Mold growing in your home can be a serious problem not only for you, but also for the building itself. The negative health effects it can have on you, your family, and your pets are bad enough by themselves, but when you add the structural damage it can do, what it costs to have it removed, and how unsightly it can be, it is a nightmare for any homeowner to deal with. There are a number of places in your home that are at risk for mold growth and you should do a casual inspection of these areas often, since it can start to grow in about 48 hours.
The bathroom is the worst area of the home at risk for mold because this room sees so much water going in and out of it every day. Hopefully everyone in your home takes a bath or a shower at least once a day and if they do, then this is somewhere around or even over a hundred gallons a day. Steam collects and becomes soaked up by the ceiling and will cause mold to grow there over time. Ceilings have been known to collapse due to this kind of moisture buildup, so having an exhaust vent installed in the room to let the steam outside into the atmosphere is a good idea. The bathroom floor should also be waterproofed. Hard, non-porous surfaces are not good environments for mold to grow on, but if they get underneath to the wooden sub-floor, they will thrive.
The kitchen is another area of the home at risk and an exhaust vent should be here, too, and preferably located over the stove. This is also an area that needs to have a water tight floor, since it is also a place where spills of liquid happen often. Dishwashers and ice makers in the refrigerator also have a tendency to malfunction if they are old or in disrepair.
Basements have their own humidity problem to deal with most of the time and you can fix this by repairing any water leaks that may be there and installing a dehumidifier can also help. If you do laundry or have an extra bathroom here, an exhaust vent is a must. Replacing window wells and piling more soil around the foundation of your house can help stop water from seeping inside, as well.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood and water damage cleanup and
water damage restoration> companies across the united states.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
What Moldy Food Should You Discard?
Having an argument with yourself while ducked into the refrigerator on what you should have for breakfast, lunch, or dinner is a common occurrence if you have a full refrigerator, but something that is just as common is arguing with yourself over what you should do with an item in the fridge that has a little mold growing on it. Mold grows on a lot of things in the fridge, but we do not always know which items are safe to remove the mold from and keep. What do you do if you find something in your refrigerator that has mold on it? Well, it just depends on what the food is that you are talking about.
Mold grows on everything in the fridge eventually and that is just a fact that we have to live with. Food will not keep forever, no matter how well you try to preserve it most of the time. Jars of jellies, jams, marmalades, and preserves are among the worst offenders when it comes to mold growing on them in the fridge. These are items that you should throw away if you discover mold growing inside the jar, because since they are soft items, the “threads” of mold can reach throughout it and contaminate the entire jar. Throw these away.
Fruits and vegetables need to be checked carefully on a regular basis once you get them home and taken out of the plastic bags that you collect them in when you are at the grocery store. Condensation builds up in these bags and will cause mold to grow. One contaminated fruit will cause anything else it is touching to become infected, as well. Throw any contaminated fruits and vegetables away and wash anything it was touching that does not appear to be contaminated.
Anything in your fridge that has a high amount of moisture in it should be discarded after mold is seen growing on it, because it can contaminate the entire item very easily. Dense items like hard salami or blocks of cheese can simply have the moldy areas cut out (as long as it is an inch around and under the molded area) and these will be fine to consume afterward.
Any baked goods such as bread or cake should be discarded if mold is growing on them. These are porous surfaces and can possibly be contaminated beyond the surface.
Soft cheeses, yogurts, casseroles, hot dogs, lunch meat, and etcetera need to be discarded after old is seen growing upon them. These items tend to have a high content of moisture and will probably be contaminated throughout their entire depth.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
Mold grows on everything in the fridge eventually and that is just a fact that we have to live with. Food will not keep forever, no matter how well you try to preserve it most of the time. Jars of jellies, jams, marmalades, and preserves are among the worst offenders when it comes to mold growing on them in the fridge. These are items that you should throw away if you discover mold growing inside the jar, because since they are soft items, the “threads” of mold can reach throughout it and contaminate the entire jar. Throw these away.
