The words “asbestos removal” will rightly make most homeowners worry. We have all heard how dangerous asbestos can be, as it can cause cancer and lung disease many years after exposure.
Even so, asbestos does not always need to be replaced or sealed. A proper specialist in asbestos removal like Valley Restoration and Construction will assess your home and find whether it contains any asbestos fibers. Only disturbed and crumbling asbestos needs to be removed or repaired.
To understand whether your family’s health is in danger, you should turn to asbestos removal professionals. They have the right tools, equipment, and know-how to take samples and check for asbestos risk.
Where Is Asbestos Hiding in Your Home?
Asbestos is no longer used in construction and home building—but was widely used until the 1980s and can still be in construction materials manufactured outside of the United States. Therefore, even though it is uncommon to find it in materials in homes beyond the 1980s, it is still possible. Unless the architect certifies that all the materials used to build a home are asbestos-free, which is quite rare, you shouldn’t assume that a material is asbestos-free based solely on the home’s age.
As a mineral, asbestos was commonly used for insulation thanks to its strength, durability, and fire-resistant properties. That is why you can often find it around boilers and furnaces, fireplaces, and wood stoves. You can also find asbestos on roofs and ceilings, sidings, and flooring, including vinyl tiles and adhesives.
How Can I Know If There Is Asbestos in My Home?
It is impossible to assess whether any building material in your home contains asbestos, as it is not always visible to the naked eye and may hide underneath a wall or panel. A specialist will need to carefully take samples from suspected areas and have them tested for asbestos.
We strongly advise against taking samples on your own. When asbestos is disturbed, it releases airborne fibers. These fibers are breathed in and slowly make their way into the lungs. Undisturbed asbestos is less of a threat than a poorly taken sample that exposes asbestos fibers to the air.
Asbestos removal professionals wear protective gear such as gloves and goggles and have specialized equipment to take samples. They will make the smallest incision possible to remove a sample, place it into a container, and seal it. They will then clean the area thoroughly.
When Is Asbestos a Problem?
Undisturbed asbestos is not a problem. The fibers remain tightly crammed inside the material and can’t become airborne.
You may, however, accidentally disturb asbestos when you dig, scrape, tear, cut, drill, grate, or saw a material that contains asbestos. Once the asbestos fibers are displaced, they become airborne and spread throughout the house.
If you have a big remodeling project coming up, you should contact Valley Restoration and Construction to assess whether there is asbestos in the area in question. Once we take samples and know whether there is any asbestos, we proceed with asbestos removal if necessary.
How Do I Deal with an Asbestos Problem?
Valley Restoration and Construction specialists will either repair or remove the asbestos in your home.
Repairing Asbestos-Contaminated Areas
Depending on the extent of the asbestos problem, we may choose to repair the area. We can encapsulate or coat the contaminated area with a sealant that will keep all the broken asbestos fibers together and stop them from becoming airborne. This can be effective depending on the situation. However, the material is still there and may still present a problem in the future.
Don’t forget that the goal is to ensure that your home remains safe for you and your family, both now and in the future.
Asbestos Removal
The State of Colorado has stringent regulations regarding asbestos that include residential homes. Any home that requires the removal of 32 square feet or more of suspect material, regardless of the age of the home, requires asbestos testing or the material should be treated as asbestos in lieu of testing. Suspect materials include sheet vinyl, vinyl tile, adhesives, drywall joint compound, and drywall surfacing (texture). Surfacing, in particular, can become extremely friable during renovation activities.
Therefore, if you plan on doing a major remodeling project, we may need to remove asbestos from your home. The best way to handle asbestos is to completely remove it (abatement) with a state-licensed contractor.
Valley Restoration and Construction will remove asbestos if it has crumbled and repairing it is not an option. If asbestos is beyond encapsulation, we will clear away the contaminated construction components and replace them with asbestos-free ones to ensure that your home is safe for you and your family.
In this case, our expert crew will come and dispose of all the affected materials.
Disposing of Asbestos
The State of Colorado, under certain circumstances, does allow a homeowner to opt out of state regulations regarding asbestos. Even so, federal regulations must still be adhered to, which include the proper disposal of the asbestos material in a landfill certified to accept asbestos waste. Unfortunately, these are few and far between.
