The following tips will assist you in inspecting your home for potential water damage as well as take steps to prevent it.  If you do find signs of water damage, it is very important to contact a mold inspection professional right away for a comprehensive investigation.

• Check Exterior Walls: Look for signs of water damage such as discoloration or rotting wood on the outside of your home. If your exterior walls have water damage, the damage can easily spread to your inside walls.
• Check your Drainage: If you have a sprinkler system in your yard, make sure it is not spraying water on the side of your house as this can cause unwanted moisture intrusion into the interior. You must also make sure that the water drains away from your home to prevent seepage through the foundation.
• Locate Water Shut-Off Valve: Make sure you know exactly where your water shut-off valve is in case of an emergency. Tell everyone else in your home where the valve is and how to turn off the water.
• Check Soil near Home: If the soil around your home is constantly wet, this means there may be a problem with your drainage system or gutters. Ignoring this issue could result in a flooded basement.
• Trim Tree Branches and Shrubs: Trim any tree branches that touch your roof, siding, or gutters. It is also a good idea to remove ivy from the exterior of your home because it can grow within a crack or hole and make it bigger.
• Metal Flashing: Check the metal flashing near the roof joints, chimney, and vent pipes to ensure that there is no damage or leaks.
• Inspect HVAC System: It is possible for your HVAC system to leak, especially when running the air conditioner. Check the system for any damage, leaks, or bad connections.
• Inspect Roof: Leaks in the roof can lead to very serious damage. Check your roof for damage or potential leaks and contact a professional roofer if you find an issue.

Water and flood damage is no light matter and it can become exponentially worse if you do not act immediately.  Following these tips will help you prevent water damage and mold issues before it starts which will save you the trouble of dealing with extensive structural damage or mold.

Joseph Gutierrez
Owner

When water pools in the home, it will quickly soak through anything it comes in contact with. If it contains contaminants, all organic materials, like textiles and wood, will likely need to be restored. This is because contaminated liquid is the perfect environment for hosting a variety of microbes, including deadly viruses and bacteria.

Mold is also a primary concern when water collects in the home. Mold left unchecked will spread quickly throughout the home by releasing spores into the air. This means that a mold colony can even reach parts of the house that seem dry. Short term exposure to mold is not typically a major concern, but regular inhalation of mold spores can cause a number of health complications, particularly in the young, old or immune compromised. These complications often include respiratory infections, nausea, agitation, malaise, fatigue, and even deadly neurotoxic complications.

Mold

In general, the longer the moisture is allowed to sit in the home, the more problems it will cause. This can result in additional expenses down the road.

In conclusion, it is in the homeowners best interest to have a comprehensive mold investigation conducted when water damage occurs to make sure the water damage has not reached other parts of the home and mold has not started growing in water damaged areas.

When it comes to finding sources for mold around the home most people often don’t think to look in their potted plants as a source for mold.

In general, caring for houseplants only takes little time and a little bit of “green thumb” effort; but there is a potential problem that can be hiding in your pots and even on the leaves of your houseplants and can become a serious health threat to not only you and your children but also your pets. We are referring to MOLD. Mold growing in your houseplants’ soil, or sometimes mold growing directly on your plants’ leaves, is an issue that can be harmful for both your plants and yourself.

More than 8,000 species of fungi can cause plant diseases, but chemical fungicides can be harmful to other plants, children, pets and the environment. Tea tree oil is a natural product that has been used for centuries as an antimicrobial for a wide variety of conditions. If used properly, tea tree oil can help control fungal diseases on plants without many of the dangerous side-effects of chemical fungicides.

Fungicide Effects

Most components of tea tree oil are active against a range of fungi, with terpinen-4-ol the most active agent in the oil. A study published in 2007 in “Letters in Applied Microbiology” demonstrated that tea tree oil was effective at fighting the fungi that cause Fusarium head blight in wheat, barley and oats, as well as barley leaf stripe and powdery mildew. Other studies have found tea tree oil beneficial in controlling fruit rots, anthracnose and leather rot in strawberries; early blight disease in tomato plants; alternaria solani on potato; and cercospora beticola on sugarbeets.

Preventing Future Infections

Remove infected plant materials and leaves around plants and dispose in the garbage to avoid spreading disease. When using tools to cut diseased wood, dip the tools into a tea tree oil solution to disinfect them. Keep weeds away from plants, as they can harbor insects and pathogens. Water plants regularly but avoid overwatering, which can encourage fungal growth. Use a variety of plants since fungi tend to be plant-specific, and purchase certified disease-free seeds and cuttings when possible.

