If I was building a new home, the last thing that I would want to find out at the last minute is that it has been being built with moldy building materials. This happens a lot more often and is a lot more serious than you might think that it is. Mold is a big problem in homes these days, either due to not paying attention to the condition of your home while you are living in it, due to a natural disaster such as a hurricane, or perhaps the most avoidable reason, it was built into the home that you currently live in.
Mold gets built into brand new homes all the time and it is not only the contractor’s fault, but also the owner’s for not paying attention to the building materials being used at the time. For someone paying to have the home built, what they need to do to help prevent this is to pay attention to what is going on at the building site and to visit it often. The building should be completely covered with a tarp until the walls and roof are totally finished and there is no possibility for rain, snow, or any other kind of precipitation to get into the house.
Before building begins you should inspect all the building materials such as the lumber, sheetrock, insulation, and etcetera that are being used. Inspect them and if you see any signs of mold at all, have them tested with a home test kit and set them aside until you are sure that they are not contaminated.
Something just as important as the other things mentioned here is to make sure your contractor and his or her workers are not storing the building materials directly on the ground. This is just asking for mold to start growing on these and this is completely avoidable by just raising the materials up off the ground. They should come into contact with the soil as little as possible, if at all.
Mold testing during different stages of the home’s development should also take place. The testing should be in the beginning, near the middle, and after the home is completed.
As long as you pay attention to what is going on around the new site of your home while your contractor is working on it, you should be able to almost completely avoid mold being built into your home.
Showing posts with label wet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wet. Show all posts
Monday, January 21, 2008
Step Two of Drying Out Water Damaged Properties
The second half of the drying process of water damaged homes or buildings should begin by removing any water damaged items from the home like furniture, paintings, photographs, and etcetera and allowing them to dry out outside the home. Squeeze as much water as possible out of couch cushions and try to leave them outside in the sun for as little time as possible, because sun damage can also occur if they’re left exposed for too long.
If the floors of your home are covered in mud or silt, washing them with clean water is usually the only solution. Don’t rush the drying of the floors or what is called warping or buckling and if you can, remove any insulation from under the floor to allow air to circulate. Rapid drying of hardwood floors by using heating, air conditioning, or other forced air to help dry the floors can cause cupping. Completely drying them naturally can take weeks or months.
Any electrical components in the house, like AC outlets, should be replaced if the water level was high enough to damage them. Again, make sure there is no electricity running to that area of your building or even to the entire building itself. When dealing with flooded properties, the possibility of electrocution is great.
Don’t be so quick to remove all the water in your basement. The walls of the basement could collapse due to the ground outside that is still saturated with water and the water still standing in your basement could be the only thing stopping this. After the water around the house has drained away, pump out two or three feet, mark the water level, and wait until the next day. If the water level in the basement rises, don’t continue pumping out the water.
In most cases, washing wet mud away from objects with clean water before drying them is a good idea. Unless it’s an antique item of special significance, this is generally the way to go. If it does fall into the category of antique or historic, consult a specialist as quickly as possible.
Air circulation through the building is essential to drying it out entirely. Heaters should not be used and air conditioners should be used sparingly, if at all. Forcing the building to dry unnaturally can possibly cause even more damage.
If the floors of your home are covered in mud or silt, washing them with clean water is usually the only solution. Don’t rush the drying of the floors or what is called warping or buckling and if you can, remove any insulation from under the floor to allow air to circulate. Rapid drying of hardwood floors by using heating, air conditioning, or other forced air to help dry the floors can cause cupping. Completely drying them naturally can take weeks or months.
Any electrical components in the house, like AC outlets, should be replaced if the water level was high enough to damage them. Again, make sure there is no electricity running to that area of your building or even to the entire building itself. When dealing with flooded properties, the possibility of electrocution is great.
Don’t be so quick to remove all the water in your basement. The walls of the basement could collapse due to the ground outside that is still saturated with water and the water still standing in your basement could be the only thing stopping this. After the water around the house has drained away, pump out two or three feet, mark the water level, and wait until the next day. If the water level in the basement rises, don’t continue pumping out the water.
In most cases, washing wet mud away from objects with clean water before drying them is a good idea. Unless it’s an antique item of special significance, this is generally the way to go. If it does fall into the category of antique or historic, consult a specialist as quickly as possible.
Air circulation through the building is essential to drying it out entirely. Heaters should not be used and air conditioners should be used sparingly, if at all. Forcing the building to dry unnaturally can possibly cause even more damage.
Water Damage Prevention in the Kitchen and Bathroom
If you’re looking to prevent water damage to your home, it might take a little effort, but it’ll be worth it in the long run. Here are a few ways to help prevent water damage in your kitchen and bathroom.
