Top 5 FAQs About Mold

8/30/2022 (Permalink)

Five Most Common Mold Questions

Black mold and other types of residential fungi are extremely common issues that many homeowners must face at some point. Even so, many homeowners know very little about resolving a mold issue. If your home in Loveland, CO, is suffering from a mold problem, consider studying the following frequently asked questions regarding mold.

1. What Causes Mold Growth?

Mold thrives in dark, damp environments and is most likely the result of a moisture problem in your home.

2. Where Does Mold Usually Grow?

Any area in your home that comes into frequent contact with water is likely to experience mold growth. This includes your bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, basement and garage.

3. Does Mold Go Away By Itself?

Black mold is a living organism, so it's natural to assume that it could die off on its own if deprived of its vital nutrients. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. Depriving mold of moisture and nutrients may temporarily prevent it from spreading, but it will not make it go away.

4. Are There Any Effective Home Remedies?

Contacting professionals is always the recommended course of action, but you might be able to resolve small issues using DIY mold cleanup methods. An equal parts mixture of white vinegar and water is usually effective in cleaning surface mold.

5. How Can You Prevent Mold?

Keeping your home as clean and dry as possible is the best way to prevent unwanted mold growth. This involves cleaning and drying any spills immediately after they occur, properly ventilating your bathroom while showering or bathing and carefully monitoring indoor humidity levels. Performing routine mold inspections can also help you stay on top of any potential issues.

Black mold might be a common residential issue, but that doesn't mean you still shouldn't take it seriously. If you discover any mold growth during your next routine mold inspection, you need to contact mold remediation experts at SERVPRO as soon as possible.

3 Ways To Prevent Mold Growth

7/15/2022 (Permalink)

3 Ways To Prevent Mold Growth

If your commercial building in Loveland, CO, has experienced any kind of flood or water damage, your building is susceptible to mold. This is because mold thrives in moisture, coming from excess water in your building or high humidity. It is especially likely to grow on building materials or porous surfaces like carpets. Thankfully, there are some mold prevention tactics you can use to limit the growth of mold in your facility.

1. Mitigate Damages As Soon As Possible
If you have a plumbing issue, leak, or flood, it's important to mitigate damages and get rid of any excess water. If your commercial building experiences a pipe burst or natural disaster, call in professionals to help you mitigate damages quickly. In the meantime, if possible, try to stop the source of water and get rid of any standing water. Mitigating damages is the easiest way to prevent mold, as mold can grow as quickly as within 24 to 48 hours.

2. Get Rid of Any Excess Moisture
Whether from excess water or high humidity, moisture is one of the easiest ways to acquire mold. The most important mold prevention measure is getting rid of any excess moisture, which will stop mold before it begins to grow. A restoration company can pump out any standing water. They may bring air movers or fans to promote drying, but you can also rent these from an equipment rental company. Be sure to get porous surfaces like carpets or rugs professionally dry cleaned. If your problem is related to humidity, use a dehumidifier, and keep humidity levels under 60%.

3. Start With the Right Materials
Many materials, such as plant fibers, can increase your chances of mold growth. If you are in an area that is high risk for mold, consider using building materials that are mold-resistant.
Mold prevention can help stop mold before it begins to grow. However, if your commercial building does have mold, call in a mold restoration company to help you mitigate damages.

What It Takes To Become a Preferred Vendor for Insurance

4/25/2022 (Permalink)

Highly-trained specialists arrive Faster to Any Size Disaster.

When disaster strikes, you have a number of trusted people and companies you can depend upon for help. Your insurance agent is one person who will provide you with information and assistance in a time of need. The agent will inform you on what your coverages are for fire, storm, water, and other types of damage to your commercial building in Loveland, CO. One way to make things easier for you is to choose a professional restoration company that works closely with your insurance company. This saves you the hassle of having to coordinate paperwork and claims between the two entities.

The Preferred Vendor Program

It is not surprising that your insurance company prefers working with certain remediation franchises. This makes things easier on everyone, and also is likely to result in fast and accurate claim payments. An insurance agent looks for a company that has the following characteristics:

• Professional
  
• Efficient
  
• Knowledgeable
  
• Experienced
  
• Certified
  
• Trained
  
  

Your agent knows that a SERVPRO franchise has all of the above. Highly-trained specialists arrive Faster to Any Size disaster and they work quickly and safely. These experts have the capability to limit damages and expenses through their actions. Whether the disaster is large or small, a crew will arrive at your facility to improve the situation.