We will dispose of all asbestos material in licensed landfills and follow strict procedures during the removal, sealing, and transportation stages.
Trust Valley Restoration and Construction for Any Asbestos Problems
Valley Restoration and Construction is a state-licensed contractor with a team of asbestos removal specialists. We will come to your home or building and assess the potential danger. If asbestos fibers have been released, we will encapsulate or remove the affected areas depending on the circumstances.
Cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, sterilizing, deodorizing. People often use these terms interchangeably but they actually carry different meanings to cleaning professionals like Valley Restoration and Construction.
When a water, fire, or smoke disaster has happened, we are called to mitigate the damage and start the cleaning process. A significant part of emergency mitigation is to clean, sanitize, and disinfect the affected areas. The goal is to restore your home to a habitable and safe state.
When we talk about the cleaning process, we have in mind a series of steps that range from conventional cleaning to more robust disinfecting, depending on the damage. For example, sewage water damage will require disinfecting while smoke damage needs deodorizing to neutralize the lingering smoke particles from the air.
Here is a small guide to help you understand what each term means.
Cleaning
Cleaning removes dust, soil, and visible dirt from surfaces. When you clean, you usually wipe surfaces with water and soap or a detergent. Cleaning also includes cleaning the floor with a vacuum and mopping it, as well as cleaning windows with glass cleaners.
Cleaning is essential if you want your home to feel fresh and nice. It removes dirt, allergens, and microorganisms, which can potentially become breeding grounds for bacteria and viruses.
However, cleaning doesn’t kill bacteria or viruses. It simply removes any obvious dirt from surfaces and is a necessary step before our crew starts sanitizing and disinfecting.
Where does most cleaning happen? Floors, doors, and windows are the most common surfaces that should be cleaned to ensure a healthy living environment.
Sanitizing
Sanitizing takes cleaning a step further. With various detergents and cleaning agents, sanitizing reduces the amount of bacteria on surfaces.
You should sanitize your kitchen counters where food is prepared to minimize bacterial growth and ensure food preparation is safe, especially when it comes to raw meat. It is also a good idea to sanitize your bathroom and other common spaces where many people live.
Sanitizing doesn’t kill all bacteria; it just lowers their numbers. Also, sanitizing doesn’t kill viruses and fungi. The flu, Covid-19, the common cold, and chicken pox are some examples of viruses. As for fungi, they are responsible for mold growth in houses and can start growing within 24 to 48 hours of a water disaster.
When water or fire damage has occurred, we first clean and then sanitize. The reason is that we don’t want to cross-contaminate areas with dangerous bacteria. We then proceed with disinfection, which will take care of all remaining bacteria as well as any viruses and fungi that have built up after the disaster.
Disinfecting
Disinfecting kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi and stops their growth. With the help of specific detergents such as bleach, chlorine, or alcohol, you can disinfect kitchens, bathrooms, and other common areas such as hospitals, doctors’ offices, and schools.
Specialized restoration and mitigation companies like Valley Restoration and Construction in Montrose, Colorado, use disinfectant foggers, which distribute disinfecting chemicals in the air to kill bacteria and viruses that are airborne or sitting on hard-to-reach surfaces. Disinfectant foggers are an efficient way to disinfect large areas.
Sterilizing
Sterilizing is necessary for surgery and hospitals. It eliminates all germs, bacteria, viruses, and fungi to make it safe for people to have surgery. Dentists also sterilize their equipment.
Professional crews sterilize with specific chemicals or radiation. Surgical equipment and smaller pieces of gear can be sterilized through steaming or heating with specialized equipment.
Mitigation and restoration companies usually don’t sterilize homes and other areas because it’s not necessary. However, we can do so in cases where it is required.
Deodorizing
Smoke can leave behind a debilitating and dangerous smell. It won’t come out of clothes, materials, and upholstery just by airing the house. Worse, smoke particles survive in the air for weeks.
If you want your home to smell nice and be safe for you and your family after a fire, you need Valley Restoration and Construction to deodorize your home. When we deodorize, we clean the air with thermal fogging, ozone, and HEPA filters that capture smoke particles.
Such deodorizing equipment is not available to homeowners, but quality restoration and mitigation companies have the necessary supplies to clean the air of your home after a fire.