Checking for hidden water leaks in your home is pretty easy and it’s very possible that you have one in your house. Turn off all appliances that use water, go outside and take note of what your water meter says, and leave the appliances off (don’t use any water at all) for at least one hour. After the hour is up, check the water meter again to see if the reading has changed. If it has, you probably have a leak.
Check underneath your dishwasher to see if the line that goes to it from the water pipes isn’t leaking. If there is standing water near the base of the dishwasher, you have a leak. Another way to check for leaks here is to check if any of the materials around the dishwasher are discolored or warped in any way.
Your refrigerator is often a culprit of water damage, as well, especially refrigerators with built in ice makers. Sometimes the line to the ice maker bursts or ice builds up near the bottom of the door and keeps it from shutting all the way, resulting in items in your freezer thawing. Make sure the line to the ice maker is connected firmly and does not leak.
Sinks often need to be re-caulked around to prevent water damage under the sink and on top of the counter.
In the bathroom, soft spots in the floors near the edge of the tub or shower along with discoloration is a sure sign of water damage. Re-caulking where the walls meet the floor or where the walls meet the tub can help solve the problem. If you have tiled areas in your bathroom, cracks in grout or areas where it is missing can also cause damage.
The overflow of toilets is an obvious cause of water damage, even if it doesn’t happen that often. Putting too much toilet paper into toilets or other objects into the toilet can cause it to back up. Deodorants that hang inside the toilet bowl are something that causes blocks in the plumbing, can block the line completely, and if it is chlorine-based, can cause the pipes to rust and lead to an additional leak.
Checking for hidden water leaks in your home is pretty easy and it’s very possible that you have one in your house. Turn off all appliances that use water, go outside and take note of what your water meter says, and leave the appliances off (don’t use any water at all) for at least one hour. After the hour is up, check the water meter again to see if the reading has changed. If it has, you probably have a leak.
Check underneath your dishwasher to see if the line that goes to it from the water pipes isn’t leaking. If there is standing water near the base of the dishwasher, you have a leak. Another way to check for leaks here is to check if any of the materials around the dishwasher are discolored or warped in any way.
Your refrigerator is often a culprit of water damage, as well, especially refrigerators with built in ice makers. Sometimes the line to the ice maker bursts or ice builds up near the bottom of the door and keeps it from shutting all the way, resulting in items in your freezer thawing. Make sure the line to the ice maker is connected firmly and does not leak.
Sinks often need to be re-caulked around to prevent water damage under the sink and on top of the counter.
In the bathroom, soft spots in the floors near the edge of the tub or shower along with discoloration is a sure sign of water damage. Re-caulking where the walls meet the floor or where the walls meet the tub can help solve the problem. If you have tiled areas in your bathroom, cracks in grout or areas where it is missing can also cause damage.
The overflow of toilets is an obvious cause of water damage, even if it doesn’t happen that often. Putting too much toilet paper into toilets or other objects into the toilet can cause it to back up. Deodorants that hang inside the toilet bowl are something that causes blocks in the plumbing, can block the line completely, and if it is chlorine-based, can cause the pipes to rust and lead to an additional leak.
What Causes Water Damage to Your Home?
Everyone knows that water damage to any property, whether it’s commercial or residential, is bad, but not everyone is aware of all of the different factors that can allow it to occur. There are obvious causes of water damage that most people know about like plumbing leaks and leaking roofs, but what about some of the other less common causes?
Basement walls insulated with fiberglass tend to be a problem because moisture becomes trapped behind them and the air leaks that can happen in between one floor of the home and the next or even the attic. Fiberglass absorbs water and so installing fiberglass insulation in basements is not a good idea. Installing plastic sheeting inside the wall isn’t the answer, either, because this also traps moisture.
Using blue board insulation is a bit better if you’re going to insulate your basement because this insulation allows moisture to move freely through the wall and allows it to dry out.
If the land around the home is sloped toward the home’s foundation, this can cause problems, too. Water doesn’t flow away from the home as it should and can seep into the basement or weaken the foundation and cause the house to sink slowly into the ground.
If you live in a colder climate, you should be careful to have your ceilings insulated properly because if it isn’t, it can cause what are called “ice dams” and water will leak into the house. Moisture that leaks up into the attic in the form of steam or humidity can attach itself to the inside of the roofing and cause it to not only rot, but mold to grow upon it, as well.
In warmer climates, water damage can occur due to flaws in the air conditioner or the air ducts.
