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10 Things to Know About Household Mold

Mold will grow where conditions allow. The process of finding and repairing mold damage can cause stress and inconvenience, from financial burden to emotional hardship. The cause of the mold whether or not your home insurance covers mold remediation will of course affect the financial cost of repairing mold damage. Even though molds need water or moisture to grow, not all water damage repairs are covered by homeowners’ insurance policies.

Here are 10 things that you should know about mold & its insurance coverage:

•   Homeowner’s insurance will likely not cover mold restoration that is cause by water damage which resulted from “maintenance problems” or floods.

•   Some insurance policies will cover property loss caused by mold in certain situations.

•   Some mold restoration companies will work directly with your insurance company so that you do not have to.

•   Even if your policy covers sudden and accidental water losses, including burst pipes, and some sewer back up or sump pump failure, some insurance companies have begun to specifically exclude or limit coverage for mold that may result.

•   With full mold coverage, insurance buyers are able to claim bodily injury, property damage, remediation expenses, business interruption, and defense costs due to mold.

•   When you buy an insurance policy, be sure to note the mold exclusions in your policy.

•   In the case of mold contamination be sure to maintain your own documentation of the incident; take pictures of everything and call in your own mold professionals for mold testing and estimates. If you’re going to claim health damages too, get blood testing.

•   The adapted environmental policies fill the coverage gap in commercial insurance programs created by the new mold exclusions in the same way traditional environmental insurance fills the coverage gaps created by pollution exclusions.

•   With mold exclusions being added to virtually all property and general liability insurance policies, buyers have significant uninsured loss exposures.

•   A property owner should be aware that repairing water damage, cleaning up mold and identifying the coverage aspects of your insurance policy should be done immediately in order to safe guard the property.

All claims insurance repairs can easily be solved by contacting 911 Restoration. We will take care at your situation from the initial estimate and insurance claim, to repairs, clean up and billing. Our no-hassle service policy is designed to get both you and your property back on track as quickly as possible.

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Bathroom Mold

Mold and mildew can build up on any bathroom surface that is exposed to a high volume of water or humidity. Water is, obviously, a central part of the bathroom, but it is also the leading cause of damage there.  Even if your bathroom is well taken care, over time there will be water damage that can lead to mold problems; and prolonged mold exposure and cause serious health problems.

Why mold is common in bathrooms?  Poor ventilation, coupled with a warm, damp and humid environment makes the bathroom an ideal place from mold to grow. Growth can be worsened is the bathroom is not well maintained and clean.

Usually, shower curtains and tile grout are the most common places for mold and mildew to grow on, but there are other collection points, including: under sinks, around window frames and sills, and where the tub or shower meet the floor. Simply cleaning mold is not enough to prevent more growth. Measures must be taken to make it difficult for mold to grow: increase the ventilation, avoid water overflows, fix leaks, use heat lamps, constantly clean and disinfect.

There are many measures you can take to prevent mold and mildew growth in the bathroom. Use fans that can remove the excess moisture, that mold thrives on, from your bathroom. If you have a window- open it while you are taking the shower. You should wipe down the shower walls after showering using a sponge or treat the walls with a shower spray cleaning product that’s specially formulated to remove mold/mildew. When you are taking a shower, position your shower curtains in such a way so that water doesn’t leak on the floor. Try to keep the humidity levels in your home to below 50 percent and provide adequate ventilation for optimum prevention of mold. Make sure to fix leaks and soon as you notice them.

Keeping mold under control is an ongoing chore and in the vast majority of cases, one that can be accomplished by the average homeowner with vigilance and common sense. If mold is already present, or you suspect that it is, immediately call a professional to inspect and removal it. Be sure that it’s a professional organization that is licensed, bonded & insured with all certificates and insurance requirements and a good rating with the Better Business Bureau. 911 Restoration is just that type of company. Handling all mold testing and removal, and water damage restoration jobs with precision and care, 911 Restoration is ready to help you with any mold problem. Visit www.911restorationinc.com to schedule a free visual inspection today!

Mold vs. Mildew – What’s the Difference?

Mold and mildew; we often hear these two mentioned together, but what’s the difference between them? The answer, in short: they are two different types of fungi. The easiest way to tell them apart is by their color. Mold is usually black, green, red or blue and mildew is usually grey or white. While, both grow in moist, warm locations with poor ventilation, mold spores tend to grow on organic surfaces (i.e. food, wood) and mildew spores prefer surfaces like shower curtains, fabric, and paper. This is not to say, however, that mold and mildew can not be found in other places; in essence, if the location is moist/humid and warm it is an ideal place for mold or mildew to grow.

So how are mold and mildew the same? And why is it important to keep them out of you house? While there are some differences between them, mold and mildew are fairly similar. The two are, in fact, living organisms. Both produce spores that travel through the air to find new surfaces to grow on. In nature, mold and mildew are vital to the ecosystem in that they play a major role in the decaying of plant life and, thus, soil enrichment.

However, it is this ability to break down organic materials that make them          a problem to us. Mold and mildew will digest the organic material they grow on until there is none left, and then, will spread to the adjacent material to continue. Mold damaged wood in attics, walls, flooring or foundation, after rain or a flood, can be costly to repair and very dangerous.

