With mold being all around us, it’s no surprise that no household has ever managed to eradicate mold damage completely. Mold needs humidity, oxygen, darkness, and warmth to develop. Our homes offer excellent breeding grounds for mold to release its spores and grow.
Carpets are a beautiful addition to any home: they provide warmth and are wonderful to walk on barefooted. However, they are particularly prone to mold development due to their dense fibers and thick padding.
Preventing excess mold growth in your carpets is the best way to keep your home clean and safe for you and your family. Managing mold colonies to levels that are not dangerous to our health is the best way to have a healthy home environment.
Unfortunately, it can be quite difficult to remove mold once it has set in your carpet. You will need the help of experts with the proper equipment and chemicals, including HEPA filters and specific mold-fighting detergents.
Why Does Mold Matter?
Mold can cause upper respiratory problems and symptoms, including bronchitis, asthma attacks, coughing, and wheezing. Mold can also worsen existing allergies and cause skin and eye irritation.
The problem with mold in carpets is that children often play on them, putting them in direct contact with the mold spores. If your home is fully carpeted and mold has taken hold of the carpets, you will be in constant contact with the mold as you walk around the house. As you walk around, you will be carrying the spores throughout the house, thus furthering the problem.
What Can Cause Mold in Carpets?
Because of their fiber density and padding, carpets can capture moisture and retain it. A burst pipe, a ceiling leak, high residual humidity, a plumbing problem, or a bucket of water falling on the carpet can all cause moisture to build up. Due to its sponge-like consistency, the carpet will soak up the water without releasing it.
Carpets have some parts that are made of cellulose. Mold feeds on cellulose. If you add humidity to the mix, these are perfect conditions for mold to grow.
How Do I Know I Have Mold in My Carpets?
There are several ways to confirm you have a mold problem.
The most obvious way is to look for visible mold stains in your carpet—which tend to be black, green, or blue-ish—or general discoloration. This means the mold has found a breeding ground and has released its spores. It can take up to three weeks for mold to become visible on your carpet after an accident or excess humidity.
Another sign of mold infestation is the characteristic musky, earthy smell of mold. Since you spend so much time in your home, you might not be aware of it. However, if a friend comments on a musky smell when they visit, you may have mold growing underneath your carpet.
What Can I Do to Prevent Mold Damage?
If you have a one-off incident of water damage on carpets, speed is of the essence. Mold can start growing within 24 to 48 hours of the spill. Leaving lingering water on your carpet for more than 24 hours could make your carpet beyond repair.
Preventing Mold from Setting In
Even though mold spores are everywhere, it is possible to protect your home from mold. In order to stop mold from developing on your carpets, you can take a few preventive steps:
Vacuum your carpets regularly to remove dust and other compounds that encourage mold growth.
Avoid installing carpets in moist areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. No matter how careful you are, water and humidity are bound to set in.
Use a de-humidifier frequently to take away excess humidity from your home. Relative humidity of 40% to 50% is a good level to hinder mold development.
Check your carpet not only in visible areas but under and between the padding as well. Also, make an extra effort and move heavy furniture to check the carpet under it. Mold that develops under a heavy sofa or table often goes unnoticed until it’s too late.
If you have a steam cleaner, use it to clean your carpets. The heat will kill most of the mold spores while cleaning your carpets in the most hygienic way.
How Do I Clean Mold?
Contaminated Water Damage
If the water damage is due to sewage or contaminated water, throw it out and buy a new one. No matter how well you clean it, the bacteria present in contaminated water have already caused irreparable damage.
Clean Water Damage
If the spill is rainwater or tap water, clean up the excess water and turn on your de-humidifier to get as much moisture as possible out of the area. Open your windows to let fresh air in—unless, of course, it’s raining or humid outside. If you can, position your carpets in full sunshine to dry them out as much as possible.
If the damage is too extensive, it’s best to call in mold and water damage experts who will clean your carpet professionally and dry it out with specialized equipment.