Attic hatches that are not properly sealed when shut are a cause of water damage inside attics and on ceilings. Light fixtures in the home should be airtight when they are installed, especially if they are the recessed kind and exhaust fans that aren’t directed outside the house, but only into the attic can be a problem, too, whether they are from the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room. Any exhaust fan should have a vent to the outside of the home so moisture doesn’t collect, condense, and cause the water damage you are trying to avoid.
Basement walls insulated with fiberglass tend to be a problem because moisture becomes trapped behind them and the air leaks that can happen in between one floor of the home and the next or even the attic. Fiberglass absorbs water and so installing fiberglass insulation in basements is not a good idea. Installing plastic sheeting inside the wall isn’t the answer, either, because this also traps moisture.
Using blue board insulation is a bit better if you’re going to insulate your basement because this insulation allows moisture to move freely through the wall and allows it to dry out.
If the land around the home is sloped toward the home’s foundation, this can cause problems, too. Water doesn’t flow away from the home as it should and can seep into the basement or weaken the foundation and cause the house to sink slowly into the ground.
If you live in a colder climate, you should be careful to have your ceilings insulated properly because if it isn’t, it can cause what are called “ice dams” and water will leak into the house. Moisture that leaks up into the attic in the form of steam or humidity can attach itself to the inside of the roofing and cause it to not only rot, but mold to grow upon it, as well.
In warmer climates, water damage can occur due to flaws in the air conditioner or the air ducts.
Attic hatches that are not properly sealed when shut are a cause of water damage inside attics and on ceilings. Light fixtures in the home should be airtight when they are installed, especially if they are the recessed kind and exhaust fans that aren’t directed outside the house, but only into the attic can be a problem, too, whether they are from the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room. Any exhaust fan should have a vent to the outside of the home so moisture doesn’t collect, condense, and cause the water damage you are trying to avoid.
Employees, Tenants, and Mold
As if mold invading our homes wasn’t enough, it also invades other buildings such as the places where we work. Anyone who owns a rental property or hires employees to work in a building that he or she owns must ensure that the building is free and clear of mold infestations not only because this can cause significant structural damage, but because they can be held legally liable for any and all medical bills associated with mold health complications resulting from working in a mold infested environment.
The list of health complications that can be blamed on mold are almost endless. You’d have a better chance of picking a winning roulette number than you would of guessing the health effect(s) mold will cause in you. You can become sick with anything from chronic dandruff, skin rashes, to bleeding in your lungs and aspergilloma (fungus balls that grow in cavities within the body). The list of conditions caused by or aggravated by mold is longer than can be listed here. What can employers and landlords do to ensure the safety of their workers and tenants?
First of all, take the claims that mold exist on the property seriously. Check out the areas where your workers or tenants claim mold exist yourself and if you see even the slightest evidence that they could be right, you should be quick to have a professional test for mold. If the test comes back as positive, you’re required to inform your workers that mold exists on the property and when remediation of it will begin and a general idea of when it will be concluded. As soon as the property has had the mold removed, you need to have another test done to prove that the mold is gone. Getting your employees back to work and your tenants back in their rental as soon as you can will restart your cash flow.
You should encourage any of your employees that suffer health effects that could be attributed to the mold in your workplace or your rental property to see a doctor. Any mold infestation that you detect should be dealt with as quickly as possible because you can be held responsible for more than just their medical bills associated with the mold. If they’re your tenants, you can also be held responsible for their relocation bills and moving expenses.
The list of health complications that can be blamed on mold are almost endless. You’d have a better chance of picking a winning roulette number than you would of guessing the health effect(s) mold will cause in you. You can become sick with anything from chronic dandruff, skin rashes, to bleeding in your lungs and aspergilloma (fungus balls that grow in cavities within the body). The list of conditions caused by or aggravated by mold is longer than can be listed here. What can employers and landlords do to ensure the safety of their workers and tenants?
First of all, take the claims that mold exist on the property seriously. Check out the areas where your workers or tenants claim mold exist yourself and if you see even the slightest evidence that they could be right, you should be quick to have a professional test for mold. If the test comes back as positive, you’re required to inform your workers that mold exists on the property and when remediation of it will begin and a general idea of when it will be concluded. As soon as the property has had the mold removed, you need to have another test done to prove that the mold is gone. Getting your employees back to work and your tenants back in their rental as soon as you can will restart your cash flow.
You should encourage any of your employees that suffer health effects that could be attributed to the mold in your workplace or your rental property to see a doctor. Any mold infestation that you detect should be dealt with as quickly as possible because you can be held responsible for more than just their medical bills associated with the mold. If they’re your tenants, you can also be held responsible for their relocation bills and moving expenses.
