If you live in an area that is prone to wildfires, such as certain areas of California, you should do what you can to protect your home from them. While it may seem pretty hopeless once a wildfire is on a path that will go straight through your home, there are some things that you can do to try and minimize the damage.
The first thing that you can do if you own your home is to outfit it with fire resistant materials. The roof is perhaps the most important surface that you should take care of, since it is the largest surface of the home that is exposed to sparks of fire that have become airborne. If there is a wildfire near your house, you should take your water hose and keep the roof wet as much as possible to stop this threat. Fire-resistant roofing materials are large in number and include tile, metal, and fiberglass. Any oil-based roofing material should be replaced and wooden shingles are a disaster waiting to happen.
Fire-resistant materials should also be used to build the walls and windows of the house, since this can impede the spreading of the fire to the interior. Stone, metal, and brick offer a decent amount of protection, but vinyl siding and wood provide extremely little. The windows are important because heat will radiate inside the house and possibly set drapes on fire, so having smaller windows in homes that are at risk is a good idea.
Another thing that you can do to your lawn if a wildfire is nearby is wetting it with the water hose. This can also slow the fire’s spread to your house some. Do not allow dead leaves and other debris to build up in the yard during wildfire season and try to get rid of any tree branches that are hanging over your house. You can even go as far as to have these trees that are close to your home removed, but that is a personal preference. It will help, but some people may not want to sacrifice them.
If you have to evacuate, realize that you cannot take everything with you. Take only the most important valuables and get out as soon as you can. If you have time and are leaving voluntarily, take the opportunity to wet your yard, roof, and the exterior of your house again. This is pretty much all you can do at this point and the rest is in the hands of nature.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut water damage restoration and other states such as
New Jersey Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
The Inhumane Use of Mold Dogs
You might think that your property has a problem with mold and when you realize that this might be true, you may go out and hire the first mold removal company that you run across in the yellow pages to come and fix the problem, but the trick is knowing whether they are truly a professional company. One good way to tell this is to note whether or not they use dogs to find mold in the building.
The usage of mold dogs is not that widely used except by companies that are exactly what was implied earlier: unprofessional. The use of these dogs is deplorable, since they are trained to do exactly the thing that human beings are told not to do when coming into contact with mold. They are taught to seek out the mold spores and to actively inhale them in large quantities in order to detect the presence of mold growing in a home. This is not only unscientific, but it is also extremely harmful to the health of the dog. There are much more modern methods to use to detect mold in a person’s home or business and the use of a dog will not tell you if the mold is toxic or in what quantity the mold exists. Mycologists are typically employed by mold remediation companies and they fill the role of telling you whether the mold you have in your home is toxic or not.
The health of the dog will deteriorate over time, since animals are no less at risk of developing health complications related to mold than human beings are. They will eventually develop respiratory and skin infections, particularly around the muzzle.
The animal cannot tell a human being that something is wrong with them and the human often does not realize it until it is too late. Any veterinarian will tell you that the usage of dogs to detect mold is an inhumane practice and it is all but the deliberate infection of the animal and an act of pure negligence. Aspergilloma and aspergilliosis are also two conditions that dogs are susceptible to when they are used to detect mold and these often have no symptoms at first. By the time symptoms do develop, it is often too late and the dog has to be put down.
If you are considering hiring a professional company to detect and remove the mold from your home, please refrain from hiring a company that uses dogs. If you discover that the company that you hire does use dogs, decline to use their services and state this as the reason. Please do not support this practice.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Houston Fire Damage Water Restoration Contractor companies and
Los Angeles Water Damage and Restoration Services.
The usage of mold dogs is not that widely used except by companies that are exactly what was implied earlier: unprofessional. The use of these dogs is deplorable, since they are trained to do exactly the thing that human beings are told not to do when coming into contact with mold. They are taught to seek out the mold spores and to actively inhale them in large quantities in order to detect the presence of mold growing in a home. This is not only unscientific, but it is also extremely harmful to the health of the dog. There are much more modern methods to use to detect mold in a person’s home or business and the use of a dog will not tell you if the mold is toxic or in what quantity the mold exists. Mycologists are typically employed by mold remediation companies and they fill the role of telling you whether the mold you have in your home is toxic or not.
The health of the dog will deteriorate over time, since animals are no less at risk of developing health complications related to mold than human beings are. They will eventually develop respiratory and skin infections, particularly around the muzzle.
The animal cannot tell a human being that something is wrong with them and the human often does not realize it until it is too late. Any veterinarian will tell you that the usage of dogs to detect mold is an inhumane practice and it is all but the deliberate infection of the animal and an act of pure negligence. Aspergilloma and aspergilliosis are also two conditions that dogs are susceptible to when they are used to detect mold and these often have no symptoms at first. By the time symptoms do develop, it is often too late and the dog has to be put down.
If you are considering hiring a professional company to detect and remove the mold from your home, please refrain from hiring a company that uses dogs. If you discover that the company that you hire does use dogs, decline to use their services and state this as the reason. Please do not support this practice.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Houston Fire Damage Water Restoration Contractor companies and
Los Angeles Water Damage and Restoration Services.