Persistent Mold Damage
Most mold damage doesn’t occur from a single incident, but rather builds up over time. If you notice mold patches, you can try cleaning them with special chemicals available in hardware stores or with baking soda and vinegar. Unlike what you might think, bleach doesn’t kill mold spores. Baking soda cleans odors, while vinegar has disinfectant qualities.
However, if you are looking for a truly professional and results-oriented solution, calling in a restoration team is the best answer.
Valley Restoration and Construction is available 24/7 for any mold, water, or fire emergency you face. Call us today at 970-964-4437 or contact us online. We have the expertise and equipment to restore your carpets from water damage and mold and help your home become cleaner and healthier.
Water flooding can cause a lot of damage to your house but is especially catastrophic when it comes to hardwood floors.
The only way to know the extent of the damage is to wait until the hardwood floors are dry. Then you can examine them and establish whether they need repairing or replacing.
What Causes Water Floods?
There are a number of ways water could damage your hardwood floors. Some of them you can anticipate and avoid, but others happen out of nowhere.
A hole in the roof could let in rainwater. Leaky pipes could burst. A toilet might overflow. An appliance like a dishwasher or washing machine could break, causing a mini-flood in your bathroom or kitchen.
During a house fire, the liquid used in fire extinguishers lingers in the area where it’s used and can cause damage to the floor.
Although we hope it never happens to us, there’s always the possibility of a hurricane or a storm crashing in and soaking everything in the house.
Even something as harmless as an aquarium can be trouble if someone knocks it over!
What Types of Water Will I Find During a Water Flood?
Specialists divide water spills into three categories: clean water, gray water, and black water.
Clean water is the kind of water you could drink. It’s free of bacteria and any other harmful substances.
Gray water is the water that runs through dishwashers, washing machines, showers, sinks, and so on. It might contain some pathogens, but it’s generally safe to handle.
Black water is wastewater filled with pathogens and bacteria that comes from toilets and sewage systems. Sanitization is almost always required after a black water spill.
Depending on the type of water spill, the restoration company will evaluate the necessary restoration strategy.
What Should I Do If My Hardwood Floor is Flooded?
Find the Water Flooding Source and Stop It
In order to stop the water damage from getting worse, your first step is to find the source of the spill and stop it. For example, with a leaky pipe, you could shut off the water in the house and place a bucket and towel under the leak.
Move Furniture, Carpets, and Rugs off the Hardwood Floor
If you have furniture, carpets, or rugs on your hardwood floor, move them somewhere else. The carpets and rugs, in particular, will be soaked. The longer they stay on the hardwood, the more water will seep from them into the floor and damage it.
Dry Your Floor as Much as Possible
The first 24 hours are crucial for saving or limiting the damage done to your hardwood floor.
Unless you have an industrial dryer on hand, you’ll have to make do with things lying around the house. Use towels to soak up as much of the water from the hardwood as you can. If you have a dehumidifier, use it to take away the humidity and start the drying process. If it’s a windy day, consider opening up the doors and windows to let the air flow dry the hardwood.
Look for Mold
You will be amazed to learn that mold can start growing within 48 to 72 hours of water
flooding! If you don’t catch it quickly, it will settle and begin spreading, at which point you’ll have to call in professionals to deal with the resulting mold damage. Mold is pervasive and very good at hiding, but professionals will know where to look for it.
Don’t Sand the Hardwood before Checking the Equilibrium Moisture Content (ECM)
If your floors have water damage, you might be tempted to start the restoration process right away. But you absolutely should not sand hardwood until the moisture content has fallen to normal levels.
The best way to establish your moisture content is to take a measurement from a section of hardwood unaffected by the flood. This will tell you the ‘base’ or ‘normal’ measurement against which you will compare the flooded area. The Equilibrium Moisture Content (ECM) should be around 20%.
Once you have measured your affected area’s ECM, you need to wait for it to dry and get rid of the excess moisture before sanding it.
What Influences the Extent of the Damage?
Amount of Water during the Flood
The amount of water that ended up on your hardwood floor is crucial in determining the resulting damage. Three inches of water sitting on your hardwood will do a lot more damage than a quarter-inch-deep spill.