Cleaning, Sanitizing, Disinfecting, and Deodorizing
If your home has suffered from fire, water, or smoke damage, you will require specialized cleaning services. Trust Valley Restoration and Construction in Montrose, Colorado to make your home safe and clean for you and your family. Contact us now online or call us at 970-964-4437. We are available 24/7 and have the know-how and equipment to restore your house to its pristine condition.
Water damage is never pleasant. Your home and furniture get soaked in water and you need to call a restoration company like Valley Restoration and Construction to mitigate the damage and restore your home.
The first thing to remember is that time is of the essence, as you must be quick to limit the damage. The first two calls you must make are to your insurance company and to an experienced restoration company that will start pumping water from your home.
Through our extensive experience, we have realized that water damage can be treacherous and deceptively harmful. Lingering water is the perfect environment formold development. Also, when your belongings are immersed in water for long stretches of time, they can be damaged beyond repair. Think of wood, rugs, carpets, upholstery, and other materials that get destroyed by water damage. The faster you act, the more chances you have of salvaging your property and your belongings.
We have helped hundreds of homeowners deal with water damage around Montrose, Colorado. We can also help you deal with the insurance company, thus further speeding up the restoration process.
Mold
The perfect conditions for mold to grow are very similar to those needed for bacteria to grow. Temperatures between 77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, humidity levels around 50%, and plenty of food are required for mold growth.
Water damage ensures that there is plenty of humidity for mold to grow. As for food, mold will happily grow on paper, wallpaper, cardboard, insulating material, and wood. It’s hardly a coincidence that these common places where mold grows are also among those that are easily water-damaged.
Electrical Damage
When water gets into your home, it can reach into cables, plugs, and your electrical system. You can’t be sure about the real harm until a certified electrician has come to inspect your electrical system and assessed the damage.
Your electrician will check whether your lines, meter, wiring, boxes, and plugs are dry and undamaged by water. They will also check whether there is a short circuit or any power surges that may result in appliance failure in the future.
Electronics Damage
Any appliance or electronic component plugged in could be affected by water damage, especially if these appliances were functioning when water damage occurred. Think of computers and laptops, television sets, washing machines and dryers, and other electronics. Some of them could be salvageable but others could be damaged beyond repair.
A technician will check your appliances and electronics and advise you on your next steps.
Bugs
Many bugs and insects love humidity. A water-damaged house could be the perfect environment for beetles, mosquitoes, termites, and ticks. As long as it is relatively moist and warm, these unwanted visitors could start breeding in your drywall, wooden furniture, and even inside your moist carpets.
We suggest you get your home checked for bugs and insects as soon as possible. A professional team of exterminators can ensure that your home is not offering hospitality to any uninvited guests.
High Utility Bills
If the water damage was due to a broken or leaky pipe, you could face increased utility bills. Your water bill will probably be higher than expected. In addition, your electricity bill may see an unwelcome spike because of the pumps, vacuums, dehumidifiers, etc. necessary to restore the damage.
As restoration and mitigation specialists, we will make sure that all residual humidity has been removed from your home. We will have dehumidifiers running day and night to remove humidity and return your home’s moisture levels to acceptable and safe levels.
These expenses are unavoidable. If you hire specialists, however, they will make sure that the cause of your water damage has been dealt with properly. You won’t incur high utility bills in the future and you will know your home is fully restored and repaired.
Aftermitigating the water damage, we will start restoring your home. We will dehumidify your belongings and repair drywall, ceilings, pipes, and electrics so that your home is safe for you and your family.
We can also deal with insurance companies on your behalf, thus giving you as much peace of mind as possible during a stressful time. Our wide experience testifies to the quality of our work and the expertise of our crews.
Asbestos used to be an insulating material until the early 1980s, when it was discovered that asbestos may become friable and release airborne fibers that can be detrimental to a homeowner’s health.
Because of those fibers’ carcinogenic properties, asbestos is no longer used in home construction. Homes that were built before the early 1980s, however, could still have asbestos in them.
If you own an older home and want to improve it, you may start tearing down walls, drilling holes, and removing construction materials. Unfortunately, by doing so, you may be releasing dangerous asbestos fibers into the air. Likewise, when you repair a wall or fix something that’s broken, you need to ensure you are not hammering, drilling, or screwing through an asbestos layer.
