Bath Fans and Poor Ventilation Equal Attic Mold Removal Chicago

Sherm here!  Got attic mold?  You need advice on Attic Mold Removal Chicago! Throughout the year, attic ventilation is critical element in maintaining attic temperatures. In the summertime, vents help remove excess heat. In the wintertime, air vents prevent the excess moisture from building up and water condensation from accumulating due to the temperature differences between the attic and the floor directly below.

Aside from an actual leak in your roof, the winter months are the time when moisture can lead to the growth of attic mold. During cold weather, warm air from the house can escape to the cold attic area. When warm air meets the cold surface of the roof boards of the floor below, ice crystals and water droplets can form. This moist environment, combined with a food source comprised of wood creates the perfect conditions for attic mold infestation and wood rot.

This problem can be compounded by bathroom exhaust fans that vent directly into the attic or into the soffit areas rather than outside the house. Moisture from bathroom fans is often the source of the attic mold contamination.

A balanced ventilation system is important. Incoming and outgoing air should be equal within the attic. It is important that bathroom fans are insulated around the exiting vent pipe. This helps to prevent moisture from condensing within the pipe - and creating another potential haven for mold to grow.

One of the most common ventilation mistakes is when homeowners combine different ventilation systems. This may occur when incoming air enters into the attic through soffits in the underside of the roof overhang. When these are combined with a different type of exhaust ventilation, problems can occur. For example, combining a ridge vent and a box vent can cause the ridge vent to draft moisture-laden air from the box vent. This can cause a cycle of attic moisture accumulation that can lead to significant damage. Mold releases enzymes that can rot and destroy wood. Exposure to mold can cause a wide range of potential health problems.

There is usually some level of accumulated moisture in your attic. This is usually due to extreme temperature differences between the air temperature outside and the interior attic temperature. If large black or colored areas of mold appear in the attic, it should inspected by a professional. If mold does exist, it can be treated and removed in a way that will prevent future growth.

Getting removing attic mold is important, preventing it in the first place is even more important. Your home's bathroom ventilation and air exhaust should be designed to put moisture as far out and away from your home as possible -no matter the time of year!

For more information on Attic Mold Removal Chicago go here:

https://www.thecleanupguys.com/mold-removalremediation

Call H&H Environmental Construction and Consulting for your New York City mold removal problems. We service Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan mold removal needs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Harold_Kevin/329542

Attic Mold in Chicago, Why is it Growing Under the Roof? And a Mold Solution

Hey!  Sherm here.  With some tips on attic mold in Chicago. Let's dig into the attic mold and find out why is it growing in your attic.

There are actually several different reasons that might be responsible for the mold to appear under the house roof... and sometimes compromise your perfectly going real estate transaction. The "house selling" is just one of the reasons, why attic evaluation and attic mold treatment (if you're out of luck) should be performed before even putting your house on the market.

Unfortunately, the attic is one of those completely off limits house areas for many homeowners. Whatever happens there, often stays there, without anyone ever noticing it. Therefore, I decided to bring a little House Attic Mold awareness into your daily routines, and hope you'll find it helpful.

Why is mold growing under your roof?

10 major factors that might cause attic mold to grow on your roof decking

1. #1 cause of attic mold growth in cold climates is an inadequate attic ventilation
2. Improperly designed attic ventilation - combination of vents that instead of exchanging the air between exterior and interior, they trap, create pockets of "dead air" which condensates on roof decking during the cold season
3. Dryer / kitchen / bathroom vent discharging into the attic often causes condensation, frost and mold growth on decking surface
4. Inadequate / missing attic floor insulation - allows for heat transfer from your house into the attic area
5. Improperly insulated cathedral ceilings and skylight chases are often contaminated with mold
6. Furnaces and water heaters produce heat and if installed in a poorly ventilated attic (not contained within a dedicated / enclosed area), could be responsible for condensation and mold
7. Plumbing vents open into the attic discharge moisture saturated sewer gases
8. Uninsulated forced air heating system ducts - in cold climates they waste precious energy and increase chances for mold in your attic
9. Poorly insulated ceiling penetrations, attic access panels, kitchen soffits open into the attic, etc.
10. Leaking roof - mold in the attic caused by the failing house roof protecting surface will be usually concentrated in leakage area and below it. However, poor attic ventilation could significantly accelerate mold growth.

Combining just first two items responsible for attic mold could transform your attic into the steamy, mold-contaminated room during the cold season. Any warm air trapped under the roof will cause condensation to form on framing, decking surfaces, and roofing nails creating mold nesting habitat.

