Mold Removal Blog » General

Tennessee Floods Teach New Lessons on Mold

Michael Davis — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:24:10 +0000

With a fresh round of floods in Tennessee, I am reminded of the common mistakes and misunderstandings that take place in post-flood remediation. After reading some information put out to flooded homeowners and business owners by FEMA, the CDC, EPA, mold removal specialists and water cleanup contractors, I get the sense that they are becoming swifter at getting the correct information to the public.

Water damage is something that needs to be addressed immediately after a flood. Toxic mold will start growing within 24 and 48 hours. Open windows and doors and use fans to dry out the building. Use wet vacs to remove water from surfaces and dehumidifiers to take it out of the air. You must also remove baseboards and wet drywall. Anything that has been wet for more than 48 hours needs to be discarded if it cannot be thoroughly cleaned and dried. This includes carpets, padding, furniture, drywall, tiles, insulation and wood.

The problem here is that many people are tied down with inaction because they have flood insurance. Having flood insurance seems to cause more damage than it saves. They are forbidden to start removing damp materials until an adjuster can come and assess the damage. Unfortunately, during floods that affect hundreds of people, these adjusters are in short supply. It can take weeks before an adjuster will show up. By this time, it’s too late. Your insurance may cover the flood damage, but the mold damage that results is usually not covered by insurance.

This is an enormous and consistent problem whenever it floods and it usually ends up with business owners going to court with their insurance providers to force them to pay for the mold remediation. Floods are not like fires, where only one structure may be affected. When it floods, too few adjusters must venture to too many buildings while the mold clock is ticking down. My recommendation is to find out if your adjuster can arrive within 24 hours. If they cannot, you should consider stripping the wet walls yourself, even if it may void your insurance. Toxic mold removal is expensive and a mold remediation estimate from a commercial mold removal company can be much more than the cost of the flood damage.

Water damage cleanup professionals and mold prevention companies are stressing the ineffectiveness of bleach as a mold remover. Because bleach uses so much water, it has a short “kill life.” This means that it will only kill surface level mold and provide mold growing in porous material with more water, causing it to reappear days later. Instead mold removal specialists are recommending hospital-strength disinfectants that can be found at cleaning supply stores. The EPA reminded Tennessee homeowners that it does not approve the use of bleach in home mold removal.

Learn more effective ways of killing mold. If you have a mold problem as a result of water intrusion, I suggest you check out organic products to remove mold from reputable mold remediation companies.

Water Hose Replacement Tips

Michael Davis — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:36:21 +0000

It costs about $20,000 on average to remodel a kitchen. Compare this with the cost of a new water hose for $14. Which would you rather pay?

Water hoses are one of the most common sources for water leaks. Typical household dishwasher and washing machine use these hoses and, for the most part, they are pretty durable.

Water leaks from water hoses usually don’t result in massive and immediate flooding but can trickle water in a hidden area over a long period of time. In some ways, this can be worse than a major leak because it may go unnoticed or unworried about for too long. These kinds of leaks also do not usually result in mold outbreaks that destroy homes.

Still, a leak on your dishwasher hose can be enough to destroy your kitchen where a lot of organic material exists for mold food. Homeowners who ignore dishwasher leaks find themselves replacing kitchen cabinets and cupboards where mold grows and is hard to remove. Wooden material like this has pores where mold can hide even if it appears to be scrubbed clean.

Most laundry rooms don’t contain a lot of organic material, but mold can still grow here if there is water. Like porous wood, porous cement also makes a fine place for mold to hide. Also, laundry rooms are visited less frequently and leaks are more often unnoticed or ignored than they would be in the kitchen.

Once again, prevention is the key here. You simply need to develop a maintenance schedule to routinely check these water hoses for leaks. Check for leaks in the hose lining as well as where it is secured to the pipes. This should be done at least once a year, but I recommend you check for leaks on water hoses at the same time as other water leaks that can occur once a month.

A proactive approach can save you thousands. A water hose can be bought for $10-$15 at Home Depot and is not difficult to replace.

Are Mansions More Moldy?

Michael Davis — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:45:34 +0000

Back in 2004, actress Sandra Bullock won her case against the builder of her $6.5 million home, Benny Daneshjou of Daneshjou Construction. The victory was celebrated, not just by fans of the actress, but by dozens of other homeowners in the Austin area who had similar complaints against Daneshjou.

Daneshjou Construction was the developer behind many multi-million dollar homes in the Austin area. Unhappy homeowners complained of costs overrun, shocking overcharges, deadlines ignored, and most of all defective construction.

