Mold is attacking! It’s on the loose running rampant and intruding into homes with the help of moisture and water. It’s about that time when water damage to homes can happen. With the snow/ water run off, and the dropping temptres. It can lead to broken pipes in walls and basements that have become flooded. So this is a perfect time for a blog about Mold. Water is a very trick thing to contain because often times people don’t notice they have a leak until their standing inwater up to their ankles. Water flows to the path of least resistance so it goes down which is were most of our basements are located. And when it flows it flows! Whether its from a frozen pipe or a flow of outside water, water intrusion can be costly and lead to indoor health hazards.
When water finds its way into your home it is best to call a professional right away to take care of the problem, whether it is the broken pipe, or the 6 inches of water in your basement. Most water restoration contractors have direct lines to a plumber so if you call them, they will most likely dispatch someone to your home to assess the leak and fix it. Now, with the water in your basement how do you get rid of it? The water restoration companies will most likely look at what type of water came into the home, because different water can have different types of clean up. If its’ water from a pipe such as a clean water source chances of it containing bacteria is very low. But you don’t want to let it sit for longer then 24 hours. Now if it’s a broken sewage pipe or its outside brown water IE( flood water, snow run off) it needs to be cleaned up immediately and most of the contacted area’s will need to be removed due to possible bacteria exposure.
Mold can cause a host of many different health hazards for you and your family. Headaches, bleeding from your nose, shortness of breathe, or hard time getting enough oxygen. Mold spores don’t get flung into the air unless they are disturbed. That’s why its very important to not handle mold, move or touch it because doing so can contaminate more areas of your home. When mold is present in the air it will be breathed in by anyone around the contaimneated area and can lead to problems with your lungs. One known mold called Aspergillus Niger can cause webbing in your lung which can lead to suffocation.
Mold is more common then most homeowners would like to beileive so its very crucial to your family’s health and your own health to take the right percautions and ether have it professionally removed. If you are unsure if a water intrusion has caused an indoor air quality problem hire a mold professional to have the indoor air of your home tested. Don’t be a victim of a mold attack.
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