• How Mold Exposure Can Affect Your Skin

    If you have mold in the house, you may develop some unusual symptoms. Mold is known to cause skin irritation, particularly in people who are sensitive to mold exposure. Those with allergies to mold may suffer a more severe skin reaction. Mold in homes near the Hamptons may require professional mold remediation, since it’s not advisable for people who are sensitive or allergic to mold to try to remove it themselves.

    Exposure to mold can cause dry, scaly skin or skin rashes. These areas may look pinkish or brownish, and they may cause itching. It’s possible for mold-induced skin rashes to go away and come back periodically. It’s even possible for mold to cause infections of the skin or mucous membranes in people who are susceptible. Systemic infections aren’t a significant threat, except when a person has a suppressed immune system. Compromised immune function can occur because of HIV/AIDS and the use of immunosuppressant medications. Fortunately, arranging for professional mold remediation services allows you to avoid these potential health risks.

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  • What Are the First Steps You Should Take After a Fire?

    The damage inflicted on your home from a fire can be severe, even if the fire was relatively minor and even if it was quickly contained. The process of putting out a house fire results in water damage to the home. This further complicates the restoration process and may necessitate mold remediation services later on. Plus, the air quality after a house fire typically makes the home uninhabitable, even if it’s structurally sound. Since fire restoration requires specialized expertise and equipment, your first step after a house fire should be to call a damage restoration company near the Hamptons. house - fire

    Get a medical evaluation.

    The shock of a house fire can mask your injuries. If an ambulance arrived at the scene, the paramedic will give you a basic examination. It’s a good idea to go to the hospital for a full evaluation, especially if you may have inhaled smoke.

    Make some phone calls.

    Of course, your first phone call will be to a 911 dispatcher when you first notice the fire. Once you are out of harm’s way and the firefighters are on the scene, you can start picking up the pieces by contacting your homeowner’s insurance carrier. Be sure to ask if your insurance policy covers fire damage restoration services, such as mold remediation. Then, contact the disaster restoration company. Often, local disaster relief organizations will be called to the scene. If not, you can take the initiative to call them and ask for help

    Make sure your home is safe to enter.

    Never re-enter a fire-damaged home unless someone from the fire department tells you that it’s safe to go inside. Even if a fire appears to be out, it’s possible that the structure can reignite. The fire department will have shut off your utilities. Do not turn them back on unless someone tells you it’s safe to do so.

    Document the damage with photographs.

    Before the damage restoration company gets to work, you should document the damage, but only if it’s safe for you to do so. Walk around the exterior of your home and take pictures of any visible damage. If your car was damaged, take pictures of it. While photographing the interior damage, walk carefully and watch out for waterlogged floors and ceilings that may collapse.

  • Items which can be saved after a flood, ICER of Center Moriches

    Floodwaters endanger lives and ruin cherished possessions. When a flood occurs, the first priority is to get to safety. When it’s safe to return to your home, contact a water damage restoration company near the Hamptons. These professionals can take care of the water damage for you, including handling mold remediation. Once your house is back in order, it’s a good idea to consider waterproofing the basement against future floods. home - flood

    Paper Items

    When you first return to your home, you should focus on salvaging the most important items first. These will typically include documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and family photographs. If there are too many paper items to clean up quickly, place these items in a sealed plastic bag and lay them flat in a freezer. You may need to take them to a friend’s house that still has electricity. Very old photographs, however, should not be frozen. Instead, dry these right away with blotting material and air drying . Window screens are often helpful for drying paper items. The tiny holes allow better air circulation to the undersides of the documents. To save books, stand them on their ends and fan the pages open. If possible, place blotting material intermittently between the pages and covers.

    Clothing

    It’s often possible to save clothing affected by water damage. Wear gloves to protect yourself from infectious diseases carried by the floodwaters. Take your clothing outside and rinse off the mud with clean water, if available. Or, shake out the clothing and hang it on a laundry line to air dry. This will prevent mold growth if you can’t launder all of the clothing right away. When you are able to launder clothing, you should use clean, hot water, heavy-duty detergent, and a disinfectant.