At the trial, expert witness Clark Griffin, an architect from Boston, pointed out some obvious defects in the design that allowed for water intrusion and mold growth. A lack of flashing on the roof, defectively installed rock work, stucco and roofing materials causing damage to the framing, rotting OSB board used as sheathing – the list of shortcuts was a mile long.

You wouldn’t expect this laundry list of egregious mistakes in a three bedroom home, so why do they seem to be so common in multi-million dollar mansions?

One sad possibility is that the rich simply have more money, which allows them to fight their developers in court. So only the rich can afford justice while everyone else has to cut their losses? It seems so. The cost of going to trial is more than the average homeowner can afford. Most big national builders have mandatory arbitration in their contracts so their clients have difficulty suing. This is especially bad in Texas where tort reform and binding arbitration clauses in new home builder contracts have denied many with defective homes their day in court.

Daneshjou’s defense bounced around, at one point passing the blame to subcontractors and finally a vehement argument that despite the construction flaws they met minimum standards.

The other possibility is that it’s easier and more profitable to take shortcuts on larger projects. Using cheap materials for a small home could save a hundreds of dollars, but in a larger project, the developer is tempted to save thousands per shortcut. Given the size of mansions, it’s harder for occupants to notice problems than homeowners who more frequently visit all their rooms.

If you have mold due to developer or construction negligence and you are not a millionaire, my advice is to join a class action lawsuit. If the developer took advantage of you, it’s likely there are others in similar situations. This raises the stakes and attracts a legal team willing to help you out.

Attic Ventilation Tips

Michael Davis — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:04:46 +0000

Home design is much more complex than I ever realized. You can’t just throw up four walls, slap on a roof, and call it done. Homes need to breathe, and breathe correctly. Pressures, temperatures, conductivity, and other physics principles play a role in how it all works. Proper home designs turn homes into a system with features that work together to keep the home stable against the natural elements. If any one of these parts becomes out of whack, it throws off the whole system.

The attic is where most homes exhale the air they breathe in. Just as if you could not breathe, if the attic cannot exhale properly then it creates problems for the entire house. Attics should ventilate at least one square foot of roof ventilation for every 150-200 square feet of attic space. Air is ventilated out of the attic through soffit and roof vents.

While the more attic ventilation the better, more vents can upset the delicate balance here. I heard of one story where a homeowner tried to increase their ventilation rate by installing two different kinds of outlet vents. This resulted in transforming the weaker outlet vent into an inlet vent. Air simply short circuited between the vents, preventing soffits from drawing in air flow.

During the summer proper attic ventilation keeps your attic from collecting heat. Without ventilation, your attic can turn into a hot box and spill that unwanted heat back into the living area. This increases your energy bill since your air conditioner has to work that much harder. It also destroys your shingles.

During the winter months, mold can result from improper attic ventilation. Hot air rises from the furnace in the living area and coalesces against cold surfaces on the attic roof. Often these are places with nails since iron is a great temperature conductor. When a hot air mass meets a cold surface, the dew point is reached and water droplets begin to form. This moisture results in mold that will create health problems and eat away at your attic and roof.

The best tip I can give you is to inspect your soffit and roof vents on a regular basis. They can easily become blocked and disrupt system flow you have in your home. But this will not help you if your attic is improperly designed in the first place. Check with a reputable home design inspector to determine if this is a cause. An improperly ventilating attic will cost you in energy bills and mold damage.

New Lead Law falls like a lead ballon – HARD

Michael Davis — Tue, 18 May 2010 03:38:17 +0000

The Wall Street Journal is reporting on the new Lead Law and how it is affecting businesses. I was honored to be able to give our view that the regulation will only increase the cost to the client while providing them no incentive to choose a vendor that properly removes the lead from their home.

Sadly, that is the truth and we have already seen our clients react to the Lead Law in a negative way. The regulation, which you can read about on the EPA Lead website, does not penalize homeowners who choose contractors and professionals that do not follow the regulation. Matter of fact, since many firms, including us, will need to raise our prices on average $300 or more per job, we will be at a pricing disadvantage to those firms who choose not to follow the regulation. If we don’t follow the rules, we are fined $37,500 per day. That is almost more than the average American worker makes in a year!

Now, we actually support this type of regulation. Getting rid of lead is a good thing! But, lets get the homeowner more involved. For Guardian, our saving grace is education which is something we try to do a lot of, especially on this blog, the e-books, newsletters, and speaking we do across the country. Many of the posts I write are targeted purely to educate and enable potential customers to make the best decision for their family and home.

