If you live in an area that is prone to wildfires, such as certain areas of California, you should do what you can to protect your home from them. While it may seem pretty hopeless once a wildfire is on a path that will go straight through your home, there are some things that you can do to try and minimize the damage.
The first thing that you can do if you own your home is to outfit it with fire resistant materials. The roof is perhaps the most important surface that you should take care of, since it is the largest surface of the home that is exposed to sparks of fire that have become airborne. If there is a wildfire near your house, you should take your water hose and keep the roof wet as much as possible to stop this threat. Fire-resistant roofing materials are large in number and include tile, metal, and fiberglass. Any oil-based roofing material should be replaced and wooden shingles are a disaster waiting to happen.
Fire-resistant materials should also be used to build the walls and windows of the house, since this can impede the spreading of the fire to the interior. Stone, metal, and brick offer a decent amount of protection, but vinyl siding and wood provide extremely little. The windows are important because heat will radiate inside the house and possibly set drapes on fire, so having smaller windows in homes that are at risk is a good idea.
Another thing that you can do to your lawn if a wildfire is nearby is wetting it with the water hose. This can also slow the fire’s spread to your house some. Do not allow dead leaves and other debris to build up in the yard during wildfire season and try to get rid of any tree branches that are hanging over your house. You can even go as far as to have these trees that are close to your home removed, but that is a personal preference. It will help, but some people may not want to sacrifice them.
If you have to evacuate, realize that you cannot take everything with you. Take only the most important valuables and get out as soon as you can. If you have time and are leaving voluntarily, take the opportunity to wet your yard, roof, and the exterior of your house again. This is pretty much all you can do at this point and the rest is in the hands of nature.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Kentucky Flood Damage Cleanup and other states and cities such as
Florida water damage restoration companies
Thursday, October 18, 2007
House Eating Mold
Meruliporia incrassate is a severe wood rot fungus that is usually very difficult to get rid of since it may keep being able to find a water source to feed off of even after the leaks and humidity problems in the building have been taken care of. It has been known to extend itself through wood and other building materials in order to find the moisture source that it needs to survive.
In the news it is generally called the “house eating fungus” and is a serious problem for homeowners. Timber decay is usually a problem in buildings that are fairly old and it generally appears in some of the wettest areas of your home. It tends to show itself as looking somewhat like a yellowish dust on the affected wood. Preventing mold growth in general in these areas after you remove the affected materials should help keep it from coming back. This will include keeping any water leaks repaired promptly and water leaks cleaned up as soon as possible after they occur.
One bit of advice to help completely get rid of this mold is to remove at least two feet or more of the material beyond the visible mold. If you do not get rid of at least this much more material, you will not be completely getting rid of all material that is infected and the mold will re-grow fairly fast. The mold retains water by extending rhizomorphal strands out to reduce the exposed surface area of the mold’s hyphae and keeps the water from evaporating for longer. This means that the mold does not actually move moisture from one part of the wood to another, only that the water is kept from evaporating for a longer period of time. The only way to completely get rid of this mold is to remove all of the materials that are affected by it, because it is not a cosmetic problem at all. This mold is malicious and will eat your house from the inside to the out.
Regrowth of this mold will typically not occur if the wood remains dry for a long period of time. Unfortunately, most wood does not stay dry for very long except for climates that are not very humid and in these areas, this mold will not be that big of a problem, anyway. Using a dehumidifier to help reduce the humidity in your home could possibly help with this and installing exhaust vents in moist areas to channel moisture outside could also be of benefit.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Kansas Flood Damage Cleanup and other states and cities such as
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors
In the news it is generally called the “house eating fungus” and is a serious problem for homeowners. Timber decay is usually a problem in buildings that are fairly old and it generally appears in some of the wettest areas of your home. It tends to show itself as looking somewhat like a yellowish dust on the affected wood. Preventing mold growth in general in these areas after you remove the affected materials should help keep it from coming back. This will include keeping any water leaks repaired promptly and water leaks cleaned up as soon as possible after they occur.
One bit of advice to help completely get rid of this mold is to remove at least two feet or more of the material beyond the visible mold. If you do not get rid of at least this much more material, you will not be completely getting rid of all material that is infected and the mold will re-grow fairly fast. The mold retains water by extending rhizomorphal strands out to reduce the exposed surface area of the mold’s hyphae and keeps the water from evaporating for longer. This means that the mold does not actually move moisture from one part of the wood to another, only that the water is kept from evaporating for a longer period of time. The only way to completely get rid of this mold is to remove all of the materials that are affected by it, because it is not a cosmetic problem at all. This mold is malicious and will eat your house from the inside to the out.
Regrowth of this mold will typically not occur if the wood remains dry for a long period of time. Unfortunately, most wood does not stay dry for very long except for climates that are not very humid and in these areas, this mold will not be that big of a problem, anyway. Using a dehumidifier to help reduce the humidity in your home could possibly help with this and installing exhaust vents in moist areas to channel moisture outside could also be of benefit.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Kansas Flood Damage Cleanup and other states and cities such as
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors
Mistakes Made When Sampling For Mold
There are a few different mistakes that you can make when you are looking for mold in your house. While some of us know that you can use a piece of tape to do a “lift” sample, this is not the only way to detect mold in your home.
