Can essential oils aid in mold prevention?

9/27/2019 (Permalink)

If your walls look like this, call the mold removal experts at SERVPRO!

As you have probably heard by now, many people are using essential oils in their homes as a natural defense against colds, headaches,and allergies. That being said, did you know that certain essential oils are great to use for mold prevention as well? Now we are officially in the fall season, it's important to be on the look out for indoor mold growth, which according to www.medicalnewstoday.com, is more likely to occur during the fall and winter months. Keep reading for a guide on what essential oils to diffuse for mold prevention in your home! ( Credit for this guide goes to: https://thebiggreenk.com/essential-oils-for-mold-prevention/ )

However, if you do find mold, don't hesitate to call the experts at SERVPRO! They can remove the mold in your home and make it "Like it never even happened."

1. Cinnamon oil- Not only does cinnamon oil smell great ( and perfect for fall) it is also a powerful defense against mold growth in your home. It can also prevent mold from growing on food!

2.) Thyme Oil is excellent for fighting off mold related bacteria! Its also an incredible purifying agent for your skin!

3.) If you only use one of these oils, Clove oil is the one to pick! Not only is it a vigorous defender against mold, it is also known to prevent black mold! On top of that, it's also full of antioxidants that can keep you healthy and boost your immune system!

4.) Last but not least, tea tree oil is an anti-fungal that can help you disinfect your home and prevent mold growth! Its also known to get rid of the musty smell of mold!

When Prevention isn't enough to keep mold away, Call SERVPRO. We are more than happy to help and make it “like it never even happened!”

 About SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids:

SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after Mold damage. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

If you need help with cleaning up after mold damage, call the Professionals at SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids 24/7 616.647.4300

The smell of mold and the Importance in taking action

1/25/2019 (Permalink)

Can you smell that?

Mold most of the time can be invisible to the naked eye because we can’t see it doesn’t mean that it’s not there. The most common is when mold grows in basements, attics, crawl spaces and other areas with high humidity. What is mold you ask?

mold/

noun: mould; plural noun: moulds; noun: mold; plural noun: molds

1. a furry growth of minute fungal hyphae occurring typically in moist warm conditions, especially on food or other organic matter.

 Mold can grow where water or moisture is present and always isn’t so visible to spot out. When you start to smell a weird odor in a certain area that should be the first clue to start investigating to see if you spot mold in your home. Mold has a pungent, earthy, musty and unpleasant smell. The first reaction is to use air fresheners and disinfectant sprays in hopes of removing the odor. The only way to control mold odor is to remove the mold in the affected area. When you see mold grow on the outside of the wall in some cases it can be cleaned unless the mold has grown into your soft wall material especially drywall, then you have to remove the wall that is affected. When a wall is affected be sure to look behind furniture and baseboards that might be near the area that the mold made an appearance. In these cases, you need a professional to contain area and remove any affected areas to prevent any of the mold spores to spreading into the rest of your home. When dealing with a situation like this be sure to be cautious or call a professional.

If your home or business has a mold problem, we can inspect and assess your property and use our specialized training, equipment, and expertise to remediate your mold infestation.

If You See Signs of Mold, Call Us Today – 616.647.4300

About SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids

SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids specializes in the cleanup and restoration of commercial and residential property after a water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Mold Colonizers after Water Damage

11/12/2018 (Permalink)

Mold colonizers growing in home

When water enters your home, there are many types of mold that can grow within the structure if the water isn’t taken care of quickly. That’s where SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids is ready to help prevent colonizers from growing.

The types of mold caused by water damage depends on the amount of moisture available for mold growth. The “available water” is referred to as water activity and has a scale of 0 to 1. A scale of 1 means almost running water in the material. Based on the water activity mold can be divided into 3 categories.

1. Primary colonizers. Primary colonizers can grow at a water activity less than or equal to 0.80
2. Secondary colonizers. Secondary colonizers grow at a water activity level of 0.80-0.90
3. Tertiary colonizers. Tertiary colonizers require a water activity greater than 0.90. Since tertiary colonizers will only grow well in presence of excessive water, they are used as indicators of serious water damage.