Amount of Time the Hardwood was Flooded
Another significant factor is how long the hardwood floor was flooded. If you were able to clean it up quickly, you could probably get away with minor repairs. However, if the hardwood remained underwater for more than 24 hours, the damage would probably be extensive enough to require replacing the floor entirely.
The Type of Hardwood
The type of timber on your floors will also determine the extent of the damage.
Hardwood floors are made from hardwoods like oak, maple, and ash. These woods are water-resistant because they are dense. The hardest woods are hickory and pecan, and they are more effective at withstanding water damage than oak, maple, and ash.
Pine, aspen, and cedar are considered to be “soft” woods. They are not as dense as hardwoods, and floors made from them will be easily damaged by water.
What Sort of Damage Can Hardwood Flooring Sustain?
There are several ways that water can damage your hardwood floor.
Cupping
Cupping is when moisture soaks into the edges of a wooden plank, causing the edges to expand and lift up and create a dip along the middle of the board.
Crowning
Crowning is the opposite of cupping. Moisture sets in the middle of the wood plank, causing it to bulge upward along the center of the board.
Staining
Moisture and water damage can create black or white stains on your hardwood.
Black stains are a sign that the water damage is extensive. They’re caused when water has infiltrated the floor and penetrated deep into the fibers of the hardwood.
White stains signify that the water has affected only the wood’s finish. In this case, restoration is easier and the hardwood floor can usually be repaired rather than replaced.
Whatever Your Hardwood Damage, Valley Restoration and Construction Is Here for You
Valley Restoration and Construction has the expertise and equipment needed to repair and restore your hardwood floors from damage caused by water and flooding.
We have seen and restored all types of water damage on hardwood. We have extensive expertise and professional experience to save your floor, repair it, or replace it after a flood or severe water damage.
If you have water damage or flooding, call us now at 970-964-4437 or contact us online. We answer our phones 24/7 and will be over in a jiff to secure your home and mitigate the damage.
Seeing your home devastated by fire is bad enough, but having to deal with the aftermath is even worse. Just like any time things get messy, someone has to clean it up. And smoke damage is one of the most stressful and exhausting types of cleaning—not to mention that lingering, smoky smell you can never quite seem to get rid of.
It’s not as simple as giving the floor a good vacuuming or wiping down the walls with some soap. Smoke damage not only gets in the air, the upholstery, the windows, and the furniture; it also gets in all the places you can’t see. The particles will squeeze through gaps in the wall, or travel through your HVAC venting and pipes to parts of the house that escaped the fire’s reach.
As if the physical damages to your home and possessions weren’t enough, lingering smoke can also be harmful to your health. A smoke-damaged house can cause respiratory problems, skin irritations, and a host of other health issues.
Smoke particles are invasive, often invisible, and nearly impossible to remove without professional help. If you want to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both your home and your family, the best choice is to let a remediation company tackle the mitigation and restoration work after a fire.
What Does Smoke Do to Your House?
Fire will burn pretty much everything in its path, but the damage it leaves behind varies depending on the type of material that was burned. A nearby wildfire that blows smoke into the bedrooms, for example, will require a different mitigation and restoration process than smoke caused by an oven fire in the kitchen.
Wooden furniture and hardwood floors absorb smoke and odors, which leak out slowly over time and contaminate the air. Painted walls and other porous surfaces can become permanently stained if not dealt with fast enough. Curtains and carpets can trap smoke particles, causing potential long-term respiratory and skin issues. Even metal, one of the hardiest materials in your home, can rust and corrode from smoke damage.
Smoke will slowly seep into foams, flood boards, drywall, and flooring. It can act as an acid if left too long and threaten the structural integrity of your house. Because smoke always moves toward cooler areas, it will drift into your insulation and inside walls, where the air is fresher. Even if the fire was contained to a single room, the smoke particles will still spread through the entire house via cracks, crevices, pipes, and vents.
If the air can get there, the smoke can too!
What Does Smoke Do to Your Health?
