A lot of people dream of purchasing a home that is a “fixer-upper”, but many are wary about purchasing homes that are contaminated with mold in different areas. Depending on how old the home is, what condition it is in structurally, and where it is located, it may be feasible to attempt to remediate the home yourself on top of the normal remodeling that you are going to have to do. When you have to remodel a home due to cosmetic issues, a lot of the time you have to remove building materials, anyway, so why not go the extra mile and remove the mold from the home?
Professional remediation can be expensive, but if you know what you are doing and know what equipment you will need to take up the job and complete it successfully, you could have a gem of a house in not a large amount of time.
If you do choose to remediate the home yourself instead of hiring a professional, you might want to know what you will need to do it. Hiring someone to at least assess the remediation needs of the home is advised. Some heavy duty chemicals that will kill the mold will be necessary if it is growing on non-porous surfaces like tile. Almost anything else that is contaminated by mold, such as drywall, will have to be removed and replaced. Remove any and everything from the home with mold on it; do not let it come into contact with new building materials that you have purchased.
Heavy duty trash bags and a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter system on it are recommended. The vacuum will remove any mold spores from the floor after the remediation job is done with.
Respirators are a must when taking on a mold remediation job. Even if the infection is not that severe, breathing mold spores is still a hazard to your health and many problems can arise. You may be allergic and not even know it. Purchase a good quality respirator if you plan on taking out any drywall or old wood. Protective clothing so the spores do not get on your skin is also a good idea. Purchase a roll of duct tape to seal the gaps between your protective suit and your shoes. Disposable protective clothing for mold remediation is available and it not very expensive. The most expensive piece of equipment you will need is the respirator and there is no reason to skimp on that part.
Showing posts with label damage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label damage. Show all posts
Friday, January 18, 2008
What You Can Do to Prevent Water Damage
You might not be able to stop a hurricane or a flood from causing water damage to your home, but what you can stop are a lot of things in your home that can cause the same kind of damage, just on a smaller scale. They are quite simple and although you might forget to do them from time to time, as long as you make sure to check at least every once in a while, you (and your wallet) will be better protected against the surprise expense of water damage remediation.
One of the most frequent offenders of water damage tends to be the water heater itself. This should be located somewhere on the lowest floor of your home and in a drain pan connected to a pipe or hose that drains back into the sewer. This will make sure that even if your water heater does burst or begins to leak slowly, the water will not go into the floor, but down the drain. Most water heaters should be located in the basement and a leaky water heater down there is not going to be as much of a problem as one on the second or even third level of a home.
Make sure you have your rain gutters cleaned out at the end of autumn when the leaves have stopped falling. Your rain gutters are what keep water from simply sliding off your roof and settling around the foundation of your home. Water that collects around your home’s foundation can cause it to sink into the ground and even though this is a slow process, it can do a significant amount of damage to your home’s value. The downspouts should also be clear of any debris and water channeled away from the foundation. Soil around the base of your home should also be at such an angle that water naturally flows away from it.
Keep an eye on the pipes or hoses that go to your dishwasher and your clothes washer in the laundry room. Hoses can develop weak spots over time and develop leaks that can leave you in a huge mess, especially if you happen to be away from home at the grocery store or a friend’s when the leak begins.
Water damage can also be prevented by not forgetting that you have bath water running or water running in the kitchen sink. Overflowing sinks and tubs account for a lot of damage like this and can coat your floor with more water than you think in a very short period of time.
One of the most frequent offenders of water damage tends to be the water heater itself. This should be located somewhere on the lowest floor of your home and in a drain pan connected to a pipe or hose that drains back into the sewer. This will make sure that even if your water heater does burst or begins to leak slowly, the water will not go into the floor, but down the drain. Most water heaters should be located in the basement and a leaky water heater down there is not going to be as much of a problem as one on the second or even third level of a home.
Make sure you have your rain gutters cleaned out at the end of autumn when the leaves have stopped falling. Your rain gutters are what keep water from simply sliding off your roof and settling around the foundation of your home. Water that collects around your home’s foundation can cause it to sink into the ground and even though this is a slow process, it can do a significant amount of damage to your home’s value. The downspouts should also be clear of any debris and water channeled away from the foundation. Soil around the base of your home should also be at such an angle that water naturally flows away from it.
Keep an eye on the pipes or hoses that go to your dishwasher and your clothes washer in the laundry room. Hoses can develop weak spots over time and develop leaks that can leave you in a huge mess, especially if you happen to be away from home at the grocery store or a friend’s when the leak begins.
Water damage can also be prevented by not forgetting that you have bath water running or water running in the kitchen sink. Overflowing sinks and tubs account for a lot of damage like this and can coat your floor with more water than you think in a very short period of time.