    Household Textiles

    It might not be possible to save household textiles, such as upholstered sofas and chairs, especially if you cannot deal with these items right away. If you do try to save these items, the first step is to take them outside to air dry in the sun. Later, a water damage restoration company can assess the full extent of the damage.

  • Dealing with Soot Stains

    Even when a house fire is relatively minor and doesn’t cause structural damage, the aftermath can be messy and smelly. Soot stains can be particularly challenging to scrub off walls, cabinets, and possessions. Plus, they negatively affect the indoor air quality of homes near the Hamptons. It’s a good idea to contact a professional restoration company to ensure the job will get done right the first time, but you can also watch this featured video for some quick stain removal tips.

    The expert featured here discusses her recommended brand of scrub sponge for easily wiping soot stains off objects like kitchen cabinets. A blend of vinegar and water is often effective for removing the odor. The vinegar trick also works well for laundering soot stained clothing and table linens. After shaking off the soot, launder the stained items with high-performance laundry detergent and a cup of distilled white vinegar.

  • Why Is Black Mold Dangerous?

    Dealing with a small mold problem might not be too much of a process, but it’s important to realize that there are different kinds of mold near Long Island. A small, contained mold problem may negatively impact your indoor air quality, but it might not do much else. Black mold, on the other hand, can have serious effects on your health, so you should talk to your contractor about black mold removal right away. Keep reading if you would like to find out exactly why black mold is dangerous.

    Like other kinds of mold, black mold uses the open air to travel and spread around your living space. When mold spores make their way into the air, you and your family members might inhale them. This can be detrimental to your health on a number of levels. In addition to the typical respiratory symptoms of poor indoor air quality like coughing, wheezing, and sneezing, black mold exposure can come with more significant symptoms. Too much exposure may lead to issues like bleeding in the lungs and vomiting. In the case of toxic black mold, you might face even worse symptoms, so it’s best to have your mold problem dealt with immediately.

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  • Surprising Signs of Mold in Your Home

    The sooner you call for mold removal near Long Island , the sooner you can go back to enjoying the indoor air quality in your home. You can’t get the ball rolling on black mold removal if you don’t know it’s there, so knowing what to look for is part of the process. Mold needs moisture in order to survive, and leaky pipes can lead to a problem. You might also smell or see mold as you walk around your home, or you could even be suffering from symptoms of exposure already. Here’s a look at some of the surprising signs of mold in your home. mold - exposure

    Moisture and Leaks

    Mold only needs a few simple elements in order to grow, and moisture is one of them. If you are having trouble controlling the level of moisture in your home, you may be more susceptible to a mold problem. This is particularly important to consider if you have recently experienced a plumbing leak. Even the smallest leak can waste a great deal of water over time, especially if it continues to go unnoticed. This will give your mold problem time to grow before you even realize there is an issue. Take care of leaks early on to avoid this type of problem.

    Odors and Visible Detection

    If you think you smell mold but you don’t see anything, this doesn’t mean your nose is tricking you. You probably do have a mold problem in your house if you smell a musty odor like mildew or mold, whether you can actually see it or not. Some people do see visible signs of mold but don’t realize what they’re seeing, since mold can look similar to dust or dirt. If you think you see or smell mold, call your professional.

    Mold Exposure Symptoms

    When you’re already suffering from the symptoms of mold exposure, you probably have a long-standing mold problem in your house. Symptoms range, but they often include respiratory issues like coughing and sneezing. If you suddenly have a problem with the indoor air quality in your home, it could be mold.

  • Tips to Prevent Kitchen Fires, ICER of Center Moriches

    People don’t always associate fires with water damage and mold removal in the Hamptons, but these elements can very well play a role once the fire department has come and extinguished the fire. If you want to avoid these problems altogether, you should be as safe as you can when cooking. Watch this video clip for a few cooking safety tips to prevent kitchen fires.