If you are looking to complete a mold removal or remodeling project and live in a pre-1978 home. Do the right thing, follow the regulation, and get your home tested for lead as well. You need to know what you are going up against.

What are your thoughts on this new regulation? Let us know by commenting on this post!

Even Arizona has Moldy Schools

Michael Davis — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:58:30 +0000

Mold grows best in muggy, humid climates. States like Florida and Texas are especially susceptible to mold. The moisture in the air helps the mold thrive. But that doesn’t mean it can’t grow in dry places like Arizona – as one school has found out.

Officials at Desert Harbor Elementary (see the word “desert” is even in the name) held a meeting to inform parents about mold found in the school. Maintenance workers first noticed a weird smell with the school’s air conditioning last October. They didn’t see mold, but there was a smell. School air conditioners are common culprits when it comes to water intrusion in schools. The district hired outside experts to test the air quality inside the school. Aspergillus Penicillium turned up which air quality experts say is unsafe.

What’s interesting about this story, other than mold in Arizona is the school’s reaction to the issue. Usually parents have to pull teeth to get a school to test for mold, and the test almost always comes back “there is no mold” despite obvious evidence.

Here, the school did the test based on a recommendation from the maintenance crew. The kind of mold found is not even the most dangerous. It is usually found on old bread and potatoes. It’s mostly harmless unless someone is immunosuppressed – which is probable given the age of the students. The report did not seem to mention Stachybotrys or other kinds of black mold. Still, the school decided it was unsafe and took responsible action by sealing off a section of the school and informing parents of the situation.

Frankly, this kind of openness and action is unheard of in other states. Usually the school is working harder to deny the problem for legal reasons rather than fix it. But maybe Arizona’s unfamiliarity with mold has given their system a kind of innocence.

Still, some parents are annoyed that it took the school about five months to disclose the results of the tests. Other parents were appreciative that the school was upfront about the problem.

Guardian Preservation Services Receives “National Home Pro of the Year Award”

Michael Davis — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:18:54 +0000

If you read my postings you know I am a big advocate of mold education and helping others realize the severity and dangers mold brings to health and property. This same mindset and effort goes into my mold removal company Guardian Preservation Services. Our main goal is to educate the consumer and help them make the most informed decisions in their mold removal process. Because of this, our efforts have been acknowledged by ServiceMagic, the leading website that connects consumers to certified contractor professionals.

I am pleased to announce that Guardian Preservation Services has received the “National Home Pro of the Year Award” by ServiceMagic. Guardian was chosen as the best out of over 70,000 ServiceMagic contractors nationwide. The determining factors included customer ratings, involvement in the community, and voting by other ServiceMagic professionals.

Guardian Preservation Services has customer satisfaction ratings of 4.6 out of 5. Our customers appreciate the fact that we genuinely want to help them. One of our Florida mold removal customers says “An absolutely, very professional, caring, helpful, informative and wonderful company to deal with! They did an exceptional and excellent job, thumbs up for this company!”

We are very honored and excited to be considered the nation’s best by ServiceMagic. Guardian is constantly trying to stay involved with the community and always looks to help those in need. I remember when Guardian found an extreme mold problem in an assisted living community, we knew they could not afford the mold removal cost, but we had to help and we removed the mold at no charge.

It’s nice to know that there is still recognition for not only being the best at implementing your service, but for helping the community and those in need. And I feel that this award will only motivate Guardian to continue to educate the community on mold and provide the best mold removal service.

Can A Water Alarm Save You From Mold?

Michael Davis — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:18:06 +0000

If there is only one piece of advice I could give someone about mold, I would stress prevention. Once mold develops, it’s difficult to control. Mold removal, deconstruction, and remodeling can be very costly. It is so much easier to just prevent mold from occurring by making sure no water accumulates indoors that will stimulate mold growth.

This is where problems occur. Too often people do not adequately maintain and repair their water sources. Pipes burst, water heaters leak, humidity condenses, basements flood – and by the time these problems are realized, it is already too late. It only takes 24 hours for dangerous mold to start growing. And if the leak is small, it will probably go unnoticed a lot longer.

If only there was some way to know the moment when these leaks occur?

Water alarms have been around for some time, but, until recently, most have overlooked their value. A water alarm is exactly what it sounds like; it detects the presence of water and sounds an alarm. Just like a smoke alarm alerts you when there if a fire, a water alarm can let you know when water is leaking.

Water alarms can attach to pipes or just be set on the floor. You can attach one to your washing machine, water heater, or place them in your basement or garage where moisture can build up. The device works by making water to make an electrical connection. Water fills the gap between two terminals, and because it is electrically conducive, it will make a connection and sound off an alarm – alerting you to the presence of water. Most sump pumps in basements are fitted with a water alarm, letting you know when water has increased beyond an acceptable level.

