Tag Archives: Exterminating Mold

Flooded? Tips on Staying Safe When Returning Home to Check for Mold

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Flooding is the most common natural disaster throughout the world. According to the National Weather Service, flash floods and river floods caused more than $2.5 billion in property damages across the U.S. in 2014. Thirty-eight people were killed and numerous families were displaced from their homes temporarily.

When people did return to their residences, they found insects, rodents, and nasty mud inside. Water contains contaminants that encourage mold and fungus growth. The risk of mold inside your home is increased after a flood. Here are some tips from the Red Cross for staying safe when you return home after a flood.

Basic safety procedures

Be sure officials have declared the area safe. It is best to leave children and pets with someone else when you make your initial visit. You should bring proper ID to verify your address. The utilities may be down. Bring some bottled water, non-perishable food, and hand cleaning gel.

Document damages

Inspect the exterior of your home. Look for damage to power lines. If there is significant roof damage or cracks in the walls or foundation, it may not be safe to enter the building. If you smell natural gas, contact the fire department and leave the area immediately.

Have a camera to document everything. As you enter, open doors and windows to allow the house to air out. Snakes and other animals may be inside your home. Use a stick to poke through any piles of debris.

Clean up

Food items will begin to spoil quickly. Remove unsafe food any damp upholstered furniture. Call the experts at Stern Mold for a free inspection and treatment of mold and fungus.

 

 

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Identification, Mold Tips, News

Mold Testing – What You Need to Know

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Mold doesn’t make a grand entrance. It’s a stealth invader, finding its way into hidden spaces in your home. Even if you have no reason to suspect a problem, mold testing provides peace of mind by ensuring your home’s safety or detecting a problem before it gets out of hand.

The techniques are more sophisticated than relying on visual cues. Here is a primer on mold testing to give you a better understanding of the process.

  • Air tests are helpful if there are not any visible signs of mold. A sample of the air in your home is examined under a microscope to check for the amount of mold spores present.
  • In surface testing, swabbing or other methods are used to lift samples from household surfaces for examination. This technique identifies the presence of mold but cannot determine its airborne presence.
  • Bulk testing collects actual pieces of material from your home for examination to determine if mold is present and how concentrated the particles are.
  • While testing gives you a picture of mold presence for a particular time and place, mold spores travel, causing the concentrations to fluctuate. Conducting a series of tests at different times and locations provides more accurate results.
  • DIY test kits are available on the market, but hiring an experienced professional mold tester is the most effective way to obtain a thorough and accurate report.

If a mold problem is discovered, our friendly, trained technicians will use our eco-friendly MoldExterm system to remove all traces from your home and install measures to prevent future infestations. Contact us today to schedule a free mold inspection.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, MoldExterm, News
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