Many homeowners wonder how they can detect whether their home has asbestos and whether they can do anything about it. Valley Restoration and Construction has the answer.
What Is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a mineral that was widely used in construction for its durability, low cost, and fire-resistant qualities. It was used extensively in homes throughout the US for decades and you could find asbestos in insulation, roofing, tile glue, drywall, window caulking, glazing, pipe insulation, boilers, HVAC systems, siding, and even fireplaces.
Since the 1970s, however, it gradually became apparent that asbestos could cause lung disease and lung cancer. More than half a million Americans have died from asbestos-related diseases so far. As a result, asbestos has been banned from construction, particularly in homes.
Given its decades-long popularity, however, there is still a large stock of homes that were built 40 or 60 years ago and that still contain asbestos.
How Dangerous Is Asbestos?
If asbestos is left untouched and has not gone through any sort of damage, it poses no risk to your health. That’s because the airborne fibers cannot be released until asbestos becomes friable, so solid asbestos is safe.
Problems can occur after natural disasters such as earthquakes or flooding that disturb the asbestos in the walls. Another common problem is homeowners who start home improvement work to fix broken parts of their homes without suspecting they might have asbestos behind their drywalls. In this case, they may disturb the asbestos already encased in the home and make it release its fibers as it is broken through.
Attic renovation, pipe insulation, drilling, scraping, or new flooring installation are typical activities that can lead to major asbestos breakdown and asbestos-related problems.
How Do I Know If My Home Contains Asbestos?
It can be difficult to be sure about the presence of asbestos in your home.
Generally speaking, if your home was built before the early 1980s, there is a chance that asbestos has been used somewhere in your home construction:
Vinyl tiles often contained asbestos. If your home has vinyl tiles, perhaps you should check if there is any asbestos hiding in there.
Plumbers used asbestos for pipe insulation and for ceiling tiles. This is another common area where asbestos can be found.
Asbestos was used in roofing sheets as well. Tears and abrasions around these parts could be a sign that asbestos is deteriorating and crumbling, thus releasing fibers.
Asbestos was also used in drywall texture and joint compound used for drywall surfacing. Also known as drywall mud, this is a gypsum-based paste used to finish drywall joints and corners in new drywall installations. As surfacing can become extremely friable during renovation activities, this is a serious potential risk for you.
If you can, draw a blueprint of all the home areas where asbestos may be present. Don’t scrape, drill, hammer, or do any home renovation around these areas without talking to an asbestos professional first.
What Should I Do About Asbestos in My Home?
If you suspect your home may have asbestos, you should reach out to professionals like Valley Restoration and Construction to take samples and send them to a certified lab for testing.
It is best if you don’t take the sample yourself. Our crews wear special protective gear to protect themselves from coming into contact with asbestos. Also, they know how to remove a sample without releasing fibers into your home.
Can I Take Care of the Asbestos Problem Myself?
The State of Colorado has stringent regulations regarding asbestos that include residential homes. Any home that requires the removal of 32 square feet or more of a suspect material, regardless of the age of the home, requires asbestos testing or the material should be treated as asbestos in lieu of testing.
The best way to handle asbestos is abatement, whereby a state-licensed contractor completely removes it for you.
Covering up or encapsulating is another way of handling it and can be effective depending on the situation. The aim is to seal the asbestos problem and stop it from leaking its fibers. However, the material is still there and may well present a problem in the future.
The State of Colorado, under certain circumstances, does allow a homeowner to opt out of state regulations regarding asbestos. Federal regulations, however, must still be adhered to. These include the proper disposal of the asbestos material in a landfill certified to accept asbestos waste—you can’t simply dust off the broken asbestos and throw it in the bin. Unfortunately, certified landfills are few and far between.
From the above, it becomes clear that most people don’t have the specialist knowledge, licenses, or gear to take care of an asbestos problem in their homes. Even the simplest way of dealing with asbestos—by encapsulating the area where asbestos has been disturbed—requires specific materials that bind the fibers together and stop them from flowing freely. Most homeowners are unlikely to have such high-end materials in their possession.
If we determine that you have friable asbestos in your home, the specialists from Valley Restoration and Construction will proceed with fixing the problem. We will remove the asbestos pieces that were disturbed and dispose of them in a licensed landfill, according to strict regulations.