Fruits and vegetables need to be checked carefully on a regular basis once you get them home and taken out of the plastic bags that you collect them in when you are at the grocery store. Condensation builds up in these bags and will cause mold to grow. One contaminated fruit will cause anything else it is touching to become infected, as well. Throw any contaminated fruits and vegetables away and wash anything it was touching that does not appear to be contaminated.
Anything in your fridge that has a high amount of moisture in it should be discarded after mold is seen growing on it, because it can contaminate the entire item very easily. Dense items like hard salami or blocks of cheese can simply have the moldy areas cut out (as long as it is an inch around and under the molded area) and these will be fine to consume afterward.
Any baked goods such as bread or cake should be discarded if mold is growing on them. These are porous surfaces and can possibly be contaminated beyond the surface.
Soft cheeses, yogurts, casseroles, hot dogs, lunch meat, and etcetera need to be discarded after old is seen growing upon them. These items tend to have a high content of moisture and will probably be contaminated throughout their entire depth.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
Tips to Prevent Water Damage at Home
Water damage occurs most commonly in the bathroom and in the kitchen, but most of the time this damage can be prevented if a few simple measures are taken on a regular basis. Water damage is not only unsightly because it tends to discolor things in your house such as the drywall or the floor, but it also damages the internal structure, as well. Drywall that absorbs too much water will eventually begin to sag due to the weight and the paper on the drywall will become detached.
The kitchen and the bathroom are the two rooms that can add the most value to your home if you choose to sell it, so keeping them in good condition is crucial if a house you purchase is simply an investment. Even if it is not just an investment, keeping these two rooms in good condition is a good idea to keep the quality of life in your home at a good basic level.
Having a vent located in the bathroom and in the kitchen over the stove is necessary to help prevent water damage to the ceiling and upper parts of the walls. You will see these vents located in the bathrooms of most motels and hotels these days, in an effort to protect the room from water damage. Most commercial properties that have bathrooms with showers have these vents because they realize that this is necessary to make their property last as long as possible. If steam has nowhere to go, mold will also begin to grow on the ceiling and walls over time and having that removed is a whole other problem.
Plumbing in your kitchen or bathroom should be inspected often, as well. Even leaks that are only small drips can cause water damage and especially mold growth over time.
Toilets and bathtubs should be allowed to overflow as little as possible, especially in bathrooms that have carpet installed instead of tile or even carpet installed over tile. Tile floors should be completely sealed by caulking to be sure that water does not get to the floor boards underneath.
Water damage and mold can be prevented in the bathroom closet if wet items are not left on the floor. Mold can start to grow as little as 24 hours after a wet item is abandoned and this mold will contaminate any other clothes that are thrown on top of it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Mold Remediation and
water damage restoration companies across the united states.
The kitchen and the bathroom are the two rooms that can add the most value to your home if you choose to sell it, so keeping them in good condition is crucial if a house you purchase is simply an investment. Even if it is not just an investment, keeping these two rooms in good condition is a good idea to keep the quality of life in your home at a good basic level.
Having a vent located in the bathroom and in the kitchen over the stove is necessary to help prevent water damage to the ceiling and upper parts of the walls. You will see these vents located in the bathrooms of most motels and hotels these days, in an effort to protect the room from water damage. Most commercial properties that have bathrooms with showers have these vents because they realize that this is necessary to make their property last as long as possible. If steam has nowhere to go, mold will also begin to grow on the ceiling and walls over time and having that removed is a whole other problem.
Plumbing in your kitchen or bathroom should be inspected often, as well. Even leaks that are only small drips can cause water damage and especially mold growth over time.
Toilets and bathtubs should be allowed to overflow as little as possible, especially in bathrooms that have carpet installed instead of tile or even carpet installed over tile. Tile floors should be completely sealed by caulking to be sure that water does not get to the floor boards underneath.
Water damage and mold can be prevented in the bathroom closet if wet items are not left on the floor. Mold can start to grow as little as 24 hours after a wet item is abandoned and this mold will contaminate any other clothes that are thrown on top of it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Mold Remediation and
water damage restoration companies across the united states.
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