Some homes have more than one attic and upper one, usually located above the bedrooms and bathrooms is always more susceptible of being contaminated with mold. Warm air from lower parts of the house will naturally rise up, transfer through the ceiling and all its penetrations into the attic.

Attic mold solution: it has two parts and both must be executed at the same time:

1. Attic mold removal - procedure often depends on the extent of the contamination
2. Correction of factors responsible for attic mold - without it, attic mold will most likely re-appear within one season

Once everything is properly corrected, you won't have to worry about any attic mold growth. However, I still highly recommend to periodically monitor the attic. Since you already know, why is the mold growing in the attic it is time to do some investigation above the ceiling.

Be extremely careful, if you don't feel comfortable with accessing the attic, find somebody else to do it for you!

Pick a cool day for this trip, powerful flashlight and a dust mask. Attic access might be as easy as pulling down folding attic stairs, but sometimes it is a challenge as far as size of an opening and its location.

Shine your light beam above your head and onto the roof decking / framing surface, check carefully areas where attic floor meets the roof, because that's where attic mold usually starts appearing.

If you see no discoloration, clean wood surface with no residue on it, than everything might be OK and you are one of those who don't have to worry about attic mold.

For more information on attic mold in Chicago go here

https://www.thecleanupguys.com/mold-removalremediation

For more valuable information from Dariusz Rudnicki, on how to maintain your real estate property, correct most common problems, and prevent serious disasters by doing repairs the right way, please visit http://www.checkthishouse.com

Dariusz is a licensed Illinois home inspector who has been in this business for over eleven years, crawling through the areas you'd newer expect that even exist in your house... just to let you know that everything is working properly... or not. If you have some attic mold, or any home maintenance related questions, you can always ask him for help.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dariusz_Rudnicki/269526

Black Mold in Chicago 773-885-8528

Toxic Black Mold

Stachybotrys Chartarum (stak-e-bo’tris kahr-tar’um) may not be a well-known name, but it’s definitely well known by its more common reference: toxic mold. Stachybotrys Chartarum is a black mold most often found growing in materials with a high cellulose and low nitrogen content, including damp fiberboard, gypsum board, wallpaper, miscellaneous paper, dust, and lint. It can also be found growing in soil and grain.

A Highly Dangerous, Poisonous Mycotoxin

While it is not technically true that Stachybotrys Chartarum is a toxic mold in itself, the fungi produces a highly poisonous mycotoxin known for many potential health risks, which may include death among people and animals. Infants, pets, seniors and those with compromised immune and respiratory systems are known to have an especially higher susceptibility to be at risk of adverse health effects due to exposure to Stachybotrys Chartarum.

Is it Biblical Leprosy?

As the mold most commonly associated with “sick building syndrome”, there is even evidence to suggest that Stachybotrys Chartarum is a likely candidate for Biblically described leprosy. If you have a moisture damage or leakage issue in your home or professional building, there is a good chance that you have Stachybotrys Chartarum. If so, please call for swift, professional mold remediation to help keep your home and building residents safe.

Chicago Mold Remediation

When you need thorough, effective mold removal and maintenance strategies to protect your home and business, contact The CleanUP Guys in Chicago fast. We are highly skilled in the most advanced mold remediation techniques anywhere. We’ve also got the highest quality products and equipment to deal with Stachybotrys Chartarum and other serious mold andmildew removal needs. If you need help with mold remediation, call The CleanUP Guys of Chicago at (773) 885-8528. We look forward to helping you get your life and property back to normal.

Mold Removal and Mold Remediation 773-885-8528

WHO IS AT RISK FROM MOLD

Who is at risk from mold? Virtually anyone who lives or works in the building where mold growth is occurring. It can be serious or it can be mild, but some of the more dangerous molds and toxins can affect pretty much everyone at some level or another. Mold symptoms can range from the milder allergic reactions and fatigue to stronger problems such as respiratory based illnesses.

The five most common symptoms related to mold include:

1. -          Nasal and sinus congestion
2. -          Wheezing and breathing difficulty
3. -          Skin and / or eye irritation
4. -          Coughing and / or sneezing
5. -          Respiratory infections

Mold can have an adverse effect even on folks who are otherwise extremely healthy, but the most common types of susceptibility to mold include those with respiratory disorders such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, those with weakened immune systems due to cancer or HIV, or babies and / or elderly. Not that this is a limited list…anyone can be affected by mold if they are vulnerable to the toxins present in the mold infesting their home or place of business.

