by Gen Wright
Maintaining a house can be more painstaking than owning one. At times we don't even realize the importance of maintain our homes. Not only does it makes the lifestyle healthier but proper and timely maintenance can reduce the costs also significantly.
Home maintenance not only improves the aesthetics of your home but also help in keeping you and your family healthy. By maintaining gutters, preventing buildups which encourage the growth of mold, spores and numerous other allergens, you can reduce the chances of your family falling sick. Also, as the time passes by, these neglected factors take a toll on the complete build up of the house on a whole, with an increase of unhealthy odors and weakening of the structure. Neglecting home maintenance can be cheaper in the short run but in the longer run it becomes a very costly and also entails visits to the doctor and running around contractors for repairing pipes and gutters.
Most of these expenses can be done away with by timely home maintenance and on the top of it the standard of living can be increased. Just maintain a regular checklist and add home maintenance to your lifestyle.
First of all start with the outdoors; check for any material or debris choking the drains and gutters, this will help in free transport of water through the house. A gutter scoop or a trowel especially made for this purpose can be used. After the debris is removed then spray the gutter with a powerful garden hose and clean the gutters. Keeping the gutters clean will not only reduce the expenses on contractors but will also reduce the roofing and painting expenses.
Significant flooring costs can be saved by cleaning the debris and soil around downspouts and directing the water away from the foundation of the house. PVC or cement can be used as an apron to make sure that this, and thus will prevent water from settling around the foundation and damaging the basement of the house.
Wash regularly the walls of your house using a pressure washer; this will reduce the ills caused to the wall and the paint by Acid rain, air pollution and general dirt. They are harmful elements and can deteriorate the house's siding and the paint, which might lead to significant wall painting and wall cementing costs.
If you have a garden in the house then it also demands a lot of maintenance, all the plants should be kept at least 18 inches away from the foundation of the house. If they are kept closer than that then there is a risk of the plantations running into the foundation of the house. Even a visual inspection once a month would suffice and will spare a lot of hassles and foundation costs. If the quality of plantation is neglected then the garden itself might get damaged and will be full of weeds.
Check chimneys and skylights for water leakage too.
Performing regular checks will reduce lot of health risks, hassles and costs in the long run. If you can afford to live in a house then you can always afford to maintain it.
About the Author
If you think you need some home improvements done, visit LocalQuoter.net. Local Quoter provides quotes on an extensive range of home improvement tasks. This includes roofing, bathrooms, double glazing, kitchens and bedrooms.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Before You Call a Mold Remediation Service: Tips For Home Owners
by Ben Anton
The wet season can also be the mold season in many areas of the country. Mold is often found near sources of water where it can easily grow and reproduce. As it grows, mold can breakdown and compromise the integrity and strength of the source in which it lives. When large amounts of mold spores grow, they can also compromise the health of the people living near it. Mold can be killed, but if it is not removed properly, it can remain in the area just cleaned and the dry spores can be released into the air.
The wet season can also be the mold season in many areas of the country. Mold is often found near sources of water where it can easily grow and reproduce. As it grows, mold can breakdown and compromise the integrity and strength of the source in which it lives. When large amounts of mold spores grow, they can also compromise the health of the people living near it. Mold can be killed, but if it is not removed properly, it can remain in the area just cleaned and the dry spores can be released into the air.
There are professional mold remediation services that can help get rid of the mold in your home as well as any molded personal affects like documents, photographs and book. However, prevention is the best way to help keep your lungs healthy and homes and buildings strong. Rapid Refile has put together a few easy to follow tips on how you can help thwart mold from infesting your home. Below is a sample of what they say are real-life preventive measures a home owner can follow to reduce the likelihood of mold damage.
Home Mold Prevention Tips:
• Make sure there is good air circulation in your home by using exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen.
• Turn off the water flow to broken appliances and pipes to reduce mold growth.
• Replace cracked or defective mortar in basements.
• If you find your basement is wet or has water leaking into it, inspect the outside drainage systems for problems.
• Spread moisture-barrier materials like heavy roofing paper or polyethylene film in crawl spaces over the soil.
• Make sure there is good ventilation in the crawl space and, if possible, do not enclose it.
• Get rid of humidity or dampness within a building by heating it for a short time. After heating, open up the doors and windows, or use an exhaust fan, to let out the air that is moist.