The Mold Remediation Equipment You Need
Depending on how much mold needs to be removed from your home, the equipment that you will need in order to finish the job will vary greatly. If you cannot afford to hire a professional and plan on doing the entire job yourself, you probably want to know the best and safest way to complete the job. If you do not take care, you should realize that kind of biological hazard that you are exposing yourself to if you do not purchase the right level of protection equipment. This can include aggravation of your asthma, emphysema, the occurrence of skin rashes, respiratory infections, and eye infections can result, among other health complications. If you are sure you want to take on this job by yourself, consider yourself warned.
Washing mold off of drywall or other porous surfaces with chemicals will work only on a superficial level. It will not kill the mold that has worked its way into the depth of the drywall and contaminated the other side in the wall. Most drywall that becomes contaminated with mold will need to be completely replaced. If the mold growth appears to be light and you catch it new, you might be able to avoid this. Purchase heavy duty trash bags that will hold all the contaminated materials that you remove from the home, but make sure to not touch contaminated items to non-contaminated items, because of the possibility of cross-contamination.
Respirators should be used when doing any kind of mold remediation job. An N-95 respirator is recommended at the very least for light jobs and for more extensive jobs, a full face respirator with a HEPA filter should be purchased. These larger jobs are usually done on older houses that are being renovated and almost completely gutted to remove contamination, but any job that requires removing drywall and throwing it away requires a respirator of some level. A full face mask will cost you around $130. Protective clothing can also be purchased, such as rubber gloves and shoes that will not allow the mold spores to come into contact with your skin.
A vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter will also help you tremendously when you are cleaning your home after the remediation is done. This will collect all the mold spores and particles from your floor and carpet and deposit them into a receptacle that you can empty when you are done. Be careful emptying this container, though, and do not touch the contents with your bare hands. Do not stir up the contents any more than you have to in order to get them into the trash bag.
Washing mold off of drywall or other porous surfaces with chemicals will work only on a superficial level. It will not kill the mold that has worked its way into the depth of the drywall and contaminated the other side in the wall. Most drywall that becomes contaminated with mold will need to be completely replaced. If the mold growth appears to be light and you catch it new, you might be able to avoid this. Purchase heavy duty trash bags that will hold all the contaminated materials that you remove from the home, but make sure to not touch contaminated items to non-contaminated items, because of the possibility of cross-contamination.
Respirators should be used when doing any kind of mold remediation job. An N-95 respirator is recommended at the very least for light jobs and for more extensive jobs, a full face respirator with a HEPA filter should be purchased. These larger jobs are usually done on older houses that are being renovated and almost completely gutted to remove contamination, but any job that requires removing drywall and throwing it away requires a respirator of some level. A full face mask will cost you around $130. Protective clothing can also be purchased, such as rubber gloves and shoes that will not allow the mold spores to come into contact with your skin.
A vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter will also help you tremendously when you are cleaning your home after the remediation is done. This will collect all the mold spores and particles from your floor and carpet and deposit them into a receptacle that you can empty when you are done. Be careful emptying this container, though, and do not touch the contents with your bare hands. Do not stir up the contents any more than you have to in order to get them into the trash bag.
Selling Moldy Real Estate
If you are trying to sell a house that is contaminated with mold, you probably have a pretty short list of possible buyers. You also probably do not want to lose any of those possible buyers and you want the transaction to go as smoothly as possible. There are a few tips that you can use when selling a home like this to make sure that you get the most you can possibly get.
You need to allow the buyer to inspect the house for themselves and find out what kind of mold exists on the property. An environmental inspection clause should be included into the sales contract. If you can have the mold removed from the home at your own expense without taking a huge profit loss, you should do so. A buyer will be much more quick to actually purchase the home from you if you are completely honest about the home’s condition. You will also be able to sell the home quicker if the mold inside it is not toxic. If you can prove that it is not via mold testing kits, then the sale will go by quicker.
Again, make no attempts to cover up the mold problem in the house. Do not be nervous about it. If it is beyond your ability to remove the mold, then tell the buyer so. Explain your situation. If they are sympathetic, they may or may not be more willing to purchase from you. If they suspect you are hiding something, however, they will likely walk right out the door.
In the final sales contract, you need to have a clause that releases you and anyone involved in your end of the deal from any legal liability due to the mold. This states that the buyer already knew that the mold existed on the property and that you are no longer responsible for its presence. Include that the home was sold to the buyer in an “as-is” state and that you are not responsible for the property nor is there any warranty on it, implied or otherwise.
