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Mold FAQs from Homeowners

No one likes mold! Most people know that it can be bad for your health and bad for your home, but not everyone knows how mold grows, why it can be detrimental to your health, or how to get rid of it.

If you’re dealing with mold issues — or think you might have a mold problem — give Choice Property Restoration a call. We’re here to help!

If you’re dealing with mold issues — or think you might have a mold problem — give Choice Property Restoration a call. We’re here to help!

If you live in the Nashville area and think you have a mold problem, we hope you’ll count on the professionals at Choice Property Restoration to handle mold remediation for you, as this is one of our specialties. We would like to provide you with some of the questions we hear most frequently from our customers and our answers to those questions:

Why is mold dangerous?

Not all mold is bad for your health; in fact, mold can be found in some places without much concern. Furthermore, not all people are sensitive to mold. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some types of mold can not only contribute to hay-fever like allergies, eye or skin irritation, and wheezing, but there’s actually a toxic black mold called Stachybotrys that may be especially harmful.

I see mold on my walls, floors, or in my basement. Where does it come from?

Mold is usually the result of excess humidity or water damage. Water and moisture can get into your house in any number of ways, but we most frequently see water damage come from burst pipes, sewage malfunction, dam breaches, an overflowing washing machine, or flooding from excessive rainfall—something Nashville residents know about all too well.

How do I know if my house has mold or where it’s located?

There are certain places in a damp home where mold will naturally grow. Floors and carpets, basements and crawlspaces are prime targets. Basically, the lower an area is, the more likely it is to grow mold; this is why we often hear Nashville homeowners complain of mold on their carpet, tile or grout, and laminate and wood flooring. Walls, however, can also be feeding grounds for bacteria and mold, especially if the leak has originated from the roof.

Though mold is sometimes visible to the naked eye—or apparent to the nose, thanks to its strong musty smell—it just as often is completely hidden from a homeowner’s view, though he or she may see signs of it. If our team determines that the origin of a leak is especially mysterious, we will actually use thermal imaging to locate the source, as our thermal imaging cameras can find mold even behind your walls. We may also use digital hygrometers to test the humidity in your air.

Only a professional will be able to truly determine if you have a mold problem and suggest the best way for you to solve it. Call Choice Property Restoration, located in Nashville, Tennessee, at 615-866-7989 to solve your mold problem.

After the Flooding

Was your home recently flooded? We offer extensive cleaning and restoration services to help you make your home as good as new.

Was your home recently flooded? We offer extensive cleaning and restoration services to help you make your home as good as new.

If your home has suffered water damage from a flood, whether it’s a typical flood caused by heavy rain or something else like burst pipes or an overflowing dishwasher or washing machine, the cleanup process can be extensive. The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) sets standards for restoration companies such as Choice Property Restoration to follow as well as provides helpful tips to homeowners who have suffered this tragedy.

We at Choice Property Restoration would like to share these tips as well as tell you some of the flood cleanup and restoration services we provide:

● use caution when entering your home

The most important thing to do if you have standing water in your home is to turn off all electrical power.

● protect yourself

Wear a vapor respirator, rubber gloves, eye protection, and protective clothing. Open windows in the affected areas for ventilation; you can even place a fan in a window to help ventilation. Work towards the fan while you are cleaning to keep from cross contamination.

● know what to throw away

Anything porous that absorbs any of the flood-contaminated water should be thrown away. What should be thrown away includes drywall, carpets and pads, mattresses, pillows, box springs, and particle board. This prevents mold growth. Wet clothing and many household fabrics may be salvageable, as long as you soak them in a washing machine for 10 minutes in detergent and hot water.

● open pockets of saturation

Part of the drying out process Choice Property Restoration can assist you with, the water line should be located and measured 15-20 inches above, and everything below that should be discarded. Base molding should be removed, along with portions of damaged walls and wet insulation. All flooring should be removed to get to the pockets of saturation underneath to clean, sanitize, and dry.