This process of decomposition sounds bad enough when its inflicted some where in your house, but imagine what can happen if you breathe in mold spores. Mold inhalation can cause a number of adverse health reactions. These reactions can range anywhere from an allergic reaction (eye, skin irritation), to respiratory problems, to aches and pains, to nervous system problems (memory loss, mood changes). Of course, infants and children, pregnant women, older adults, and individuals with respiratory or immune-system problems are more susceptible to adverse health effects of mold.

Considering the dangers mold poses not only to your home but, also, your well-being, it is important to take measures to prevent mold. First, make your home inhospitable for mold: fix leaks, ensure water doesn’t seep in from the outside, keep your home’s humidity around 40% and keep your home well ventilated. Then, stop the mold from growing: clean fabrics frequently, disinfect mold-prone areas of your home (bathroom, laundry area) constantly. If you suspect that your home is already infected, or if your home is water damaged from a flood, leak or pipe burst, it is important to consult an expert to inspect your home for mold. The sooner water damage is addressed and mold is remediated the better. 911 Restoration Inc. is a full service mold removal company; offering mold testing and complete removal, water extraction and damage restoration and free visual inspections. Visit the 911 Restoration website for more information or call 1-888-243-6653 to schedule your free inspection.

How to Remove Mold

An online search of “how to remove mold” will produce more results than you could imagine. And they will all say, more or less, the same thing: clean the mold, bleach it and you’re done. However, this will not take care of the mold problem completely. If it did, there would be little need for mold remediation companies. These suggested cleaning methods are overly simplified answers to a serious problem.

Ideas offered online for cleaning mold yourself may clean the mold temporarily, but they are by no means ways to completely remove the mold problem. They ignore two major factors in mold growth: moisture and mold spores. In order to remediate mold, all factors (the mold growth, spores, and moisture) must be addressed.

Mold grows in humid areas or on moist surfaces. Often, the source of water is a leak – a leaky roof, pipe or appliance – but it could also be, condensation on pipes, flooding (or poor water drainage), or poor ventilation in humid rooms. If the source of the moisture intrusion in not corrected, chances are high that mold will be an on going problem. Many times, this source is not visible and special equipment (infrared cameras, moisture-meters) are needed to find it. Serious repairs could, also, be needed if it is a pipe or roof leak.

Mold spores are how molds spread and reproduce. They travel through the air until they find a hospitable new surface to colonize on. There are mold spores in every home, but rooms with mold growth have an increase of spores in the air. Preventing mold growth in other parts of the home requires containing the mold spores within the infected area. This means having to do a number of things. First, the area must be partitioned from the rest of the home – polyethylene sheeting is used to cover doors and vents. Second, air ducts must be cleaned as they are prime transports for mold spores. Third, because mold spores can attach themselves to your clothing, you must decontaminate yourself and your clothing before leaving the infected area. Finally, the mold spores in the infected are must be cleaned using HEPA air filtration and vacuuming. (Because mold spores are often inhaled, controlling their spread can, also, prevent negative health effects).

In addition to these unmentioned factors, is damage restoration. Both mold, and the water that causes mold, can damage your home – drywall, joists, wall studs, flooring, foundation and more. Most online guide for removing mold, fail to mention that there could be damage to your home that must be repaired.

The advice available online is not incorrect if you simply want to remove surface mold. There is, however, much more work that needs to be done if you want to restore the entire mold problem. Using a professional remediation company may cost more money, but you get the assurance that all of the factors were addressed. 911 Restoration Inc. is a full service mold restoration company. They will complete remediation the mold, repair water damage, and guarantee that their work will pass mold clearance. They even offer a free visual inspection. Call (888) 243 – 6653 or visit www.911restorationinc.com today to schedule your appointment.

Mold Health Hazards to Children

Mold in your home is always a problem that should be taken care of immediately, but some molds are more hazardous than others. “Toxic” molds produce mycotoxins as by-products of their metabolism, and almost all of these mycotoxins have an immunosuppressive effect. Because their immune systems are not fully developed, infants are particularly susceptible to the damaging effects of toxic mold exposure. The most disturbing thing about airborne mycotoxins is that you don’t always know how much health damage they have caused until it’s too late.

The fungi Stachybotrys chartarum, commonly referred to as ‘black’ or ‘toxic’ mold, has recently been linked to serious health risks, particularly for children and the elderly. Exposure to toxic mold can result in a variety of serious symptoms and illnesses, including learning disabilities, memory problems, chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, bleeding lungs, and chronic bronchitis, among others.

Contamination by toxic mold is becoming ever more common, and only recently have we begun to understand what a dramatic effect its presence can have on us. Some studies have shown that mold is the cause of nearly all chronic sinus infections, and it has been linked to an increased incidence of asthma, particularly among children. Some healthcare professionals have suggested a link between pulmonary hemosiderosis (bleeding of the lungs) in infants and exposure to airborne concentrations of Stachybotry.

Mold spores are present everywhere in the natural environment, but in order to colonize, they need moisture. Humidity and water leaks are the cause of most mold infestations, but mold doesn’t always grow where you can see it. If you see a leak or water damage of any kind, or if you smell the distinctive musty odor of mold, it’s a good idea to get an inspection, particularly if there are children in the home.

The good news is that sickness and allergies due to mold are entirely preventable. Put your mind at ease; let 911 Restoration come out for a free certified mold inspection! With over 30 years of experience with airborne mold, we recommend that you perform an annual air quality test regardless of any symptoms or health issues you may be experiencing. Our trained professionals are equipped to remove mold from your home in an eco friendly manner, creating a safer and healthier indoor environment for you and your family.