Smoke is more dangerous than it looks. That billowing gray cloud is comprised of soot, tar, carbon, heavy metals, and other toxins. Breathe it in for too long, and health complications are inevitable.
Smoke can cause skin and eye irritations, like itchiness, as well as more serious issues like asthma, bronchitis, shortness of breath, and other respiratory conditions. Constant and long-term exposition to smoke has even been known to cause cancer. The risks are higher for babies, children, and people with weaker immune systems, but smoke still poses a danger for everyone.
When it comes to the safety of your family, don’t tempt fate. Call in the experts, and we’ll deliver a smoke-free home that will keep your family safe and healthy for years to come.
Why Can’t You Just Clean Smoke Damage Yourself?
It’s our first instinct, and it makes absolute sense: when something is messy, we want to start cleaning! But with fires and smoke damage, that’s actually the last thing you should do.
Cleaning fire, smoke, and soot residue on your own may make the damage worse. For example, regular vacuum cleaners can push smoke residue and particles further into fabrics, rugs, and carpets, making them more difficult to clean.
Likewise, cleaning surfaces with the wrong type of product can cause unintentional damage. Wood furniture is particularly prone to this: the wrong cleaning agent can strip the stain and varnish right off. Even the natural oils on your skin could compound the problem and leave smudges that are tricky to get rid of.
Clothes and curtains can be washed, floors can be scrubbed… but if the proper products and techniques aren’t used, the smoke residue will remain.
Not to mention the importance of personal protection! A simple mask and gloves are fine for normal household cleaning, but they’ll do nothing to protect your skin and lungs from the pervasive effects of smoke damage. Unless you have a full set of personal protective equipment lying around, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.
A Remediation Company Has the Proper Equipment, Knowledge, and Experience
If you’re ever unfortunate enough to experience a house fire, don’t worry about the cleanup! Just open the windows to let fresh air in, then pick up the phone and call us—any day, any time.
Our first step is to assess the situation, take photos for reference, and plan our mitigation strategy. We turn off the electricity and check for gas leaks or anything else that could cause further damage. Anything that can be salvaged, we keep. After all, you’ve worked hard to create the home of your dreams, so we want to return it to you as close to perfect as possible.
Now we move on to the cleaning. Any damages that we can repair, we will. That includes water damage, any restorations needed for walls, floors, ceilings, and openings. We will also replace any structural elements that are beyond repair. Our special detergents and cleaning agents allow us to deep-clean the smoke, soot, and dust from wood, metal, tiles, and other materials.
We use specialized equipment to deal with smoke damage, like thermal foggers and ozone generators. The thermal fogger sends warm fog into the tiny cracks and spaces where smoke is hiding and roots it out, while the ozone generator removes odor from the air. We also use specialized ventilators and air scrubbers to help clean the air, as well as HEPA-fitted vacuum cleaners that trap particles and smoke dust.
Speed is of the essence when it comes to smoke damage. The longer you leave your house untreated, the more extensive the damage will be—and the more health hazards it will pose to your family. The sooner you call us, the sooner you’ll be back in your safe, clean home.
Don’t Underestimate Smoke Damage
Smoke is pervasive and lingering, and poses a serious danger to your home, your belongings, and, most importantly, you and your family. Don’t put your health and the health of your loved ones at risk!
Have you suffered smoke damage? Call 970-964-4437 or contact us online and we’ll be there in a flash to clean your house after a fire. We are here to assist you, 24/7!
Mold is inevitable. Most homes have mold spores, and it’s almost impossible to completely eradicate them.
A little bit of mold is usually harmless. But if your home becomes a breeding ground for mold spores, they’ll start growing and colonizing areas you might never have thought possible.
Cleaning up mold spots immediately is a safe way to take care of the problem. But mold can squeeze into and survive in places that go unnoticed until it’s too late.
If you notice any suspicious smells, stains, or signs that suggest mold has taken residence in your home, our mitigation and remediation company is here to take care of your mold infestation.
But mold can be clever at hiding itself. How can you notice it if you don’t even know it’s there? Let’s take a look at the most unexpected places it can grow, to ensure your home is safe and clean.