● clean aggressively

Another step we at Choice Property Restoration can do for you as a pressure washer is needed to thoroughly clean all salvageable materials in the house. After everything is cleaned, a strong disinfectant is liberally applied. With these sorts of chemicals being used, we recommend strongly you call a professional like the technicians at Choice Property Restoration.

● prevent mold growth

Mold only takes a few days to appear, so this step is very important. Mold grows quickly in a damp environment with temperatures between 68 and 86 degrees. Keep air flowing, and try to maintain moderate temperatures.

● dry out before rebuilding

You must wait until all moisture content falls below 16 percent before rebuilding, and this is where Choice Property Restoration comes in to use the latest technology and equipment to properly dry out your home, no matter the size of the area of the water damage. We use everything from dehumidifiers to fans to desiccants to wall injection systems to completely dry out areas that have been flooded by water.

If you have suffered a flood or any sort of appliance malfunction that has caused standing water in your home, do not hesitate to contact Choice Property Restoration as soon as possible to have our technicians come out to fix the problem quickly.

Help, My House Stinks!

Can't breathe in your own home? If your home stinks (literally), find out what's causing it and address the problem ASAP.

Can’t breathe in your own home? If your home stinks (literally), find out what’s causing it and address the problem ASAP.

Ideally, our homes are a source of comfort — our place to escape from the world. But it’s hard to feel comforted when a persistent, foul odor is wafting through your hallways.

The worst part about bad odors in your home — as if the stink itself wasn’t bad enough — is that a foul odor generally isn’t the problem itself, but a symptom of your actual problem. Odors might be an indication of a leak, or of subsequent mold growth, and those need attention before you can do anything to remove bad smells.

If mold is part of the problem, it can also be dangerous to fail to treat the problem properly — mold spores have been shown to contribute to a variety of health problems, particularly with people who suffer from respiratory illnesses like asthma.

Choice Property Restoration specializes in treating home odors and the problems that cause those smelly symptoms — so if you’re dealing with a smelly home, we can help.

If you smell a musty, old basement-like odor

A dank and musty odor — what we all imagine when we think of an old cellar — is generally alerting us to water damage, and potentially mold.

First, we need to find the source of any moisture intrusion — and that isn’t always obvious. At Choice Property Restoration, we use a variety of high-tech leak detection tools, like moisture meters and thermal imaging cameras, that allow us to locate even the best-hidden leaks.

Once we locate moisture problems, we can stop leaks, and clean, dry and restore materials, from carpets to walls. If mold has developed, our technicians are trained to properly mitigate mold problems safely and thoroughly.

If you’re struggling with animal odors

From misbehaving pets to invading raccoons and possums, animals can unfortunately leave some truly frustrating odors in our homes. With our specialized equipment, we can find the specific areas that are damaged and clean and deodorize materials that need attention, getting your air clear again.

Was there a smoker in your home?

Cigarette smoke can feel impossible to get rid of. Even after relatively short amounts of exposure to tobacco, smoke residue will keep that smoky odor lingering, and candles and fresheners do little to cover it up. We’re equipped with the tools and training to get rid of lingering smoke odors after a house fire — so as tenacious as tobacco smoke is, we can tackle it. If you’re getting ready to sell your home, or just bought a new home that still bears the habits of the previous owners, we can help get rid of that frustrating (and home buyer-deterring) smell.

If you’re holding your nose when you walk through the door, don’t worry — Choice Property Restoration can help remove almost any odor problem. Give us a call!

Finding Leaks: The Right Tools Matter

Don't wait until water comes pouring in. Early leak detection can spare you from bigger problems.  Call us now and we'll do the rest!

Don’t wait until water comes pouring in. Early leak detection can spare you from bigger problems. Call us now and we’ll do the rest!

No matter how well your home or business’ structure is built, it’s always going to be susceptible in some form or another to water damage. Water tends to be tricky like that — there’s a lot you can do to halt it, but moisture has a knack for zeroing in on even the smallest weak spots and then spreading damage quickly.

