Envirotex Blog – Page 18

Why It’s Best to Leave Mold Growth to a Mold Removal Company in Northern, VA

Dealing with mold can be extremely dangerous if you are not familiar with the type of mold growing in your Northern, VA home. A small amount of mold can be removed by the homeowner, but anything more should be left to a mold removal company such as Envirotex. Envirotex has been in business since 2000 and offers environmental services including—

Mold Testing and Remediation
Asbestos Testing and Remediation
Meth Labs and Clandestine Drug Lab Cleanup
Lead Paint Testing and Remediation
Demolition

Hiring a mold removal company when you notice mold growth in your Northern, VA home is essential to eliminating the mold and preventing it from coming back in the future. First off, you need to know what is actually causing the mold growth within your home. You may have a leaky pipe inside your walls, it could be from too much humidity, or it could be another issue. Whatever the problem that is causing your mold growth at your home in Northern, VA, a professional mold removal company can advise you on a plan to eliminate the problem altogether.

Mold removal companies are experienced in dealing with all situations and are quick to determine where the problem is coming from. Once assessed and repaired, mold removal will begin. The area containing mold in your Northern, VA home will be isolated so that the mold spores when disturbed and removed do not spread to other areas of the home during the removal.

The mold removal company’s technicians will wear safety glasses, protective clothing, respiratory masks, shoe covers, and gloves to protect themselves against any mold fibers that are released into the air. All family members will be asked to leave the premises until the mold removal company has completed the removal of all mold within your Northern, VA home.

Once the mold removal company is finished, you and your family are free to reenter your home and breath easier knowing that you are breathing cleaner air with the mold removed. A musty, moldy home can play havoc on family members health and should not be taken lightly. At the first sign of any mold growth or musty smell at your Northern, VA home, give Envirotex a call.

How to Decide on a Mold Inspection Company in Northern, VA

A healthy living environment is one of the most important aspects of living a healthy life. To accomplish that you need to have a regularly scheduled cleaning routine and preventive maintenance, which should include having a mold inspection company, such as Envirotex, inspect your Northern, VA home for mold growth.

Finding a mold inspection company in Northern, VA should not be taken lightly. You will want one who has excellent service at a reasonable price. Not all homeowners have the same kind of problems with mold. Some homeowners in Northern, VA may just be taking extra precautions by having a mold inspection while others have had recurring issues and use a mold inspection company to check to see if their problem with mold is gone.

You will want a company that can handle numerous issues such as Envirotex who does mold inspections as well as mold remediation along with handling other environmental issues, although it is advisable not to pick the same company for both an inspection and one that actually removes the mold from your Northern, VA home.

The mold inspection company that you decide on should have the latest equipment, including thermal imaging. Thermal imaging is a sophisticated system that can detect and identify sources of moisture that support mold growth so that you can make an informed decision on any needed repairs that will help save on monthly energy costs while providing your Northern, VA home with a more comfortable and healthy living environment.

Once your mold inspection is completed, you should receive a detailed report showing you the seriousness of any mold situation you have in your Northern, VA home and what all will be involved in getting rid of all mold in your home.

Always take the time to research a mold inspection company before making your final decision. Ask around for other people’s opinions of which company they have used in the past. Check online for the company’s reviews and make sure the mold inspection company is licensed and insured.

Envirotex is a Northern, VA mold inspection company who has been in business since 2000. They have years of experience with all issues dealing with mold and other environmental problems and offer the best solutions to deal with mold growth.

Understanding the Importance of a Mold Remediation Company in Northern, VA

Mold spores float in the air and may enter through doors, windows or your air condition and heating systems, even your clothes and pets. Mold spores thrive on moisture and grow quickly into colonies when exposed to water. When you notice mold or have a musty smell lingering throughout your Northern, VA home, it is important to entrust your mold issues with a mold remediation company such as Envirotex.

A mold remediation company in Northern, VA will first start with a mold inspection and assessment of the damage. Whatever is found to be the source of your water problem will need to be fixed first to prevent new mold from growing.

To prevent the spread of mold spores throughout the rest of the Northern, VA home, the mold remediation company will contain the mold-contaminated areas. This will be done by closing all doors and windows between the contaminated mold areas and the rest of the home. Doorways and any other openings will be covered with polyethylene sheeting and the seams sealed with duct tape. Fans and cooling and heating systems will be turned off as well to prevent spreading mold spores.