Talk to Valley Restoration and Construction About Your Asbestos Problem
Call us at 970-964-4437 or contact Valley Restoration and Construction online and our technicians will come to assess the problem and offer affordable and effective solutions to any asbestos problems. We have the know-how, equipment, gear, and materials to encapsulate and seal the asbestos and ensure you and your family live in a healthy home environment.
Most people may find it hard to believe that summer can help mold grow. As a mitigation and restoration company, however, we have first-hand experience of how fast mold builds up in hot and humid summers.
Summer humidity and warm temperatures are the perfect conditions for mold to expand throughout your home. Once established, mold creates unsightly discolorations on walls, furniture, and floorings.
This, however, is the least of your worries. Extended exposure to mold spores may cause allergic symptoms such as sneezing, itching, coughing, watery eyes, runny nose, headache, fatigue, and more. Left untreated, mold can even increase a person’s sensitivity in the long term, causing health problems and allergic reactions.
If the problem has already spread, you need the help of mold experts like Valley Restoration and Construction to mitigate the problem and eradicate the mold. When mold has taken hold of an area, simple homemade cleaning methods are not strong enough to clean out the mold spores.
Prevention, though, is always better than remediation. Now that summer is upon us, here are a few useful steps you can take to help your home remain healthy, dry, and mold-free.
What Does Mold Need to Grow?
When thinking about mold, it’s good to remember that mold spores are everywhere. You can’t eradicate all the mold spores around you, simply because it’s impossible.
You can, however, make the surrounding conditions unfavorable to their development:
Mold needs warm temperatures, moisture, and something to grow on. The perfect temperatures for mold spores to grow are between 77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, which are pretty much the temperatures we have in most of the US in the summer.
Mold also requires humidity. Puddles, humid air, steam, and other sources of humidity help mold spores thrive.
Finally, mold needs something to feed on. That is usually paper, wallpaper, cardboard, insulation materials, and wood. Very often, mold settles on dust and dirt.
Summer Heat and Humidity
Warm summer temperatures are great for outdoor activities, BBQs, and other fun events. Unfortunately, they are also perfect for mold.
Summers in the US are often accompanied by high relative humidity. When the outside air is too humid, it inevitably enters our homes. Together with warm temperatures, these are the perfect conditions for mold to spread.
How Can I Prevent Mold Buildup in the Summer?
Ventilate Your Home
Proper ventilation allows air to flow in and out of your home. You should be particularly careful about ventilating rooms that, by nature, produce a lot of steam and humidity, such as bathrooms and kitchens.
Make sure your fans work properly and turn them on when you are cooking or taking a shower. If you don’t have any exhaust fans in your home, perhaps it’s a good idea to install them to help air circulate freely.
Use Your A/C
Your A/C unit will bring down the temperatures in your home and lower the humidity levels. These together will make the conditions harder for mold to grow.
You shouldn’t run your A/C too low, though. It is generally recommended to have a home ambient temperature of around 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
Install a Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier will take away excess humidity from your home. Pleasant internal relative humidity levels hover between 30% and 50%. Anything above these levels feels uncomfortable and stifling—and is also a great breeding ground for mold spores.
You can install a central dehumidifying system to maintain a steady humidity level in your home. A more economical solution may be to buy a portable one, which captures water in a tank.
Don’t Dry Your Clothes Inside
You should either use a dryer or air-dry your clothes outside if possible. When you dry your clothes inside, the air that evaporates lingers in your home and increases the overall relative humidity of your home.
When using your dryer, make sure the area is well ventilated so that steam doesn’t stay trapped inside.
Improve Your Insulation
Good insulation will ensure that all your rooms and areas have a relatively constant temperature. Attics and basements are particularly vulnerable to hot temperatures in the summer and cold temperatures in winter.
Mold loves to grow in inaccessible parts of your home such as behind the bathtub, in the attic, the basement, the crawl space, or behind cabinets. Good insulation will provide consistent temperatures and low humidity levels.
Should I Open a Window?
It is a great idea to open a window and let fresh air flow in as long as the external relative humidity is not above 60%, otherwise you are simply bringing humidity into your home.