Young children may be the most at risk group when it comes to mold, since their immune systems have not yet matured and mold exposure can cause serious and long lasting damage. Continuous exposure to mycotoxins found in mold can result in severe pulmonary hemorrhaging, or bleeding in the lungs.

While most molds are harmless, you don’t want to take chances with your family’s health. At the first sign of mold, call in your local, professional mold removal and remediation experts. They will be able to determine the level of your mold threat as well as devise a plan for dealing with it quickly and efficiently.

If necessary, mold remediation should be administered as soon as possible.  Which means cordoning off areas of the home or business from the infected areas of space.  This alleviates the spread of the mold spores from one area to the next, compromising the air quality overall in your place.  Especially is this the case in dealing with attic mold, crawlspace mold or mold behind walls.

Mold Remediation Chicago 773-885-8528

Mold Removal Vs Mold Remediation

If your home has a mold problem, then you definitely want to get rid of it. That much is a given. Mold is a green, black, sometimes yellowish fuzzy growth on walls, flooring, piping, etc., usually accompanied by a noxious smell. And while not all molds are actively dangerous, they are unpleasant and should be dealt with promptly.

Unfortunately, far too many people think that mold removal is all that is required, and of course there are any number of companies out there who advertise using the phrase “mold removal” and who will come in an eliminate the mold from your home.  Sounds easy enough, right?  Wrong. On every count.

You have to remember that mold is the byproduct, the after effect, of a much larger problem. Usually this is water damage, but mold can also be linked to fires and even something as seemingly innocuous as increased humidity.  Unless that original problem is properly addressed, then by removing the mold, all you are doing is putting off the problem temporarily.  Mold removal is useless if the environment that is favorable to the mold growth is allowed to remain.

This is where mold remediation comes in. By remediation, we mean not just the removal of the mold growth itself, but active and thorough treatment of the affected area in order to make sure you don’t find yourself with another mold problem down the road.

The mold remediation process is twofold….one you have to eliminate the existing mold growth, and do so without causing it to spread to other areas of the home. This is done by sealing off the affected area and using specialized gear and techniques to safely remove the growth and dispose of it.

The second step, and the most important one, is to properly treat the area, as well as the problem that caused the mold in the first place. This includes repairing and restoration of any and all water damage problems in and around the home, disinfecting and sanitizing the area where the mold grew, increasing ventilation throughout said area, and bringing down relative humidity levels to within acceptable parameters, usually between 40-45%.

This second step is absolutely vital when it comes to a successful mold remediation project. Any company that you consider hiring should be able to describe this step to you in detail. If their only plan of action is to cleanup the mold, then run. Run like a river when the snow melts, and hire a qualified, experienced moldremediation professional (and for the record, that would be us, The CleanUp Guys!) to handle all of your mold and water damagerestoration needs. 

Mold Removal Chicago 773-885-8528

The Mold Risk in Your Home

Mold has become a significant problem in many homes in recent years, oddly enough due to improvements in home construction. These new homes are tightly sealed, and as such allow water and moisture to become trapped, creating the perfect breeding ground for mold. You can very easily move into a brand new home that already has a serious pre-existing mold problem.

If there is good news on the mold front, it’s that while repeated long term exposure to mold spores will eventually cause some unpleasant side effects, most folks with healthy immune systems can resist the effects of mold, for a time anyway.

The health problems commonly associated with mold are wide and varied. Sometimes just touching mold can be enough to trigger an allergic reaction, as well as disturb the growth and send hundreds of thousands of mold spores into the air, spreading them throughout the home. The most common physical problems, skin rashes, sneezing, coughing, runny noses, and itchy or watery eyes, may be viewed strictly as allergic problems and mold is never even considered.

 

Black mold, or Stratobotrysatra, has been responsible for a number of high profile cases involving long term or permanent health issues as a result of exposure in mold infected structures.

 

In 2003, Bill H.R 1286 was introduced. Known as the United State Toxic Mold Safety and Protection Act.  This bill mandated comprehensive research into the various causes and fixes for mold growth, as well as creating programs designed to educate people about the danger of mold and provide the necessary assistance to those affected by mold. The act also provides detailed guidelines for preventing interior mold growth, establishing standards for mold removal, and provides grants for removal of mold from public buildings.  It will also authorize tax credits for the inspection and remediation of mold problems, and provide insurance coverage for catastrophic losses due to mold.

Mold Removal & Remediation 773-885-8528

BEWARE OF OUTDOOR MOLD TOO!