The contaminated areas will be misted to suppress dust. Air scrubbers and HEPA vacuums may be used by a mold remediation company to prevent the spread of mold spores during the mold remediation process at your Northern, VA home.

The mold remediation company will eliminate mold colonies by using antifungal and antimicrobial treatments on non-porous mold surfaces to prevent new colonies from growing back. Mold-infested porous materials such as carpet and drywall will be removed and properly disposed of.

Depending on the amount of mold damage to your home in Northern, VA, subfloors and other materials may need to be removed as well by the mold remediation company.

Cleaned materials should be left to dry by using fans or dehumidifiers.

Restoration of replacing or repairing materials will need to be done as well.

Hiring a mold remediation company is important to keep your family safe from health issues that may arise when your home in Northern, VA is infested with mold growth.

What Should an Asbestos Inspection Include for Homes in Northern, VA?

Most products today do not contain asbestos. However, up until the 1970s, there were many types of building and insulation materials that were used in homes which contained asbestos. Before doing any home repairs or renovations to an older home in Northern, VA, you should consider having an asbestos inspection.

An asbestos inspection should include a complete visual assessment. A collection of samples should be taken and sent off to a third party laboratory for analysis. If the report confirms that asbestos is present in your Northern, VA home, the asbestos inspector should provide you with a written evaluation that describes where the asbestos materials are located and the extent of any damage. The asbestos inspector should also give you recommendations to correct the problem at your Northern, VA home.

Northern, VA homeowners should never take it upon themselves to take samples of suspected asbestos materials. This should only be done a professional asbestos inspection company such as the team at Envirotex. These professional inspectors know what to look for and know how to handle the situation carefully and safely. Taking samples yourself may release asbestos fibers into the air, which can be extremely harmful to any household members in Northern, VA.

Professional asbestos inspection teams should take all necessary precautions when taking samples. Your Northern, VA home’s heating and cooling system will be shut down to minimize the spreading any released asbestos fibers throughout the house.

Most often, asbestos-containing materials that are in good shape and are never going to be disturbed, should be left alone. Your asbestos inspection may only include sampling materials that may be damaged or disturbed when doing repairs or remodeling.

If the asbestos material presents a problem, two corrections are possible: removal or repair. If it is repaired, this involves either sealing or covering the asbestos material with a sealant that binds the asbestos fibers together or coats the asbestos materials, so fibers are not released into the air.

The other is by removal. Both repair and removal should be done by a mold removal professional explicitly trained to handle asbestos safely.

Educating Homeowners on House Mold in Great Falls, VA

Homeowners should educate themselves on house mold so that they can be aware of any signs or symptoms of house mold growth at their Great Falls, VA homes. House mold can pose health hazards when it begins growing indoors. It can enter your home in Great Falls, VA through open doorways, windows, ventilation, heating, and air conditioning systems. Even mold spores outside can attach themselves to pets, shoes, bags, clothing, and much, much more!

The key ingredient that house mold needs to thrive is moisture. Sources for moisture may include—

Flooding
Leaky roofs
Water pipe leaks
Damp basements or crawl spaces
Humidifiers that are not cleaned regularly or disinfected
House plants
Steam from cooking or showering
Leaving wet clothes hung to dry indoors
Excessive humidity
Condensation
Inadequate air exchange

House mold needs these things to survive—

Food sources such as wood and wood products, paper and paper products including cardboard and wallpaper, fabric and upholstery, leather, grout, painted walls, cement, drywall, insulation materials, ceiling tiles, and carpet.
Moisture from the list above.
Temperature of 70⁰F or more but can grow in less.

With ample food, moisture, and the ideal temperature, house mold will begin to grow within 24 to 48 hours.

In some cases, you may have house mold and not even realize it, because house mold can grow behind drywall and shower stalls, in leaky roofs and in crawl spaces that have poor circulation. If bad enough, sometimes you can smell the musty or mildew odor that comes with the dampness that causes house mold in Great Falls, VA. Once you start smelling the odor in your home in Great Falls, VA, you will need to determine where the smell is coming from.

The most common places you might find house mold in your Great Falls, VA home are under your kitchen or bathroom sink where you might have a leaky pipe; behind appliances such as dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, or washing machine; around your window sills where condensation accumulates, in your basement and in closets. House mold also likes those dark out of the way places to breed.