Also, make sure that your exterior plants are trimmed and not touching the exterior of your home; this can cause unwanted moisture intrusion into your home and can become a breeding ground for mold.

Another way to avoid moisture in your home is to make sure all planters that are touching the exterior structure of the home are removed, this will ensure that when you water your plants water doesn’t seep into the structure.

Many homeowners have spent the spring and summer trying to keep their homes clean and protected from pests but there is one problem that can sneak up and become even more of a nuisance than most pests; mold. Mold almost always forms as a result of flooding, water damage, or high humidity and it can be a major problem because it causes property damage as well as negative health effects. The longer someone is exposed to mold, the more likely they are to have an allergic reaction or infection which is why it is important to call a mold investigator as soon as you discover it.

There are several different mold types that can be found growing in a home or building that vary slightly in appearance and potential health risks. Homeowners should contact a mold inspector  to identify each of these common mold types so that they can call for mold remediation services before it causes major health problems.

Direct sample

Black Mold

Black mold, or Stachybotrys Chartarum, grows in areas with consistent moisture and it is the most dangerous type of mold in terms of health effects. It can often be found growing on bathroom tiles and near pipes, drains, and sinks in the kitchen or bathroom. Black mold is easily identified by its black color, slimy texture, and musty smell that it gives off when there is a large amount.

More mold related health problems are caused by black mold than the other mold types and the symptoms can include minor allergic reactions such as runny noses, congestion, sneezing, coughing, and sinus pressure as well as asthma attacks and sinus infections.

Alternaria

Alternaria is an outdoor mold that also grows indoors and it can survive in environments with limited moisture. It can be found anywhere throughout a home form moist areas around pipes and plumbing fixtures to more difficult areas such as upholstery and duct work. Alternaria is a dark colored mold with a woolly texture and it generally causes minor allergic reactions and asthma.

Cladosporium

Cladosporium is a mold type that grows on plants and finds its way inside through open doors and windows. It forms colonies in rooms with poor ventilation and can be found growing on surfaces that include wood, carpeting, insulation, wall paper, and others. Cladosporium can vary in color from olive green to black and it is commonly associated with minor allergic reactions and respiratory problems. If you come into direct contact with the mold, it could also cause problems with your skin or nails.

Penicillium

Penicillium is one of the most common mold types and it tends to grow on food and soft surfaces such as upholstery, mattresses, insulation, carpet, and wallpaper. It can also spread very quickly from surface to surface which is why a mold inspection specialist should be contacted as soon as it is discovered. Penicillium has a green or blue appearance and it can cause cold-like symptoms, sinus infections, and lung inflammation.

1. When you combine bleach with certain mycotoxins and VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds), it will create neurotoxins. 

   Chlorine bleach has been classified as a hazardous chemical. It contains 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and water.  It is way too dangerous for common use in homes yet you see all of the “Fluffy” commercials about a certain “brand” of bleach that Moms should wash all their laundry with. This is probably the worst case of dangerous marketing our society has ever seen.

   OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is a federal agency that gives strong warnings against recommending the use of liquid Bleach for mold remediation or even cleaning any kind of mold/mildew and most recently, The EPA has since edited their “A brief guide to mold and moisture and your home” so that it now excludes their previously stated use of bleach as a remedy to kill mold.  If these ruling agencies are making strong statements and retracting from previous advice given that tells us that they have used government money to fund some pretty extensive laboratory studies.  Let these studies be a warning to us all.  NOT to use bleach around toxic mold.

2. It does not kill toxic mold but actually “grows mold” at a more rapid rate after application
   Chlorine Bleach is designed to “rinse” or “wash away” bacterias, viruses and fungi on “non-porous” surfaces. (glass, metal, porcelain) Chlorine Bleach is “NOT” designed to “soak into”.  Mold spores are like trees in that they spread their roots deep into porous surfaces or porous items.  (wood, wallboard, carpet, fabric, paper, bedding etc…)

   Bleach is made of 99% water.  The chlorine stays on the surface and the rest of the 99% of the water goes into the porous holes and “waters” the toxic mold.  THIS is what “fuels” the mold to return.  The toxic mold will grow at a much faster rate now that you have essentially “fed” it.  Remember, molds love moisture.

   The surface may look very clean because you’ve “bleached” it and not killed the spores.  The water then gets into the roots via the porous material and the roots grow deeper, stronger and will return worse than ever before.

3. Instead To kill mold: Use white distilled vinegar and pour it into a spray bottle without watering it down. Spray the vinegar onto the moldy surface and leave it to sit for an hour. Finally, wipe the area clean with water and allow the surface to dry. Straight vinegar kills about 82% of mold spores and also prevents future mold from growing.