• If there are freezing temperatures, take precautions against burst water pipes by insulating them.
• Make sure all the seals on the windows and doors are in good-working condition.
• Clean and repair roof gutters regularly.
• Make sure the ground around your building slopes away from the foundation so water does not collect around or enter in to it.
• Act quickly if you see condensation on windows, pipes, or walls inside a building. Dry out the area and determine if the source of the condensation is from a leak or the result of high humidity.
If your home or parts of your home become flooded by broken pipes or heavy rains consider the following advice:
• Work fast. Call in a mold remediation service, which will help in the cleaning and disinfecting of your home from toxins and spores mold can release.
• Lower the humidity and temperature in the building by turning on an air conditioner and a dehumidifier to slow mold growth.
• Dispose of moldy items in a sealed bag.
• Recoverable objects that can be saved should be frozen (which deactivates mold) or dried out. Mold remediation services can assist with restoring many of your items, including documents, pictures, and books.
• Make sure there is good ventilation within the building affected. Use a fan, if necessary, to promote good air circulation.
• Remove as much standing water in a building as quickly and safely as possible after disconnecting all electronic equipment inside the building.
Many simple steps can be taken to prevent mold damage as well as water damage during the winter months. This New Years, assess your home for any potential trouble spots that may promote mold growth and take the necessary precautions to keep your home safe and protected from the damage that water and mold can cause.
About the Author
Ben Anton is a writer for Rapid Refile. Read the complete Rapid Refile article on winter mold damage prevention.Visit Rapid Refile for more information on water damage at home and restoration information.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
How To Clean Black Mold
Black Mold, also known as Stachybotrys Chartarum (atra) is a greenish-black fungus found worldwide, that colonizes particularly well in high-cellulose material, such as straw, hay, wet leaves, dry wall, carpet, wall paper, fiber-board, ceiling tiles, thermal insulation, etc. It can and does grow all around the house, and can cause major health problems. This is one reason why you should learn all you can about how to clean black mold. The other main reason to clean black mold is the health implications that black mold spores carry with them.
Black Mold can grow at different temperatures and populate, but having a higher humidity is a big problem, and you are more likely to have the toxic mold in humid places. Some of the most toxic molds grow in warm wet locations. Black mold also often grows in hidden places, and as stated, damp, dark places like basements or bathrooms.
This toxic black mold growth can become a huge problem as it will eat the drywall and then damage the underlying structure. It is important to not overlook black mold and mildew, and always have a method of prevention of more problems in the future. What black mold does when growing in your home or drywall or any other source of food it can find is, it will begin to eat the surface. In then begins to produce it's spores. These spores can be thought of as black mold excrement. This is the concept of what mold is doing, and why black mold makes people sick.
Toxic black mold is a big cause of concern among homeowners, and prospective buyers of homes. We have all heard horror stories about this slimy life-threatening invader, but how do we distinguish between run-of-the-mill mold and toxic black mold. One indicator of whether your mold is toxic black mold is the place in which it is growing. As stated above, if it is growing in a warm, damp, or dark space, it may well be toxic black mold.
It is absolutely imperative, that you clean black mold up as soon as you spot it. You definitely do not want to try cleaning a mold problem, and come to find out later that you have exposed the rest of your home to more black mold. Most good mold cleaning products function as a remover and mold growth inhibitor at the same time. Some think that cleaning up damp carpet will get rid of mold. Carpet cleaning is NOT going to kill the mold. It is highly recommended that any carpet that was soaked with water be ripped up and thrown away.
It is very wise to wear an N-95 respirator when cleaning mold. The cleaning process can liberate additional mold spores into the air, that can cause mold to spread and more importantly, create health risks to those people who are allergic to that particular mold. You should also turn off the HVAC system before and during the time you are cleaning mold. You should also maintain dust levels as low as possible during cleaning, to prevent spores from becoming airborne and spread to other areas. This will reduce the risk of exposure for those who are cleaning, while reducing the potential for the mold spores landing and germinating in other parts of the home or building. If the mold is too dry, then the mold spores will have a much better chance of becoming airborne while being disturbed during the cleaning process.
Black mold removal can be accomplished using strong cleaners and very thorough cleaning techniques. To kill mold, it is best to try to find a mold cleaning solution that will kill mold, but more importantly prevent it from coming back. Also, it is always recommended to use natural cleaning products.