Mold Inspections Are Helpful in Determining Mold Issues in Haymarket, VA

Mold Inspections Are Helpful in Determining Mold Issues in Haymarket, VA
Once homeowners in Haymarket, VA see mold at their home it is still recommended to have mold inspections. Mold inspections are helpful in determining the type of mold you are handling, rather it could be toxic or not is extremely necessary so that your family members are not subjected to any spores from the toxic mold.

Sometimes you may smell a musty or moldy odor but can’t see any mold growth at your Haymarket, VA home. Instead of tearing out walls trying to look for a fuzzy black growth, which could indicate black mold, it is best to have a mold inspection.

Black mold is a dangerous mold to say the least. But there are other dangerous molds as well that you normally don’t hear about. These dangerous molds grow in the same areas of homes in Haymarket, VA as other molds grow. Places that are dark and are prone to moisture are ideal places for mold to grow.

Having mold inspections when you suspect mold growth indoors of your Haymarket, VA home is helpful in determining where the source of the moisture is coming from. Professional mold inspectors know where to look for mold growth inside and outside of the home. A Haymarket, VA home’s structure can be infested by mold growth and it takes a mold inspection to detect hidden mold growth formation so that abatement can be done to keep the house from further contamination.

A mold inspection may start out as a visual inspection of baseboards, ceilings, carpets, and walls. Windows, doors and other entries to the inside that are sealed should be checked as well. Mold inspections for Haymarket, VA homes should be left to the professionals because they know where to look and what to look for.

Today’s mold inspections now consist of using the latest in technology, thermal imaging. This system can detect and identify sources of moisture that support mold growth at homes in Haymarket, VA. By detecting any structural issues that could be contributing to your mold issues, you can make a better informed decision about what needs to be done to eliminate your sources of moisture.

Rid Mold from Homes in Gainesville, VA with Black Mold Removal

As much as we need water to survive, sometimes it can become uncontrollable destroying homes in Gainesville, VA such as from a downpour, a flood, or a busted pipe. Drywall, wood, and carpet can act as a sponge which causes water damage to go higher and deeper into the structure at your home in Gainesville, VA. After some time, even long after the water damage, you may experience black mold growth, which you will then need to have black mold removal to rid the mold from your Gainesville, VA home.

Once you recognize that you have mold growing in your home in Gainesville, VA, you will want to hire a professional black mold removal company so they can stop it in its tracks and keep it from spreading throughout the rest of the home. Because black mold can be deadly, samples may be taken and sent away for analysis to a third-party lab.

A black mold removal company will plan out the steps needed to remove the mold from your home safely. You and your family will probably be asked to leave the Gainesville, VA home until the black mold removal has been completed. The black mold removal technicians will protect themselves with safety equipment such as Tyvek suits, protective gloves, foot covers, and respirator air masks.

Areas at your Gainesville, VA home where the mold is growing, will be contained, and a HEPA filtration will be applied. Negative air will be created so that the affected area will vent to the outdoors. A HEPA vacuum will be used to clean affected areas to remove the growth on the surface.

Drywall and carpet will be removed safely by the black mold removal technicians and disposed of properly. A professional cleaner will be used to clean and protect the area and prevent any future growth from coming back. In some instances, the area may have to be encapsulated.

Black mold grows where there is moisture. The black mold removal plan will include finding the source of your water problem and make suggestions as to what you should do to repair the problem; otherwise, the black mold removal will only be a temporary solution. Taking care of the moisture issue at your home in Gainesville, VA will guarantee the mold should not come back.

Black Mold Removal is Essential To Prevent Health Issues in Alexandria, VA

Black mold grows where there is relatively high humidity. Stachybotrys, better known as black mold, often grows inside. It feeds on materials with high cellulose content such as straw, hay, wood chips, and building materials including, drywall, ceiling tile, wallpaper, insulation backing, and cardboard boxes.

Stachybotrys is the “King of Molds” since it will develop into the dominant mold group if conditions are favorable and crowd out other molds that began feeding on the material first. Black mold takes one to two weeks to begin growing.

When black mold grows on wet materials, the spores don’t disperse easily because they are held together by a sticky and slimy coating. But, once the material dries out or disturbed, the spores spread through the air.

Homeowners or business owners should never attempt to remove or disturb black mold themselves. This should be left to an Alexandria, VA black mold removal company such as Envirotex because they know the importance of containing off the area where the black mold is growing with a poly barrier to prevent the spreading of toxic black mold.

When black mold spreads by releasing spores into your home in Alexandria, VA, most of the contaminated materials must be removed and disposed of properly. This mold doesn’t only grow on the surface but has root-like tendrils called mycelia, which means it can penetrate the surface.