As a rule, you should keep your windows closed when it’s raining, as excess humidity will enter your home. Alongside warm temperatures, excessive humidity will make mold spores happy.
Make Sure All Leaks Are Fixed
Mold buildup gives you an extra incentive to be diligent with your roof, spouts, and drains. Check your gutters regularly for leaks and fix any blockages so that water doesn’t enter your home. Also, check your downspouts. Once a year, you should check and fix your roof as well, to avoid water leaks in the winter.
Valley Restoration and Construction for Mold Mitigation and Remediation
If, despite your best efforts, mold has taken hold of your home, contact Valley Restoration and Construction online or call us at 970-964-4437 and we will be there to remedy the problem. We are available 24/7 and serve all the areas on the Western Colorado Slope, including Montrose, Gunnison, Grand Junction, Delta, Telluride, and Durango.
Spring can be a lovely season: average temperatures, blooming flowers, and nature at its best. Unfortunately, it also comes with storms and heavy rain showers that can cause water damage to your Colorado home.
As always, prevention is better than repair. Once winter is over in your area and before spring and summer storms make an appearance, take a look around your home and make sure you are well prepared for heavy rains and winds.
Starting from top to bottom, check your roof, shingles, windows, doors, and gutters. Then, head to your yard to ensure all furniture is secure and all tree branches are sturdy.
Repair Any Winter Damage from Ice and Snow
Winter can be heavy and taxing on your home. Ice and snow can break your shingles or create cracks on your roof, around your windows and doors.
Once the snow has melted, repair any ice damage. Inspect your shingles and change any tiles or shingles that bear signs of damage. Confirm that your roof is insulated and no water can enter your attic.
Clean Gutters and Downspouts
The wind carries debris like branches and leaves. These can clog your gutters and downspouts. Clean them properly so that water can flow freely toward the drains.
Rainwater should be directed from your roof down the gutters and downspouts and into the drains, which should be located far away from your home. If your gutters and downspouts end too close to your home, consider extending them to drive the water away from your home and its foundation. That way, water will not linger and seep into your basement.
If possible, change your gutters and downspouts to steel from aluminum or vinyl. Steel is stronger and can better withstand strong winds and hail.
Make Sure Your Sump Pump Works Properly
If you have a sump pump in your basement, make sure it works properly and can pump water away from your home. Remember that when snow and ice melt in spring, the water table rises. That makes your basement more vulnerable to flooding.
If your sump pump runs on a battery, check that the battery is fully operational.
Remove Branches and Clean Your Yard
Rain and winds can break branches and harm your home. With leaves about to come back, check your trees and cut any branches that are too close to your home. You should also cut branches that are limping or look weak: they are the first to break and could damage your yard or home.
Is Your Garage Door Sturdy?
Many accidents happen when garage doors fail to withstand high winds that push against them. Garage damage is one of the first setbacks after a storm.
Ask a professional to rate your garage door and, if necessary, consider changing your garage door to a sturdy one that will not break from heavy winds.
Repair Loose Siding
Wind and rain can tear away any loose siding and cause damage to your home’s foundation and overall structure. If you have loose siding, you may need to tighten it. Repair the problem before summer storms worsen the damage.
Secure Patio Furniture
You don’t want to see your summer chairs and table fly away during a storm! They can break or even crack your windows. Secure your patio furniture in your shed or place any movable items in your basement. Make sure that any rakes, shovels, and other tools in your garden are also secured.
Are Your Fence Posts Solidly in the Ground?
Colorado’s strong winds can pull out fence posts if they are not solidly set in the ground. Take a stroll around your property, check your fence posts, and fix any wobbly posts.
Consider Flood Insurance
Now that the storm season is almost upon us, it is a good time to check your homeowner insurance and make sure you are covered for all emergencies. Sometimes, flood insurance is not included in your contract, and some insurance packages will not cover sewage flooding.
If your home sits in an area prone to flooding, make sure that your home insurance covers you in all eventualities. Water damage mitigation and restoration in Colorado can be costly, while a small increase in your insurance premium could protect you from expensive repairs.
Valley Restoration and Construction in Colorado
Should your home suffer water damage from spring storms, our mitigation and restoration teams in Montrose and Gunnison, Colorado are available 24/7 to help your home recover any damage. We work with your insurance to help you manage your budget.