We often think of mold as something we find in our homes or in our business.  We rarely associate mold with the outside of these places. But in fact, outdoor mold is just as common as its indoor companion. Mold can essentially grow anywhere that the spores can float to and land on materials that are porous on the surface it can latch onto are the greatest risk for mold damage. The environments that these surfaces are also big contributors to the growth of mold; environments that are shady and damp are the most common, and this growth usually happens during the months of the rainier seasons, as well as when lots of precipitation is involved, like snow. Many people think that once the winter months come along, the cold will simply kill it off and prevent any mold damage from growing… this is simply not true. Mold spores can live dormant during the cold season and continue to thrive once the weather heats up. Though it is true that the mold damage will not spread in the cold weather, thinking that it will completely die out is wishful thinking.  Proper mold remediation can get rid of or kill the contaminants for good.

Because mold spores (especially the ones outside) are so small and subject to the ever changing environment around it; many people are affected by mold and don’t even realize it. The spores can cause health issues that are associated with the common cold and can be overlooked by someone who doesn’t realize they have mold on the outside of their home or business. What many people claim as “allergies” could be an exposure of mold spores in their surrounding area.

These 5 places are breading grounds for outdoor mold and should be checked regularly. If you find signs of mold make sure to clear it out as soon as possible… it may dramatically improve your health.

Stucco:  a common location to spot mold.  Make sure to call a professional mold removal company when needing to remove mold damage from stucco because removing it incorrectly can cause more damage to your home than good.

The Foundation:  concrete and cement make up a huge portion of your building and can be a breeding ground for mold.  This can cause serious structural damage to your home.  Call a professional immediately.

Wooded Siding:  wood is a huge contributor to mold growth.  It is a natural surface that mold can grow and expand in easily.  This can also do serious damage to the structure of your home especially if you have a lot of wood siding.  A tip is to use a professional power washer to help remove and kill the mold.  The treat with an anti-microbial spray.

Wooded Gates and Fences: see reason #3 for details.

Concrete Patios:  (especially those that stay wet from weather).  See reason #2 for details.

Many companies off heat treatments to get rid of your outside mold issues and can be completed in a fairly quick amount of time. Don’t let the foundation and structure of your home be under attack from mold damage when you can easily remedy it.

Attic Mold Removal Services 773-885-8528

HAVE YOU GOT A CASE OF ATTIC MOLD?

If you have found mold in the attic in your home or office building, you need to get an assessment done as soon as possible.  Clearing out mold in an attic or crawl space is a tedious job and really should be handled by a professional mold remediation company.  Mold removal in and of itself, may seem to be a simple task.  But if not handled properly it can easily spread into other areas of the home.  Many may the mistake of using a fan or blower while involved in the mold removal task. This is an absolute no-no.  The blower itself becomes contaminated as well as the rest of the environment that the mold spores are shot towards.

INSPECT: The attic is prone to getting mold activity because it is exposed to various intrusions of moisture or humidity.  Since we as homeowners don't go up there a lot, it can develop go unnoticed for weeks, months, and even years.  You should inspect attic at least once a month to make sure no creepy mold contaminants are forming.  Even in the most pristine of attics and crawl spaces, mold can find its way.

VENTILATE: What is proper ventilation?  It is the proper air flow in the space to keep moisture levels at bay and a more controlled humidity.  Attics can be a great source for mold or fungi activity because many of them don't have proper ventilation or air flow.  Fresh air needs to be circulated somehow to keep the environment safe.  Safe from what?  Well, germs, fungi, microorganisms, and the like can breed uninhibited.  To keep these critters from manifesting themselves a good cleaning along with regular maintenance will do the trick.

CLEAN: Some tend to try to clean it themselves.  And while cleaning is a proper thing to do in most cases, it is a lot different with mold.  We must remember that mold removal is not mold killing or mold destroying.  You need to get at the root of the problem, by completely eradicating it or it will most certainly resurface.  Porous materials such as wood, boards and certain fabrics need something that will penetrate and get at the source of the problem at its roots.  If mold spores are not exterminated properly, it will return to feed on more materials in your attic or crawl space.  Thus, wiping it away is a temporary bandage at best.

You need a professional mold remediation and mold removal company who will use the right agents to get the job done.  There are specialized techniques and specific products along with Negative Air Equipment needed to rid your space of mold.  A EPA rated HEPA air scrubber and/or HEPA vacuum equipment should be administered.  Sometimes, the mold is so bad that the only way to get it out would be to remove the infected source completely, as in drywall, baseboards, trimming, doors, etc., that may be contaminated, properly bagged and discarded.  This way the mold contaminants don't come into contact with anything else in your home or office space.

If you want to get at the source of your mold issues, and get it done right a mold remediation contractor might be the best way to go!