Your Wet Front and Backyard
One of the biggest eyesores for neighbors to have to look at tends to be standing water in the front yard. Water collecting in the backyard may not be that big of an issue, but it can still be a problem when it reduces the value of the property in more ways than one. If the water collects around the foundation of the house, then this can put the structure of the home in jeopardy, since water in these spots long term can cause the home itself to sink down into the ground. Repairing that problem can be quite expensive, so taking the steps necessary to make sure that water does not collect around the house is very important.
The problem of standing water in your yard can usually be solved very easily by filling in the depressions on the property with soil. This should not take a lot of work, but the result will be worth it in the end. You can have the dirt delivered by someone else or if you have a truck, you can go retrieve it yourself to save even more money. Having a wheel barrow handy and some shovels can also help with this project. If you do not have a wheel barrow, some buckets will get the job done eventually. Walk on the soil until it appears to be even with the rest of the yard and plant grass over it. To keep it from looking out of place, you might want to take this opportunity to reseed your yard with new grass.
You can also put a drainage system in your yard to drain one area of its excess water. This does not have to be used for a large puddle of standing water, but can also be used to direct ground water away from the property. If there is an area that you want to keep drained, however, you can do this by digging a ditch, installing some gravel, and a length of PVC pipe. Make sure that your ditch slants downhill and that it does so enough that the flow of water is efficient. Gravel will be put down before the PVC pipe to help with the draining of ground water, which cannot typically be collected by the pipe itself. The PVC pipe will be completely surrounded by gravel and soil replaced on top of it. Taking the opportunity to reseed your yard with new grass could be a good idea now, as well, since you do not want a huge visible line of new grass running through it.
The problem of standing water in your yard can usually be solved very easily by filling in the depressions on the property with soil. This should not take a lot of work, but the result will be worth it in the end. You can have the dirt delivered by someone else or if you have a truck, you can go retrieve it yourself to save even more money. Having a wheel barrow handy and some shovels can also help with this project. If you do not have a wheel barrow, some buckets will get the job done eventually. Walk on the soil until it appears to be even with the rest of the yard and plant grass over it. To keep it from looking out of place, you might want to take this opportunity to reseed your yard with new grass.
You can also put a drainage system in your yard to drain one area of its excess water. This does not have to be used for a large puddle of standing water, but can also be used to direct ground water away from the property. If there is an area that you want to keep drained, however, you can do this by digging a ditch, installing some gravel, and a length of PVC pipe. Make sure that your ditch slants downhill and that it does so enough that the flow of water is efficient. Gravel will be put down before the PVC pipe to help with the draining of ground water, which cannot typically be collected by the pipe itself. The PVC pipe will be completely surrounded by gravel and soil replaced on top of it. Taking the opportunity to reseed your yard with new grass could be a good idea now, as well, since you do not want a huge visible line of new grass running through it.
Water Smart Bathroom Remodeling Made Easy
While the bathroom is usually not considered the soul of a house, it is still an important room that is visited by all members of the household at least twice a day. Anyone wanting to renovate their bathroom should go ahead and take all the advice given here into account as they plan their project so they maximize the value that it will add to the home. There are a few different things you need to be sure of when you go to renovate the bathroom and minimize the amount of possible future water damage.
Water is both the friend and enemy of your bathroom, since water can cause a considerable amount of damage if the area is not prepared to deal with it properly. If you are remodeling a bathroom, make sure that there is an exhaust fan in the ceiling to vent steam out of the room during showers and baths. Humidity buildup in a tight space made of porous materials like drywall is a bad idea, since these will become discolored and molded fairly quickly if it is not kept in check. Mold loves to live in the wettest areas of your home, so it is in your best interests to make sure that the bathroom stays as dry as possible.
You also need to be sure that everything in the bathroom gets sealed properly by the contractor that you hire to do it. If you remodel it yourself, you should do your research and make sure that you know what you are doing. Tile that is not sealed correctly will allow water underneath it and this will cause damage to the floors over time.
Depending on the age of the house and the condition of the plumbing behind the walls, you may want to replace the plumbing with newer material. Check it for possible leaks and do not hesitate to replace the plumbing if you are having doubts.
Try to make sure that your toilet does not overflow very often. Even though the tile underneath it should be sealed completely to keep water from getting to the floor underneath, you should not take chances. If you choose to have carpet in the bathroom instead (bad idea), you will need to be even more careful.
The plumbing underneath the sink also needs to be checked out. Depending on the condition of the vanity and what it is made of, you may want to replace it to add some more value to the room.