No matter what you might see on the news, “toxic black mold” is not the only color of mold there is out there that can harm you or your family. Mold exists in most of the colors of the rainbow and are sometimes so lightly colored that you cannot see them unless you know how exactly to look for them.
Lightly colored molds are best looked for with a bright flashlight. These are most often difficult to see on wood paneling or other smooth surfaces and you can detect them not by shining the light directly at the surface, but by standing next to it and shining the light along it instead. This angle of illumination allows you to see the imperfections of the surface you are shining the light on, since shining the light at a 90 degree angle to the surface usually illuminates it so much that you only see the light bounce back.
Choosing a bad surface to test such as concrete when there are other organic surfaces such as wood paneling or drywall are there is another mistake that people make. Mold does not like to grow on concrete in most cases, except at times where there is an excess amount of saw dust or simple dust there for it to feed on. This surface also usually needs to be at least somewhat moist. If at all possible, sample an organic surface when looking for mold.
There are other things that people often mistake for mold that get sampled. Wood sap in the attic can be mistaken for mold and so can foam insulation. Thermal tracking on walls where a heat source has been left too close or in a house where there has been smoke damage is also mistaken for mold sometimes.
You should not inspect only the areas in the house that are the easiest to test. Ignoring crawl spaces, basements, and other hard to reach areas is a mistake when you are looking for mold in your house.
Sampling insulation is also necessary, but tape sampling is not very useful for porous materials like this. A professional should be used to test fiberglass insulation for mold.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Missouri Flood Damage Cleanup and other states and cities such as
mold remediation companies across the united states.
No matter what you might see on the news, “toxic black mold” is not the only color of mold there is out there that can harm you or your family. Mold exists in most of the colors of the rainbow and are sometimes so lightly colored that you cannot see them unless you know how exactly to look for them.
Lightly colored molds are best looked for with a bright flashlight. These are most often difficult to see on wood paneling or other smooth surfaces and you can detect them not by shining the light directly at the surface, but by standing next to it and shining the light along it instead. This angle of illumination allows you to see the imperfections of the surface you are shining the light on, since shining the light at a 90 degree angle to the surface usually illuminates it so much that you only see the light bounce back.
Choosing a bad surface to test such as concrete when there are other organic surfaces such as wood paneling or drywall are there is another mistake that people make. Mold does not like to grow on concrete in most cases, except at times where there is an excess amount of saw dust or simple dust there for it to feed on. This surface also usually needs to be at least somewhat moist. If at all possible, sample an organic surface when looking for mold.
There are other things that people often mistake for mold that get sampled. Wood sap in the attic can be mistaken for mold and so can foam insulation. Thermal tracking on walls where a heat source has been left too close or in a house where there has been smoke damage is also mistaken for mold sometimes.
You should not inspect only the areas in the house that are the easiest to test. Ignoring crawl spaces, basements, and other hard to reach areas is a mistake when you are looking for mold in your house.
Sampling insulation is also necessary, but tape sampling is not very useful for porous materials like this. A professional should be used to test fiberglass insulation for mold.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Missouri Flood Damage Cleanup and other states and cities such as
mold remediation companies across the united states.
Mold Identification Mistakes
With all the news going around about toxic molds and how much they cause harm to us, our homes, and our pets, it is not a big surprise that a lot of people are mistaking other kinds of damage to their homes as being mold damage.
Efflorescence is a whitish powdery deposit on damp brick or other kind of masonry walls. This is usually seen on different instances of brick, concrete blocks, foundations, or concrete. Efflorescence is a mineral salt that ends up being left behind as the moisture seeps through the masonry and simply evaporates. This should not be mistaken for mold.
Wood sap on rafters is also commonly mistaken for mold and it forms in hot attics. This is sap that collects in shiny, hard brownish spheres.
Sprayed icynene foam insulation also gets mistaken for mold because of its organic-looking nature.
Sometimes when we lay our heads up against the wall in bed or when a particular item rubs up against the wall, it will leave marks. These are sometimes mistaken for mold growth, when it is actually just the dye from a pillow, dirt, or oil from our skin rubbing off onto the surface.
Areas of the walls and ceilings that have become discolored due to smoking or a fire place can also be mistaken for mold. This is smoke damage and usually has to be painted over to get rid of its appearance. Leaving a candle burning near a wall for a short amount of time can also cause this kind of damage to the wall. It is not mold.
Cosmetic molds also exist, but they are very often mistaken for molds that can cause us and our buildings harm. Molds such as Ceratocystis are not harmful to us or the wood building materials that they are found on, although some people have undertaken mold remediation projects for thousands of dollars without knowing this. This mold is sometimes present in the wood before the home is built.
What mold does tend to look like inside buildings is a splotchy buildup that can be all different colors, even though some species such as those in Aspergillus or Penicillium can be very lightly colored and difficult to see. Many molds appear as black, green, brown, red, or even blue.