What Does Mold Need to Thrive?
Mold needs five things to thrive: mold spores, oxygen, warmth, moisture, and a dark environment. If these conditions exist, mold will start expanding and settling in various areas of your home, often hidden.
Kitchens, Bathrooms, and Mold Go Hand-in-Hand
Kitchens and bathrooms are particularly susceptible to mold, as they are often damp and warm: two prerequisites that favor mold survival and growth.
Dark and Damp Spaces
Kitchens and bathrooms have several dark spaces where mold can hide, including under the sink, in closets, in cupboards, and behind counters.
If there is even the slightest pipe leak under your sink, water will stagnate. Combined with residual heat, this will create a perfect breeding ground for mold.
Showers
Showerheads and curtains stay wet for long periods of time, which favors the buildup of mold. A bathroom mat stays humid and wet after every shower. Even a toothbrush holder stays damp and can attract mold.
Refrigerator and Washing Machine
Refrigerator drip pans can attract mold if water, dirt, and bacteria stay stagnant. Mold can also grow on a washing machine’s door seal, as it stays damp and humid between washings.
Towels
If you put away your towels before they dry thoroughly, you might be asking for trouble: mold could grow between your towels, with the potential to spread into the rest of your linens.
Easy Solutions
To avoid the buildup of mold, the best thing you can do is dry your kitchen and bathroom as much as possible:
If you have a window, open it up to ventilate the room and let out the humidity.
Clean your refrigerator’s drip tray regularly and open your washing machine’s door to let it ventilate and dry between washings.
Check under the sink for pipe leaks and fix them immediately.
The most effective advice is to try and keep your belongings dry and clean to stop the development of mold.
Carpets
If your carpet smells musty or has stains and discoloration, you probably have a mold problem. Mold spore growth is helped along by dust, dirt, and skin cells found in carpets, which act as a source of nutrition for them. Also, carpets lock in humidity thanks to their fuzzy composition.
Carpets need to be vacuumed regularly to suck away bacteria, dirt, dust, and pet dander. This will leave behind less food for mold to feed on.
Cleaning your carpets with an appropriate carpet detergent can be helpful, as long as you dry it thoroughly: any residual humidity will help the mold growth cycle. Likewise, if there is a water spill, dry it immediately to stop mold from growing.
Walls, Drywall, Wallpaper, and Floors
Close-up Of A Shocked Woman Looking At Mold On Wall
Walls, drywall, and wallpaper can hide mold.
If your wall is displaying discoloration and swelling, it probably means you have humidity and mold behind.
Likewise, wallpaper can hide mold. Mold feeds on the cellulose found in wallpaper. If your wallpaper is peeling, you probably have a mold growth problem.
Be careful when you remove the wallpaper! You may be releasing mold spores into the air. It’s best to leave it to experts, who will clean the area first and disinfect it.
Any water leak can go undetected under your floorboards. As water accumulates, mold does too. It’s difficult to check under your floor for any leaks. By the time you notice a problem, the damage has been done, and you’ll need a mitigation and restoration company to take care of your water and mold problem.
Attic: Be Careful What You Store
Our attics are filled with items we haven’t touched in years. Toys, important papers, and furniture can all become infested with mold.
Paper—just like wallpaper—is made of cellulose which mold feeds on. If your attic is too humid, mold spores will develop and will find cellulose to feast on. Books are particularly susceptible to this. Similarly, toys and furniture can become overrun with mold if they aren’t cleaned regularly.
Make sure your attic is cleaned frequently and well ventilated. Ensure it is properly insulated, and that there are no roof leaks or other humidity issues.
Doors and Windows
Condensation can build on window sills and around doors, especially in winter. This condensation offers a perfect humid environment for mold to build up.
The best you can do is clean the condensation. If you can afford it, invest in good insulation, which will prevent condensation and help keep humidity and cold from entering your home. If you see mold developing on your window sill, clean it immediately.
If you see the problem persists and expands, it’s time to call in the experts.