Water is both the friend and enemy of your bathroom, since water can cause a considerable amount of damage if the area is not prepared to deal with it properly. If you are remodeling a bathroom, make sure that there is an exhaust fan in the ceiling to vent steam out of the room during showers and baths. Humidity buildup in a tight space made of porous materials like drywall is a bad idea, since these will become discolored and molded fairly quickly if it is not kept in check. Mold loves to live in the wettest areas of your home, so it is in your best interests to make sure that the bathroom stays as dry as possible.
You also need to be sure that everything in the bathroom gets sealed properly by the contractor that you hire to do it. If you remodel it yourself, you should do your research and make sure that you know what you are doing. Tile that is not sealed correctly will allow water underneath it and this will cause damage to the floors over time.
Depending on the age of the house and the condition of the plumbing behind the walls, you may want to replace the plumbing with newer material. Check it for possible leaks and do not hesitate to replace the plumbing if you are having doubts.
Try to make sure that your toilet does not overflow very often. Even though the tile underneath it should be sealed completely to keep water from getting to the floor underneath, you should not take chances. If you choose to have carpet in the bathroom instead (bad idea), you will need to be even more careful.
The plumbing underneath the sink also needs to be checked out. Depending on the condition of the vanity and what it is made of, you may want to replace it to add some more value to the room.
Some Wet Basement Tips to Dry You Out
You probably do not consider the basement to be the soul of your house, but even if not, this is still a room that you need to take care of. Since the rest of the home rests on this part of the structure, you need to make sure that the basement is structurally sound and if it is a wet basement, this may be a real problem.
Water leaking into the basement tends to cause problems with the walls and floors, possibly cracking them and creating a humidity problem. Humidity issues in the basement usually lead to mold growth and this is a problem that no homeowner wants to have to deal with. It can lead to the very structural problems that you are trying to avoid on top of causing health issues for the people living in the house, especially the people who are in the basement the most often.
Controlling the humidity in the basement is not usually a big issue if there are no existing leaks allowing water inside. Installing a dehumidifier could really help with the problem of high humidity and so can putting in an exhaust vent down there. Having an exhaust vent in the basement can be a big help, especially if you use the basement for a laundry room or have another bathroom or shower down there. Without a place to go, steam is absorbed by the rafters or the drywall and usually causes it to become discolored or molded.
Cracks in the concrete walls of your basement where water is leaking in need to be fixed with a concrete injection. You can do this now with a regular caulking gun, but do not try to fix it with caulking that you would use in the bathroom. Neither caulking nor cement will work, since these will eventually become loose and simply fall out.
Keep the rain gutters around your house cleaned out and put some more soil around the base of the house, especially if water is forming puddles around it. This will help stop water from leaking down into the basement.
Having carpet in your basement is probably not that bad of an idea if you are using it for an entertainment or family room, but any wet carpet needs to be taken up along with the padding underneath it. Mold starts to grow after about 48 hours after the item has been wet, so if the basement has been wet for a while and so has the carpet, trying to clean it is probably an inefficient idea. Even if you cleaned the carpet, you would have to take up the padding and replace it, because it cannot be cleaned. The best thing to do is just purchase new carpeting.
Water leaking into the basement tends to cause problems with the walls and floors, possibly cracking them and creating a humidity problem. Humidity issues in the basement usually lead to mold growth and this is a problem that no homeowner wants to have to deal with. It can lead to the very structural problems that you are trying to avoid on top of causing health issues for the people living in the house, especially the people who are in the basement the most often.
Controlling the humidity in the basement is not usually a big issue if there are no existing leaks allowing water inside. Installing a dehumidifier could really help with the problem of high humidity and so can putting in an exhaust vent down there. Having an exhaust vent in the basement can be a big help, especially if you use the basement for a laundry room or have another bathroom or shower down there. Without a place to go, steam is absorbed by the rafters or the drywall and usually causes it to become discolored or molded.
Cracks in the concrete walls of your basement where water is leaking in need to be fixed with a concrete injection. You can do this now with a regular caulking gun, but do not try to fix it with caulking that you would use in the bathroom. Neither caulking nor cement will work, since these will eventually become loose and simply fall out.
Keep the rain gutters around your house cleaned out and put some more soil around the base of the house, especially if water is forming puddles around it. This will help stop water from leaking down into the basement.
Having carpet in your basement is probably not that bad of an idea if you are using it for an entertainment or family room, but any wet carpet needs to be taken up along with the padding underneath it. Mold starts to grow after about 48 hours after the item has been wet, so if the basement has been wet for a while and so has the carpet, trying to clean it is probably an inefficient idea. Even if you cleaned the carpet, you would have to take up the padding and replace it, because it cannot be cleaned. The best thing to do is just purchase new carpeting.
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