If you are unsure whether the problem that you are facing is mold or not, you should perform some mold tests in your home to be entirely sure before you call in a specialist. Not all mold remediation companies are honest and will try to get you to take on a remediation project that you do not need.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New Jersey Flood Damage Cleanup and other states and cities such as
Florida water damage restoration companies
Efflorescence is a whitish powdery deposit on damp brick or other kind of masonry walls. This is usually seen on different instances of brick, concrete blocks, foundations, or concrete. Efflorescence is a mineral salt that ends up being left behind as the moisture seeps through the masonry and simply evaporates. This should not be mistaken for mold.
Wood sap on rafters is also commonly mistaken for mold and it forms in hot attics. This is sap that collects in shiny, hard brownish spheres.
Sprayed icynene foam insulation also gets mistaken for mold because of its organic-looking nature.
Sometimes when we lay our heads up against the wall in bed or when a particular item rubs up against the wall, it will leave marks. These are sometimes mistaken for mold growth, when it is actually just the dye from a pillow, dirt, or oil from our skin rubbing off onto the surface.
Areas of the walls and ceilings that have become discolored due to smoking or a fire place can also be mistaken for mold. This is smoke damage and usually has to be painted over to get rid of its appearance. Leaving a candle burning near a wall for a short amount of time can also cause this kind of damage to the wall. It is not mold.
Cosmetic molds also exist, but they are very often mistaken for molds that can cause us and our buildings harm. Molds such as Ceratocystis are not harmful to us or the wood building materials that they are found on, although some people have undertaken mold remediation projects for thousands of dollars without knowing this. This mold is sometimes present in the wood before the home is built.
What mold does tend to look like inside buildings is a splotchy buildup that can be all different colors, even though some species such as those in Aspergillus or Penicillium can be very lightly colored and difficult to see. Many molds appear as black, green, brown, red, or even blue.
If you are unsure whether the problem that you are facing is mold or not, you should perform some mold tests in your home to be entirely sure before you call in a specialist. Not all mold remediation companies are honest and will try to get you to take on a remediation project that you do not need.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New Jersey Flood Damage Cleanup and other states and cities such as
Florida water damage restoration companies
Prevent Water Damage by Unclogging Your Toilet
We’ve all had to deal with an overflowing toilet before and depending on what the contents of it is at that time, it might be just a little more unpleasant to. Overflowing toilets can be a real source of water damage over time if they are let to overflow like this on a regular basis, so you need to do your best to not put anything in the toilet that does not belong there. If you have toddlers that like to play around in the bathroom, one of the things that you can invest in to keep them from putting objects in the toilet is a lid lock. These are pretty inexpensive and can save you a lot of time cleaning up after a toilet’s overflowing that was caused by a toy car or even a small stuffed animal. They are designed so that an adult can easily open them, but a child cannot.
Your first instinct when a toilet overflows after you try to flush it is to simply try and flush it again. The water should return to its normal level before you try to flush it again and you should make sure that the rest of your household knows this, as well.
As soon as the toilet starts to overflow, turn the stop tap underneath the tank off. If this does not work, you can lift the lid of the tank and pull the cup or the float ball up. The main stop tap should be turned off next and this should be underneath the kitchen sink or wherever the water service pipe goes into the home.
Finding what is causing the block is the next thing to do. If you can manage to retrieve the object from the toilet with your hand, that’s good. If not, you might need to get a plunger or a plumbing snake to try and unclog it.
If you need to use a plunger or a plumbing snake, bale out as much water from the toilet as you can first. The clog should be removed after one of these two methods and when you think it is gone, take a bucket full of water and pour it into the toilet before attempting to flush. If the blockage has gone, the water should go down normally.
If none of this worked, then you should call in an expert. There are a number of emergency plumbers that can be called in, depending on where you live. If a blocked sewer is the problem, then calling the water company is about the only thing that you can do. If it is a private sewer on your own property, then you need to find a drainage engineer to help you.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New Hampshire Flood Damage Cleanup and other states and cities such as
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors
Your first instinct when a toilet overflows after you try to flush it is to simply try and flush it again. The water should return to its normal level before you try to flush it again and you should make sure that the rest of your household knows this, as well.
As soon as the toilet starts to overflow, turn the stop tap underneath the tank off. If this does not work, you can lift the lid of the tank and pull the cup or the float ball up. The main stop tap should be turned off next and this should be underneath the kitchen sink or wherever the water service pipe goes into the home.
Finding what is causing the block is the next thing to do. If you can manage to retrieve the object from the toilet with your hand, that’s good. If not, you might need to get a plunger or a plumbing snake to try and unclog it.
If you need to use a plunger or a plumbing snake, bale out as much water from the toilet as you can first. The clog should be removed after one of these two methods and when you think it is gone, take a bucket full of water and pour it into the toilet before attempting to flush. If the blockage has gone, the water should go down normally.
If none of this worked, then you should call in an expert. There are a number of emergency plumbers that can be called in, depending on where you live. If a blocked sewer is the problem, then calling the water company is about the only thing that you can do. If it is a private sewer on your own property, then you need to find a drainage engineer to help you.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New Hampshire Flood Damage Cleanup and other states and cities such as
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors
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