If you have a water loss situation call the professionals here at SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids and we will be there to help! Call Us Today 616.647.4300

About SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids

SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids specializes in the cleanup and restoration of commercial and residential property after a water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Prevention Steps to Save your Property from Mold

11/12/2018 (Permalink)

Can you spot trouble in your home?

How do you keep mold out of buildings and homes?

As part of routine building maintenance, buildings should be inspected for evidence of water damage and visible mold. The conditions causing mold (such as water leaks, condensation, infiltration, or flooding) should be corrected to prevent mold from growing.

Specific Recommendations:

• Keep humidity levels as low as you can—no higher than 50%--all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low. Bear in mind that humidity levels change over the course of a day with changes in the moisture in the air and the air temperature, so you will need to check the humidity levels more than once a day.
• Use air conditioner or a dehumidifier during humid months.
• Be sure the home has adequate ventilation, including exhaust fans in kitchen and bathrooms.
• Use mold inhibitors which can be added to paints.
• Clean bathroom with mold-killing products.
• Do not carpet bathrooms.
• Remove and replace flooded carpets.

Are you questioning a mold problem in your home or office? Let the professionals here at SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids help!

We are here for any size situation 24 hours a day and 7 days a week! Call Today- 616.647.4300

About SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids

SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids specializes in the cleanup and restoration of commercial and residential property after a water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

SERVPRO takes the Steps to prevent spreading of Mold in your Home

10/17/2018 (Permalink)

Plastic sheet physical barriers for your home

Mold can be a nasty visitor to your home unannounced and unnoticed before you realized its even there. The many signs of mold most home owners choose to ignore thinking that the effects are not a big deal. When ignoring the signs of mold, you can not only damage your property but your health when it contaminates your clean air in your living space. When you have a feeling that your home might be affected you should let the professionals here at SERVPRO handle the job of getting rid of it all at once.

When it comes to Mold it’s very sensitive to deal with reasons being the growth can spread very fast if it’s not dealt with in the correct way. Mold spores can become airborne and attach to other things in your home. Cleaning mold spores can be disturbed through the cleanup process and should be contained so it can’t spread into your home. Here at SERVPRO our professionals are trained IICRC-certified through every aspect of the removed and treatment done.

The beginning stages of the removal process is the containment of the area. We create a physical barrier using plastic sheeting. When covering the area, we also focus on covering doors and air vents in the area so the effected air doesn’t travel in to other areas of your home. Then the next steps are to place air movement machines that use negative air to filter the containments out of the air. These machines have powerful HEPA filters that draw in the negative air and the vent it outside your property using a hose.

We are here for any size mold situation 24 hours a day and 7 days a week! Call Today- 616.647.4300

About SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids

SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids specializes in the cleanup and restoration of commercial and residential property after a water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Always trust your Instincts when dealing with mold

10/4/2018 (Permalink)

It can show up just about anywhere

Smelling a Mold Odor

When you have mold growing hidden away in your house, often a moldy smell might be the only clue that it's there. Don't ignore mold odors if you can't see any mold. You should thoroughly inspect your home before any mold problems get worse.

You can find out how to inspect your house for mold at Mold Inspection.

Seeing Signs of Mold Growth

Visible mold growth might seem like an obvious sign of mold. Many people don't notice small amounts of mold growth or they think it's just soot or dirt. Sometimes people simply ignore visible mold in their house.

If you can see mold growth, even if it's only small, you should take action immediately. Small mold patches can spread and the fact that there is any mold shows that the conditions in your home are right for mold to grow. You can find a guide to removing mold at Mold Removal.

If you don't take care of mold it will soon become a bigger problem. Visible mold growth could also be a sign that there is a much larger mold colony growing hidden away from view.

Sometimes you might not realize there is mold in your house, especially if it is unusual looking mold. Some mold growth looks white and thread-like. Other mold appears as clusters of small black spots. Mold can be black, gray-brown, gray-green or white in color. Mold growing behind wallpaper made of vinyl can even appear orange, pink or purple.

Source: moldpedia.com

If you have concern about mold in your home let our team help with your restoration services and removal call SERVPRO of NE Grand Rapids 616-647-4300 services available 24/7