Stopping Mold from Building up
The only way to stop mold is to give it as little space as possible to grow. For homeowners, this means keeping your house clean and dry.
A dehumidifier will not solve your mold problem, but will take away the humidity that mold spores love. By having relatively dry ambient air, mold will find it harder to develop and expand. Dehumidifiers don’t kill mold, but they do prevent its growth.
When you are cleaning, make sure to dust and vacuum so you don’t offer mold any breeding and feasting grounds.
If, however, you see serious mold damage, it’s best to call an experienced mitigation and remediation company, which will sterilize and disinfect the area, fix the problem, and provide you with a clean and healthy home environment.
Have you noticed any suspicious mold stains? Call 970-964-4437 or contact us online and we’ll be there in a flash to decontaminate and remediate your mold problem. We are here to assist you, 24/7!
Winter in Colorado can be spectacular: the Rocky Mountains and the forests spreading throughout Montrose, Ouray, Gunnison, Telluride, Ridgway, and Delta become a magical wonderland of snow, ice, and clear blue skies.
But winter also comes with ice. And ice damage can be significant—and expensive. It’s better to be prepared than face flooding in your house or a broken roof. Here are some basic precautions you can take to protect your home from ice damage and winter-related disasters.
Ice Dams: a Reality in Colorado
Have you ever seen hanging icicles from rooftops? This very image of winter may look lovely and picturesque but icicles, or ice dams, are often a sign of ice damage underneath.
Ice dams build up at the edge of the roof, usually along the gutters.
While innocent-looking, these icicles are called ice dams because they stop water from flowing and draining from the roof to the gutters and eventually to the ground. In doing so, they act as dams.
How Are Ice Dams Formed?
Ice dams form when the temperature hovers around freezing point and while there is snow on the roof. Water freezes, melts, and freezes again. This can be the result of ventilation or heated air in the attic causing snow to melt and then immediately freeze. That results in ice dams forming along the edge of the rooftop.
Why Should I Be Concerned about Ice Dams?
Small ice dams will probably not cause any damage, but bigger ones will prevent water from draining from your roof to the ground. This ultimately leads to water buildup as snow slowly melts and can’t find any way out. This water can seep through your insulation and cause flooding or roof damage.
Also, icicles hanging from your roof can damage your roof and gutters: ice is heavy and may pull down parts of the roof such as shingles or even the gutters with its weight.
What Can I Do to Prevent Ice Dams?
The best way to protect your home from ice dams is to ensure that you have good and effective insulation. This is the most efficient way to secure your home and protect it not only from ice damage but also from high heating bills and humidity buildup.
Make sure that your attic, in particular, is well insulated and that no air is leaking out. That way, no warm air can melt the snow. Ideally, your attic should be cooler than the rest of the house to prevent the heat from melting the snow on the roof.
You should also ensure that your gutters are clean of any branches, dirt, leaves, and other debris. Having clean gutters ensures that the water flows freely toward the ground and down the drain.
Finally, check that your gutters are securely attached to the roof and walls. That way, even if ice dams form, they will not take down any parts of the gutter with them.
Frozen Pipes
Pipes can freeze if not properly insulated: your home will have no water and you risk facing broken or burst pipes.
Insulating your exposed pipes is the best way to protect your home from frost. If parts of the pipes are indoors, make sure these areas are relatively heated so that water flows freely and no ice forms inside the pipes.
If you leave your home for several days in a row, don’t turn off the heating. Lower the temperature but leave the heating on, so that your home maintains a relatively stable and warm temperature and the pipes stay above freezing level at all times.
Cracks and Holes
If you see small cracks and holes in your home, fix them right away. If water seeps through and freezes, it will expand. Small cracks and holes will fast become bigger and damage your home, walls, and ceiling.
Cracks are particularly dangerous when the snow melts. Imagine having a crack in your basement while large quantities of snow are sitting on your roof. You risk flooding your basement the moment snow starts melting!
Valley Restoration and Construction Are Here
Sometimes, no matter how well-prepared you are, ice, snow, and cold weather can still damage your home. Extreme weather cannot be predicted and strong snowfall can cause damage despite your best preparations.