List all past major damage that the home has suffered due to water damage or mold so that your buyer has a complete history. Giving this information to your buyer will show them that they can trust you and that you are hiding nothing from them. This should leave you on solid ground once the final contract is signed.
You need to allow the buyer to inspect the house for themselves and find out what kind of mold exists on the property. An environmental inspection clause should be included into the sales contract. If you can have the mold removed from the home at your own expense without taking a huge profit loss, you should do so. A buyer will be much more quick to actually purchase the home from you if you are completely honest about the home’s condition. You will also be able to sell the home quicker if the mold inside it is not toxic. If you can prove that it is not via mold testing kits, then the sale will go by quicker.
Again, make no attempts to cover up the mold problem in the house. Do not be nervous about it. If it is beyond your ability to remove the mold, then tell the buyer so. Explain your situation. If they are sympathetic, they may or may not be more willing to purchase from you. If they suspect you are hiding something, however, they will likely walk right out the door.
In the final sales contract, you need to have a clause that releases you and anyone involved in your end of the deal from any legal liability due to the mold. This states that the buyer already knew that the mold existed on the property and that you are no longer responsible for its presence. Include that the home was sold to the buyer in an “as-is” state and that you are not responsible for the property nor is there any warranty on it, implied or otherwise.
List all past major damage that the home has suffered due to water damage or mold so that your buyer has a complete history. Giving this information to your buyer will show them that they can trust you and that you are hiding nothing from them. This should leave you on solid ground once the final contract is signed.
Household Water Damage Prevention Tips
Water damage is something that no homeowner wants to have to deal with, but many times it is just a fact of life. Whether it is a flood, excessive rain, or even something as devastating as a hurricane, sometimes water damage cannot be helped, but what about the water damage that occurs to our homes that are simply accidents? Or something that we have just overlooked for far too long? There are quite a few things that you can to in order to keep water damage from impacting your pocketbook, but for them to have any affect, you have to remain vigilant.
Cleaning out your rain gutters as soon as the leaves stop falling in autumn is a pretty good idea. What your rain gutters do is keep the rain that falls on your roof from simply falling to the base of your home and settling there. Allowing water to settle around the base of your home will eventually cause it to sink into the ground, doing damage not only to the structure of the house, but also to the home’s value, as well. Another way to prevent this kind of slowly occurring damage is to make sure that the soil around the foundation of your home is piled up against the house at an angle so water drains away from the foundation naturally. Keep downspouts clear of leaves and sticks, as well, and make sure that the bottom of the downspout has gully that drains the water coming out of it away from the home.
Making sure the plumbing that leads to your dishwasher or to your clothes washer is of good condition. You should not have to replace these hoses very often, maybe around every 4 to 5 years, but hoses of poor quality can rupture and leave you with a huge mess, especially if you happen to be out of the home at the time it bursts. Clean up any spills as quickly as possible, but if the floor in your kitchen is hardwood, the best thing to do is just soak up whatever water you can with towels. If you have a vacuum used to draw water up, such as a carpet shampooer, you can use this to get some more of the water out. Do not use artificial heat to dry your floor, because this can cause the floor to buckle or cause what is called “cupping”.
Something else that you can do is install a vent in your bathroom and kitchen. This allows the steam that builds up from cooking or bathing to escape the house and not be absorbed by your walls and ceiling.
Cleaning out your rain gutters as soon as the leaves stop falling in autumn is a pretty good idea. What your rain gutters do is keep the rain that falls on your roof from simply falling to the base of your home and settling there. Allowing water to settle around the base of your home will eventually cause it to sink into the ground, doing damage not only to the structure of the house, but also to the home’s value, as well. Another way to prevent this kind of slowly occurring damage is to make sure that the soil around the foundation of your home is piled up against the house at an angle so water drains away from the foundation naturally. Keep downspouts clear of leaves and sticks, as well, and make sure that the bottom of the downspout has gully that drains the water coming out of it away from the home.
Making sure the plumbing that leads to your dishwasher or to your clothes washer is of good condition. You should not have to replace these hoses very often, maybe around every 4 to 5 years, but hoses of poor quality can rupture and leave you with a huge mess, especially if you happen to be out of the home at the time it bursts. Clean up any spills as quickly as possible, but if the floor in your kitchen is hardwood, the best thing to do is just soak up whatever water you can with towels. If you have a vacuum used to draw water up, such as a carpet shampooer, you can use this to get some more of the water out. Do not use artificial heat to dry your floor, because this can cause the floor to buckle or cause what is called “cupping”.
Something else that you can do is install a vent in your bathroom and kitchen. This allows the steam that builds up from cooking or bathing to escape the house and not be absorbed by your walls and ceiling.
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