Black mold removal by a professional is essential for your family’s health. Homes in Alexandria, VA whose family members are exposed to black mold may end up with bacterial and viral infections, coughing, skin irritations, and other allergic reactions and possibly cancer.

Call the team at Envirotex, and they will plan out a black mold removal for your home in Alexandria, VA that will be cost-effective, quality work with a priority for you and your family member’s safety at all times.

Besides black mold removal, Envirotex also specializes in asbestos abatement, lead-paint removal as well as air duct cleaning and demolitions. Envirotex is your go-to for any environmental issues you have at home or your business in Alexandria, VA.

How Mold Companies in Northern, VA Protect Homes

Mold can be a tricky subject. Even though homeowners may see no visible mold within their Northern, VA home, they still might smell a musty odor, and this should be looked at by a mold company to protect homes and families.

Mold companies in Northern, VA have the experience and proper equipment to detect and identify moisture sources that can trigger mold growth within your Northern, VA home. Not all mold growth is visible, and any symptoms should be looked at by a professional mold company such as the team at Envirotex.

With an infrared camera diagnostic system, a mold company can detect critical water damage and existing structural issues that may be contributing to your mold problems so that you can make a better-informed decision about a plan to make your home mold free and a more healthy environment for your family in Northern, VA.

With advanced thermal imaging, mold companies can perform a more comprehensive, non-destructive inspection for mold in a lot less time than without this advanced technology.

Make sure the mold company you deal with has the latest technology, such as the team at Envirotex who services the Northern, VA area for all environmental issues within homes, business buildings, and schools.

Mold growth can cause health issues such as hay-fever type symptoms, runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, and a skin rash (dermatitis). Family members in the Northern, VA home who have asthma that are allergic to mold can experience asthma attacks. Exposure to mold can irritate the eyes, skin, throat, nose, and lungs of family members.

Mold companies can develop a plan to rid your home of all mold and guide you on which repairs that need to be done to your home so that you get rid of any mold sources that are allowing the mold to grow within your Northern, VA home.

A Northern, VA mold company can protect your home. Call the team at Envirotex for all your environmental needs rather it be for a mold inspection and remediation, asbestos testing and abatement, lead-based paint removal, air duct cleaning, or demolition for homes in Northern, VA.

The Health Effects and Symptoms of Black Mold in Alexandria, VA

Toxic black mold can cause numerous health issues such as breathing problems, damage to internal organs, mental impairment and sometimes can even be fatal.

Respiratory Symptoms

Homes in Alexandria, VA with toxic black mold are exposed mostly through breathing in toxic black mold spores and mycotoxins. These mycotoxins create irritation and a burning sensation in one’s air passages such as the mouth, throat, and nasal cavity. Symptoms you make have in your Alexandria, VA home from toxic black mold—

• Breathing difficulty
• Wheezing
• Coughing
• Sore Throat
• Pulmonary edema-lung swelling
• Pulmonary hemorrhage-lungs bleeding
• Itchy nose
• Nose bleeds
• Bleeding gums
• Stuffy nose
• Runny nose

Circulatory Symptoms

Alexandria, VA homes with toxic black mold mycotoxins can be ingested, absorbed through the skin or eyes and breathed in and can eventually go into one’s blood. This can lead to heart damage, internal or external hemorrhaging and problems with one’s blood clotting. Symptoms of family members at your Alexandria, VA home may include—

• Irregular heartbeat
• Heart damage
• Heart inflammation
• Problems with blood clotting
• Vomiting up blood
• Low blood pressure
• Bleeding in organs and the brain

Mental and Neurological Symptoms

Alexandria, VA family members who are exposed to toxic black mold can develop nervous disorders caused by the trichothecene mycotoxins that are produced by black mold known as neurotoxic. These symptoms include—

• Brain fog
• Shortened attention span
• Confusion
• Slowed reflexes
• Dizziness
• Memory Loss and memory problems
• Difficulty in concentrating and paying attention
• Hallucinations
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Personality changes such as aggression
• Seizures

Not all molds that you see in your home in Alexandria, VA that looks black is toxic. The best way to tell if you have toxic black mold is to call an environmental company such as Envirotex and have a mold inspection. Samples of the mold will be sent off to a laboratory for analysis. Once the results come back, a plan to rid your home in Alexandria, VA of all mold will be determined by the mold specialists.