The basic water alarms cost $10-$20 and use batteries. But the new water alarm models can now do more than just make noise. These devices will actually shut off the water in addition to making a noise. Another will actually call your phone to let you know that there is a water leak. These versions cost over $100, but that is a small price to pay if they work like they are supposed to. They are ideal for those who do not live near the property they wish to protect from water, like landlords and foreclosed homes.

So will these water alarms prevent you from ever having mold again? We’re still unsure. Some reviews for the cheaper water alarms claim they do not always work. So a water alarm may just lure you into a false sense of security. I would recommend using a water alarm in addition to a regular maintenance and checkup schedule for your home or building.

Lack of Adjusters Costs Insurance Company Half a Million

Michael Davis — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:22:35 +0000

If you try to file a claim with your insurance company pertaining to a mold problem in your home, get ready for a hassle! First of all, you are going to have to wait for your insurance adjuster to assess the damage before you can repair it. And in the meantime, broken homes with torn roofs and other leaks are vulnerable to excessive rainwater that can make the situation much worse – the growth of toxic mold.

It happened to a Virginia family after Hurricane Isabelle. Sandra Grant had to wait six weeks for an insurance adjuster to visit her house and assess the damage. This was plenty of time for toxic mold to begin growing, forcing the Grants to abandon their condemned mobile home.

Augusta Mutual of Staunton did not have the staff to quickly handle the 2,000 claims that resulted from the storm. This was more claims than the company receives all year on average.

Grant sought damages for her home ($50,000) and for her two children who developed health complications due to the mold ($125,000 for Sheila and $300,000 for Isaac).

Grant took responsible action to mitigate the damage by putting a tarp over her roof and boarding up the windows – but it proved futile. Her hands were tied from paying for proper repairs until the tardy insurance adjuster could visit the home.

During the 11 day trial, both sides of the case paraded their own mold experts and physicians to provide testimony about the dangers or harmlessness of mold. This is a typical scene for such high stakes cases.

It seems odd that having insurance seemed to work against the Grant family rather than help them in a time of need. If they had no insurance at all then they would have immediately paid for repairs, which would have prevented mold from ever growing. Then her autistic son would not be struggling with headaches, stomach aches, and 14 different kinds of medication when he previously used none.

If you live in an area susceptible to natural disaster you should look into your insurance provider to see if they are capable of handling speedy adjustments if one should ever strike.

Landlord Blames Tenants for Mold

Michael Davis — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:41:39 +0000

This is an interesting twist on the typical story of tenants complaining about a moldy apartment building and a landlord denying any sort of problem exists. This time the landlord has crossed over from the defensive and taken an offensive position, saying that if mold exists it is probably the fault of his mold-loving tenants.

At The Palms apartment complex in Gonzales, Louisiana, not one, but multiple tenants are having problems with mold. The slimy stuff is growing in and outside of their apartment units. You can find it on the walls, ceiling and furniture.

Nordeya Lawson, a building tenant, has had to move out of the building after this mold became unbearable. Two of her three children suffered symptoms of blurred vision, dizziness, memory loss and bad headaches. She even took one of them to the hospital.

“I called the doctor and asked and they told me it was probably the cause of them being sick because mold is very toxic,” said Lawson. If Lawson’s children’s symptoms are caused by mold then they have been exposed to a great amount of toxic, not just allergic, mold causing neurocognitive disorders. These are very serious symptoms of mycotixicosis, mold poisoning.

The property manager, Tonya Hurt, responded to a work order to clean up the mess. Lawson said not enough was done and mold still remains. Now Hurt is saying that she didn’t know there was a mold problem and only now agrees it exists after seeing some photos. Sounds like a communication breakdown.

John Sanford, the property owner, says that Lawson is moving out because she is evicted. He also noted that residents are partially to blame for mold and should take responsibility by doing things like “wiping windows after they shower to prevent mold growth.”

This statement shows the owner’s ignorance regarding the issue. Lawson seems to have toxic mold growing in her apartment if not elsewhere in the apartment building. This kind of mold only grows due to a major and persistent leak (or sometimes improper building design). Shower steam alone is not enough to cause such a serious mold problem, yet the owner still believes his tenants are to blame.

So far, no one knows or has tried to discover the true source of this mold, which shows us how unprepared to deal with mold issues everyone is in this situation. The cause of the mold should be the first question asked here.

Mold Removal Blog » General

Tennessee Floods Teach New Lessons on Mold

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