The Importance of High Standards

Working with a company that has extensive performance guidelines benefits you and your insurance company. These include such best practices as background checks for employees and work certifications. Restoration workers also follow validation from industry organizations in such areas as proper equipment utilization and cleanup techniques. Finally, the company will record and track the entire process of restoring your company to its original state.
All of this makes things easy for your insurance agent. A Claims Information Center is devoted to keeping track of all aspects of a job. This results in a complete and comprehensive restoration as well as a seamless claims process.

SERVPRO: Helping Your Clients Rebuild

2/27/2022 (Permalink)

Storm damage in Loveland, CO.

SERVPRO: Assisting Your Customers in Rebuilding

If you have clients in the Loveland, CO, area who are dealing with storm or flood damage, a storm restoration specialist can help, especially one as qualified as SERVPRO. Many of your clients may require restoration services following a disaster, and it is important to deal with a company that delivers not only quick response times but also corporate assistance with the claims process. However, response time and claims assistance are only a fraction of the services provided.

1. Mitigation

Fundamental storm response must include mitigation practices to ensure that your client’s claim is not hung up on a technicality. Through board up, fencing and tarping services, your client’s property is protected from worsening existing damage as well as trespassers, animals and weather, ensuring a successful claim.

2. Cleanout

Before storm restoration and loss assessments can begin, it is necessary to clean out the home, ensuring that all damage is visible and known. It is not enough to remove excess water from flooding; debris must be removed and separated into actual rubbish and damaged insured items so that loss can be documented properly.

3. Restoration

Once proof of loss has been documented and all assessments and estimates approved, then it is time to move forward with the restoration work. This work may be extensive, requiring demolition and reconstruction, but in the end, your clients can return to their repaired home.

4. Claims Information Center

Beyond the services offered to your client, it is essential that you have access to the progress of the work and the claim. For you to understand fully the work being proposed, you can access the Claims Information Center and review similar claims as well as the progress on your own.

Storm restoration is a necessary solution to the misfortune severe weather can bring, and while it is your job as an insurance agent to help your clients rebuild through funding, it is the job of restoration companies, like SERVPRO, to restore the physical structure and help make the claims process as speedy as possible.

The Types Of Equipment Used by Mold Remediation Specialists

1/29/2022 (Permalink)

Types of Safety Gear For Mold Remediation

Handling a small case of mildew or mold in your Loveland, CO, home might not seem like much of a reason to cover up in full-fledged protective gear. However, for the professionals in the business of mold damage and remediation, protective equipment is entirely essential. Here are some of the more common types of safety gear worn by specialists in the field, including everything from face masks to durable shoes.

Heavy-Duty Gloves

Coming into direct contact with mold or mildew can be hazardous, making a reliably safeguarded pair of gloves a necessity for mold cleanup. These gloves can be made from a variety of materials, such as:

• Nitrile
  
• Polyurethane
  
• Neoprene
  
• Polyvinylchloride (PVC)
  
• Natural rubber
  
  

The type of gloves chosen should depend on the type of mold involved and the extent of the damage, though any pair should extend upwards from the hand along the forearm for maximum coverage.

Fully-Equipped Respirator Masks

There’s nothing more important than covering the face when dealing with mold, as airborne spores can be inhaled or absorbed quite easily. Face masks can range anywhere from minimal coverage using simple sealed goggles and a common N-95 respirator, to full-face respirators with strong HEPA filters for advanced protection.

Disposable Clothing

Extreme mold removal jobs generally require clothing that can be easily disposed of afterwards. Trained mold remediation technicians often go for full body suits and shoes made of protective yet breathable materials, sealing areas around the ankles and wrists for added measure. Respirator face masks and other durable head and foot coverings finish off the look for the ultimate protective shield against contact with mold.

The use of such intense precautionary gear goes to show just how harmful the effects of contact with mold can be. For this reason, it’s imperative that any mildew or mold found in your Loveland, CO, home is handled and removed by professionals with protective equipment that’s suited for the task.