The Mold Removal Equipment You Need
Doing a mold remediation project on your own instead of getting a professional to do the work for you can be a hassle, but if you do not have a lot of money, it might be for the best that you take care of a small scale infestation yourself. You should take the safety of your health into account when attempting such a thing, but if you purchase the correct amount and kind of equipment, you should be fine.
The health risks of mold exposure when you are taking on a project such as this are high if you do not take the proper precautions. Respiratory conditions and skin rashes, among other kinds of infections are likely to occur if you do not properly protect yourself. Allergic reactions and even death can result from some mold related disorders, so take extreme care.
If you are having to do invasive procedures such as taking out drywall or tearing up tile to get to the infection underneath, purchasing the maximum amount of equipment is going to be necessary. This will include not only a respirator of some kind from your hardware store, but also some breathable protective clothing and a roll of duct tape to seal up the areas where there are breaks in it, such as the ankles and wrists. A breathable body suit, foot covers, and gloves are necessary.
Purchasing some contractor grade trash bags is also a good idea, since what you are probably going to be doing is something that a contractor would have to do when remodeling a house. You will put mold contaminated materials in these bags.
You will also probably want to have a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter included in it to remove the mold spores and other particle debris from the home after you are done. Since stirring up the mold spores is pretty much unavoidable, this will help you keep the spore count in the air under control. This is important whether you are wearing a respirator or not.
The respirator that you purchase can be one of about three different kinds. One is just a basic one that you can get from your local hardware store and the other two contain HEPA filters on them and come in half-face and full-face forms. A full face mask can be purchased for around $125.
Chemicals that kill mold are also going to be needed. You can find these at most department stores that sell cleaning supplies.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration contractors and
Mold Remediation companies across the united states.
The health risks of mold exposure when you are taking on a project such as this are high if you do not take the proper precautions. Respiratory conditions and skin rashes, among other kinds of infections are likely to occur if you do not properly protect yourself. Allergic reactions and even death can result from some mold related disorders, so take extreme care.
If you are having to do invasive procedures such as taking out drywall or tearing up tile to get to the infection underneath, purchasing the maximum amount of equipment is going to be necessary. This will include not only a respirator of some kind from your hardware store, but also some breathable protective clothing and a roll of duct tape to seal up the areas where there are breaks in it, such as the ankles and wrists. A breathable body suit, foot covers, and gloves are necessary.
Purchasing some contractor grade trash bags is also a good idea, since what you are probably going to be doing is something that a contractor would have to do when remodeling a house. You will put mold contaminated materials in these bags.
You will also probably want to have a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter included in it to remove the mold spores and other particle debris from the home after you are done. Since stirring up the mold spores is pretty much unavoidable, this will help you keep the spore count in the air under control. This is important whether you are wearing a respirator or not.
The respirator that you purchase can be one of about three different kinds. One is just a basic one that you can get from your local hardware store and the other two contain HEPA filters on them and come in half-face and full-face forms. A full face mask can be purchased for around $125.
Chemicals that kill mold are also going to be needed. You can find these at most department stores that sell cleaning supplies.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration contractors and
Mold Remediation companies across the united states.
Allergies and Mold
Millions of people in the world suffer from all kinds of allergies, whether it is pollen, grass, foods, animals, or mold. Allergy symptoms are mostly seen from the spring to the late fall because of the fact that most of the allergies are due to seasonal plants and molds. Most plants and molds that cause allergies do not thrive during the winter and cannot continue to grow in freezing temperatures. They simply remain dormant and this is true of mold infestations inside homes. While the mold does not continue growing during the winter, it will thaw during the winter and be just as much of an inconvenience as they were before they were frozen.
There are all kinds of allergy symptoms that are associated with mold. The kind of reaction and the severity can vary from person to person, but the usual signs are runny noses, sneezing, watery eyes, and skin rashes. The presence of mold can also cause what is called Perennial allergic rhinitis. The allergy symptoms caused by mold are often aggravated and made worse by eating any food that has been made with mold or any other kind of fungus, like mushrooms. Even bread and beer, which are made with yeast can cause the symptoms to worsen. Cheeses that are made with mold, particularly gorgonzola and blue cheese, can also bring about the onset of these symptoms.
There are a few dozen species of mold that can cause allergic reactions, but most of the species of mold on the planet are not very allergenic. The majority of allergic reactions are caused by molds in the genii of Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Alternaria. The only genus that has a disease and a medicine named after it is Penicillium.
If you have some allergies besides just mold, you should probably keep an eye out for the allergen reports that appear on the news each day at different intervals. If you are a senior citizen or have a young child that is allergic to these things, you need to be careful about yourself or the child going out if the reports indicate a high amount of the allergen in the air. Depending on the severity of your allergy, it could possibly trigger a serious reaction.
If you discover mold in your home and fear that you may be allergic to it, you should have your home tested for mold immediately and if the test returns positive, you should relocate while the problem is being taken care of.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.
