstly. What To Do If You Got Both Water Damage And Mold?It is not uncommon to find both when you’re assessing the job. To treat water damage and mold at the same time is quite a big task in itself. It can be tricky, but be accomplished. This is not for the inexperienced. Guidelines should be followed set forth by the IICRC S500 and S520. Additional equipment such as air movers, or commonly known as blowers and dehumidifiers will be added. The additional equipment shall be used only during these types of jobs. We don’t want to take a chance and cross contaminate the other jobs with this equipment that is used. This equipment should only be used in a combination of a mold and flood job. Identifying Water DamageThese are water damage signs that you should visually look for:
Other methods of identifying water damage is to use a Thermal Imaging Camera, Protimeter (Moisture Meter) and a Thermohygrometer. They all work in conjunction with each other. Thermal Imaging Camera - detects temperature changes. The read out on the camera will show different patterns of colors and the colors represent temperature differences. There are numerous settings that the camera can be set to. (e.g. Blue = cold and Red = Hot or vice versa) During a flood, this is the most accurate tool that a Mold Remediator and Water Damage Technician can use. It can pin point where the moisture is at. Protimeter – there are two parts to a protimeter, commonly known as a moisture meter: Invasive (Penetrating Pins) and Non-Invasive (Radio Frequency). During the invasive testing you will be able to read moisture content of the material you are testing. Wood moisture content, or better known as WMC, is monitored during water damage projects, and will tell the technician if the structural wood framing or material that you are drying is dry or not. Recommended WMC varies greatly by geographical areas to wood types. The non-invasive testing will seek out moisture trapped behind a finished product like linoleum or ceramic tile. Thermohygrometer – a thermohygrometer is used to measure humidity and temperature levels. The meter features selectable screen displays and provides temperature, relative humidity, dew point, and GPP (grains per pound) measurements. This helps the Water Damage Technician calculate his/her psychometry. Psychometry, or better known as “The Science of Drying”, is used by the technician to calculate the right amount of dehumidification to create a balanced drying and to prevent secondary damage. Read more about water damage on the following pages: Tips To Help You Carry Out Proper Water Damage Home Repair Part 1 Tips To Help You Carry Out Proper Water Damage Home Repair Part 2
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