So, to effectively kill mold, be sure to use a natural cleaning product that will remove the mold entirely, but also have those special ingredients to block and prevent it from growing back. Find a natural cleaning product that can encapsultate the mold, and you will never need to worry about black mold ever again. Natural mold cleaning products are safe for health and help to prevent molds coming back forever.
Even though you may spend hours cleaning and taking care of your home, be aware that danger lurks in unexpected places. When it comes to mold clean up, safely cleaning and removing building material is very important.
Did you find those tips on "How To Clean Black Mold" useful? You can learn a lot more about how "Black Mold Secrets" can help you clean black mold here: http://www.best4uinfo.com/mold.htm
About the Author
David Chenault is editor and publisher of "Living Well". David is the author of several books including the best selling "Healthier You - The Secrets To A Better Body".His web sales copy and articles have appeared on more than 2400 web sites.For information on this and other "Healthy Living" subjects visit...http://www.best4uinfo.com/livingwell.html
Black Mold can grow at different temperatures and populate, but having a higher humidity is a big problem, and you are more likely to have the toxic mold in humid places. Some of the most toxic molds grow in warm wet locations. Black mold also often grows in hidden places, and as stated, damp, dark places like basements or bathrooms.
This toxic black mold growth can become a huge problem as it will eat the drywall and then damage the underlying structure. It is important to not overlook black mold and mildew, and always have a method of prevention of more problems in the future. What black mold does when growing in your home or drywall or any other source of food it can find is, it will begin to eat the surface. In then begins to produce it's spores. These spores can be thought of as black mold excrement. This is the concept of what mold is doing, and why black mold makes people sick.
Toxic black mold is a big cause of concern among homeowners, and prospective buyers of homes. We have all heard horror stories about this slimy life-threatening invader, but how do we distinguish between run-of-the-mill mold and toxic black mold. One indicator of whether your mold is toxic black mold is the place in which it is growing. As stated above, if it is growing in a warm, damp, or dark space, it may well be toxic black mold.
It is absolutely imperative, that you clean black mold up as soon as you spot it. You definitely do not want to try cleaning a mold problem, and come to find out later that you have exposed the rest of your home to more black mold. Most good mold cleaning products function as a remover and mold growth inhibitor at the same time. Some think that cleaning up damp carpet will get rid of mold. Carpet cleaning is NOT going to kill the mold. It is highly recommended that any carpet that was soaked with water be ripped up and thrown away.
It is very wise to wear an N-95 respirator when cleaning mold. The cleaning process can liberate additional mold spores into the air, that can cause mold to spread and more importantly, create health risks to those people who are allergic to that particular mold. You should also turn off the HVAC system before and during the time you are cleaning mold. You should also maintain dust levels as low as possible during cleaning, to prevent spores from becoming airborne and spread to other areas. This will reduce the risk of exposure for those who are cleaning, while reducing the potential for the mold spores landing and germinating in other parts of the home or building. If the mold is too dry, then the mold spores will have a much better chance of becoming airborne while being disturbed during the cleaning process.
Black mold removal can be accomplished using strong cleaners and very thorough cleaning techniques. To kill mold, it is best to try to find a mold cleaning solution that will kill mold, but more importantly prevent it from coming back. Also, it is always recommended to use natural cleaning products.
So, to effectively kill mold, be sure to use a natural cleaning product that will remove the mold entirely, but also have those special ingredients to block and prevent it from growing back. Find a natural cleaning product that can encapsultate the mold, and you will never need to worry about black mold ever again. Natural mold cleaning products are safe for health and help to prevent molds coming back forever.
Even though you may spend hours cleaning and taking care of your home, be aware that danger lurks in unexpected places. When it comes to mold clean up, safely cleaning and removing building material is very important.
Did you find those tips on "How To Clean Black Mold" useful? You can learn a lot more about how "Black Mold Secrets" can help you clean black mold here: http://www.best4uinfo.com/mold.htm
About the Author
David Chenault is editor and publisher of "Living Well". David is the author of several books including the best selling "Healthier You - The Secrets To A Better Body".His web sales copy and articles have appeared on more than 2400 web sites.For information on this and other "Healthy Living" subjects visit...http://www.best4uinfo.com/livingwell.html
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