  • Planning Ahead to Protect Your Home from Flooding

    If you don’t want to find mold in the house or deal with water damage restoration, you should take the time to prepare and protect your home. Basement waterproofing in the Hamptons can help seal water out and reduce the chances of flooding, but you should also keep an eye on the weather so you know what to expect. Make sure you install a sump pump if you expect a big storm to come in to further reduce your chances of dealing with mold and mildew. Read on for more on planning ahead to protect your home from flooding. home - flooding

    Seek Waterproofing Services

    Basement flooding can lead to all kinds of problems that will ultimately affect the safety and comfort that your home has to offer. You can protect yourself from mold, mildew, and water damage thanks to basement waterproofing, however. Your mold removal and basement waterproofing professional can insulate your home to make sure moisture from the outside doesn’t make its way in. If your home is prone to flooding and you’d rather not deal with the mold that comes along with it, talk to the professionals about basement waterproofing.

    Check the Weather

    Many homes experience flooding, mold, and water damage due to weather events. If you live in an area that is prone to rain and hurricanes, be sure to check the weather forecast every day. Even simple tasks like making sure your windows and doors are fully shut can make a huge impact when it comes to preventing flooding. Check the weather before you leave the house so you know what to expect when you come home.

    Install a Sump Pump

    In the event that you spring a plumbing leak, it’s a good idea to have a sump pump on hand. Your sump pump will take moisture from your living space and direct it to a safer location where it won’t cause problems for your household. This type of equipment can be helpful whether the flooding comes from a plumbing leak or a natural disaster, but you should check on it regularly to make sure it’s still in working shape.

  • Why You Should Plan Ahead When It Comes to Home Waterproofing

    Waterproofing your basement or crawlspace is a necessary task to protect your home against water damage and floods in the Hamptons. Even if your home has not suffered a bad storm or damaging pipe leak, your home may be at risk for developing mold from a minor leak under your sink. All of these possibilities can be avoided when you choose professional basement waterproofing services . Continue reading to see why it is important to waterproof your home right away.

    Plumbing leaks can happen at any time. Even a new water heater or plumbing fixture can break or become damaged, which could lead to a flood in your cabinets or bathrooms. If your home is often hit by hard, coastal weather, then you could be in danger of a flood. These possibilities can lead to significant water damage and health issues. However, you can avoid these dangerous risks by scheduling a visit from a professional in waterproofing basements, crawlspaces, and houses. This professional will inspect the integrity of your plumbing, landscape, roof, and appliances. If any of these items are in danger of causing a leak or flood, then you can repair them before any water damage occurs.

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  • Mold exposure & it’s effects in Center Moriches

    Mold symptoms near the Hamptons can be a serious health concern. Without professional mold remediation , entire families are at risk of developing asthma, allergies, and respiratory infections. These health issues should never be ignored. Read on to see the different ways that mold exposure can affect a person’s health. mold - growth

    It can increase or cause asthma symptoms.

    Mold exposure has been found to cause asthmatic symptoms in those who did not previously have asthma, and it can increase symptoms in current asthma sufferers. Asthma symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing. If these symptoms persist, the sufferer may feel tightness, pain, and pressure in their chest. These symptoms may not occur all of the time, but they can increase from prolonged mold exposure.

    It can increase or cause allergy symptoms.

    Allergy symptoms are one of the more common side effects of mold exposure. These symptoms might include a runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, and headaches. It is important to identify if these symptoms are seasonal—from increased pollens and dust particles in the air—or if they can be identified as mold symptoms. If symptoms occur most often in a specific room or indoors, then a mold remediation professional should inspect the house.

    It may increase risks of respiratory infections.

    If someone is already weakened or susceptible to respiratory issues, then he or she might be at risk of developing respiratory infections. These infections may be caused or worsened by mold spores in the lungs. If there is a chance of mold growth in the house, then it should be inspected immediately to prevent sickness in a person with a weakened respiratory system.

    It may cause “sick building syndrome.”

    “Sick building syndrome” is a term used by the Environmental Protection Agency to reference a health situation where building occupants experience the same symptoms after spending time in a building. The symptoms might include headache, skin irritations, difficulty concentrating, and nausea. These symptoms are usually indicative of an indoor air contaminant, which could be from a source of mold.