That’s why it’s key, when water intrudes into your space, to quickly find the real source or sources of a leak and shore them up. Going on a hunch, when it comes to water detection, is a surefire way to end up with future headaches. At Choice Property Restoration, we specialize in leak detection, using state of the art tools that can accurately detect even the most well-hidden leaks efficiently and quickly.

The longer moisture is able to stay in your structure, the more widespread damage occurs — from ugly stains to weakened building materials and mold growth. And if you only find and fix the secondary damage, but don’t deal with the main source, you’re headed toward more damage, more headaches and more repair and restoration work. We use the tools and take the steps to do the job right.

Some Of The High-tech Leak Detection Tools Choice Property Restoration Uses

Choice Property Restoration’s experienced technicians make use of a variety of industry-leading tools to ensure that we figure out your leak quickly and completely.

Moisture Meters

We use several different types of electronic moisture meters to find water problems that aren’t readily visible. Pinless or non-invasive moisture meters use high-frequency radio waves to detect moisture in materials like drywall, wood or concrete without having to damage those materials. We also use penetrating moisture probes to detect water that may be trapped deep in highly absorbent building materials like insulation.

Hydrosensors

These help us monitor how far intruding water has spread into a space, which can tell us whether moisture is hiding under your flooring, for instance, so we can keep you from developing odors and mold and mildew.

Thermal Imaging Cameras

Thermal imaging cameras almost work like X-ray glasses for CPR technicians — we use these to scan areas with potential moisture issues, and even if that moisture is deeply hidden, it’ll show up on our cameras with a cooler temperature reading than dry building materials. Once we know where the problem is, we can start the process of repairing and restoring.

Those are just a few of the specialized tools our highly trained technicians use. Ultimately, if water is hiding in your structure, we’ll find it, and help you return your home and business to a dry and completely restored state. If you have a moisture problem – or are worried that you might – just call Choice Property Restoration. We’d be happy to help!

Mold Follows Moisture

Dealing With Mold

Mold is an issue that a lot of homeowners in the Nashville area deal with, especially those whose homes were affected by the flood in 2010. Flood damage creates the perfect environment for mold to grow and reproduce. Choice Property Restoration has the equipment and experience necessary to resolve and restore your home, including damage from mold.

Anytime moisture makes its way into your home, mold is sure to follow. Mold can cause health problems.

Anytime moisture makes its way into your home, mold is sure to follow. Mold can cause health problems.

Mold is a fungus that needs moisture and warmth in order to grow. It grows all year, and will usually affect areas in your home that are humid or moist, such as basements, kitchens, bathrooms, walls containing leaky pipes, and areas that have flooded. Mold can start to grow within 24-48 hours of water exposure, reproduce airborne mold spores, and spread quickly. It does not go away without treatment.

Molds can grow on many surfaces in the home, like ceiling tiles, drywall, wallpaper, and insulation. It also thrives in non-synthetic carpets (like wool), fabrics, and upholstery. Visible mold growth usually appears in many colors as surface discoloration, stains, or as a fuzzy growth.

There are many kinds of water damage that result in mold growth:

  • Flooding
  • Sewage back-up
  • Leaks from plumbing or roof
  • High humidity created by household appliances (dryer vents, humidifiers, etc.)
  • Overflowing sink or tub

Mold poses health risks, such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, skin rash, and respiratory issues. Since we spend a lot of time in our homes (which means a lot of exposure) this can increase risks of worsening symptoms like headaches, body aches and pains, and even memory loss.

If you have symptoms of mold exposure, you increase the risk of furthering the damage by working in areas with mold or disturbing areas with mold growth. Unless you’re dealing with a moldy shower or other small space that can be easily cleaned and disinfected, it’s best to seek professional help. We can identify the problem, solve it, and restore your home to its pre-mold condition. Give us a call at 615-866-7989 for a ready response from our experts.

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