Valley Restoration and Construction are here to mitigate any disaster. We will repair your home from ice, water, and snow damage.
We have expert knowledge, experience, and dedicated personnel who will answer your phone call 24/7 and be with you as soon as possible.
If you find yourself facing ice damage or any other emergency, call 970-964-4437 or contact us online. We are here to assist you, 24/7!
Everyone knows how important it is to maintain our homes. Maintenance will save us from future restoration bills as a well-maintained home will require little restoration or repairs.
However, there comes a time when the difference between maintenance and restoration blurs and you need to make a decision: should you repair the damages or restore your home? Although restoration might appear more expensive at first glance, perhaps it will actually be cheaper… and more efficient!
What Is Maintenance?
You maintain your house to prevent deterioration.
For example, you maintain your water heater by servicing it once a year to make sure it works properly. Likewise, you mow the yard to keep your grass green and healthy. You clean your house to keep away dust mites and other harmful substances. You clean your gutters to ensure water flows freely when it rains, etc.
All these are regular maintenance activities that make your home work better, look nice, and feel safer. If something needs repairing, you do that as part of the maintenance schedule.
What Are Repairs and Restoration?
Repairs and restoration are done when something is broken and needs fixing.
While you often come across such items during your regular maintenance, a broken roof or chipped gutters cannot be maintained: they need to be repaired, otherwise they will let water seep in and damage your indoors.
Not all items can be repaired. To fix a broken window, you need a window repairman to come and bring a new one.
Similarly, water stains on walls, floors, or ceilings are tell-tale signs of water problems. Maintenance will not solve this. If you attempt to ignore them, you will just be pushing the problem—often literally—under the carpet. This issue requires proper attention and repair to ward off possible flooding.
When Maintenance and Restoration Get Mixed up
There is gray area where maintenance and restoration meet. There are a lot of issues that can be solved with proper and frequent maintenance. However, there comes a point where a restoration expert needs to be called in.
Appliances and House Areas That Require Maintenance
Certain appliances and house areas need regular maintenance:
Hot water heaters, roofs, windows, chimneys, and faucets need to be maintained to avoid flooding, fire, and mold.
Gutters need to be cleaned to avoid potential flooding and erosion of your foundation.
Trees must be pruned to make sure no branches are dangling over the house, or they may break during strong winds and crash on your roof.
You need to maintain and clean your HVAC units because replacing them can be quite expensive.
Besides these, you need to organize a thorough check-up of your property and go through cracks to make sure your foundation is sturdy. Pay particular attention to signs of mold and dampness to ensure you do not have a leakage. If you discover any leakage, then restoration and repair are necessary.
When Maintenance Is Not Enough
A broken roof tile or lost shingle can be easily replaced as part of your annual maintenance.
However, roof damage from a broken branch may be too extensive to fix on your own. No matter how much you clean your gutters and make sure no tree branches touch your roof, accidents, and extreme weather can cause roof damage that is beyond maintenance: in this case, you need restoration.
Likewise, a clogged sewer may be past maintenance. Tree roots can cause backups, lead to unsightly puddles on your lawn, and even break underground pipes. To avoid flooding, you need to repair your sewer lines as soon as possible.
As for mold, small patches can be cleaned with a little bit of bleach. But mold is often a sign of a deeper problem, such as a leaking or burst pipe within a wall. If that’s the case, then it’s time to call mold restoration experts.
Finally, after an emergency like a fire or a flood, there is very little maintenance that can be done. You require a professional restoration company to take care of all the rebuilding to restore your house to its previous condition.
Emergencies Require Restoration
There are several emergencies that can be prevented with maintenance and careful home upkeep.
Other emergencies, however, cannot be prevented, predicted, or stopped. Wildfires, heavy rains, snowstorms, and accidents require professional and expert restoration to bring back your home to its previous condition. In these cases, maintenance can do very little to mitigate the problem.
If you find yourself facing a mold, fire, or water emergency, call 970-964-4437 or contact us online and we will be there to assist you, 24/7.