There are all kinds of allergy symptoms that are associated with mold. The kind of reaction and the severity can vary from person to person, but the usual signs are runny noses, sneezing, watery eyes, and skin rashes. The presence of mold can also cause what is called Perennial allergic rhinitis. The allergy symptoms caused by mold are often aggravated and made worse by eating any food that has been made with mold or any other kind of fungus, like mushrooms. Even bread and beer, which are made with yeast can cause the symptoms to worsen. Cheeses that are made with mold, particularly gorgonzola and blue cheese, can also bring about the onset of these symptoms.
There are a few dozen species of mold that can cause allergic reactions, but most of the species of mold on the planet are not very allergenic. The majority of allergic reactions are caused by molds in the genii of Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Alternaria. The only genus that has a disease and a medicine named after it is Penicillium.
If you have some allergies besides just mold, you should probably keep an eye out for the allergen reports that appear on the news each day at different intervals. If you are a senior citizen or have a young child that is allergic to these things, you need to be careful about yourself or the child going out if the reports indicate a high amount of the allergen in the air. Depending on the severity of your allergy, it could possibly trigger a serious reaction.
If you discover mold in your home and fear that you may be allergic to it, you should have your home tested for mold immediately and if the test returns positive, you should relocate while the problem is being taken care of.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.
Basic Information on Mold
Mold has been a problem in areas populated by human beings for not only centuries, but as the Bible seems to relate to us, millennia and the effects on the health of human beings has been documented since that time. The scripture calls the mold infestations in homes and business buildings a “leprous plague” that must be dealt with as soon as it is noticed.
The symptoms of excess mold exposure are both many and varied. Allergenic molds cause, as the name implies, aggravation of allergies and respiratory conditions that already exist and can create new allergies that did not exist before the exposure. These symptoms can surface in the form of sneezing, watery eyes, a runny nose, or some quite unsightly skin rashes that are pretty itchy when left untreated. If these symptoms only show up when you are in your home and you do not have them when you are at work or elsewhere, you might want to consider having your home tested for mold.
While some of the most serious infections around the world are caused by mold exposure, one thing that has become a staple in the medical community is penicillin. Penicillin is produced from mold in the genus penicillium and has been used as a cure for all kinds of infections since the early 1900’s. Unfortunately, the penicillium genus also has a serious disease named after it that occurs mostly in HIV and AIDS patients in Southeast Asia.
Mold grows in humid areas of your home and you may not even know it is there if it grows inside your walls. Homes that have been damaged by floods may have mold growing behind the walls and you will not even realize it most of the time. Try to keep the humidity in your home as far down as possible and the temperature somewhere around 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Any moist rooms in the house should have an exhaust vent installed so the steam is allowed to escape. This will include the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and the basement. If you happen to do laundry in the basement and for some reason the dryer does not work or you do not have one, do not hang clothes up to dry down there, since this will create the humidity that you are trying to prevent.
Keep any water spills cleaned up. Whether the bath tub or the kitchen sink or the toilet overflows, cleaning up these spills as soon as they occur is essential to prevent water damage and mold growth in your house. Another important think to realize is that you should never have carpet installed in the bathroom and that cracked tiles need to be replaced as soon as possible.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
South Carolina flood water damage restoration and other states such as
Connecticut water damage restoration companies across the united states.
The symptoms of excess mold exposure are both many and varied. Allergenic molds cause, as the name implies, aggravation of allergies and respiratory conditions that already exist and can create new allergies that did not exist before the exposure. These symptoms can surface in the form of sneezing, watery eyes, a runny nose, or some quite unsightly skin rashes that are pretty itchy when left untreated. If these symptoms only show up when you are in your home and you do not have them when you are at work or elsewhere, you might want to consider having your home tested for mold.
While some of the most serious infections around the world are caused by mold exposure, one thing that has become a staple in the medical community is penicillin. Penicillin is produced from mold in the genus penicillium and has been used as a cure for all kinds of infections since the early 1900’s. Unfortunately, the penicillium genus also has a serious disease named after it that occurs mostly in HIV and AIDS patients in Southeast Asia.
Mold grows in humid areas of your home and you may not even know it is there if it grows inside your walls. Homes that have been damaged by floods may have mold growing behind the walls and you will not even realize it most of the time. Try to keep the humidity in your home as far down as possible and the temperature somewhere around 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Any moist rooms in the house should have an exhaust vent installed so the steam is allowed to escape. This will include the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and the basement. If you happen to do laundry in the basement and for some reason the dryer does not work or you do not have one, do not hang clothes up to dry down there, since this will create the humidity that you are trying to prevent.
Keep any water spills cleaned up. Whether the bath tub or the kitchen sink or the toilet overflows, cleaning up these spills as soon as they occur is essential to prevent water damage and mold growth in your house. Another important think to realize is that you should never have carpet installed in the bathroom and that cracked tiles need to be replaced as soon as possible.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
South Carolina flood water damage restoration and other states such as
Connecticut water damage restoration companies across the united states.
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