GOT MOLD?...in your basement in Eastchester NY 10709? - Helpful Tips - do's and don'ts.

GOT MOLD? Yeah, that wet, icky smell from ours or a parent's basement that we love to hate. You don't even want to go down there to do laundry, or find those holiday decorations. With historic rains and freak snow in the northeast this year, we've had more than our fair share of mold growth in homes and businesses in Eastchester NY 10709.

Mold Mitigation & Remediation - Signs of the presence of excessive mold include:

• The presence of visible mold.

• Strong, musty odors.

• Any evidence of past moisture problems that might have caused undetected mold growth.

• Excessive humidity.

Mold is everywhere...on forest paths with the bambis -- that we like to hike in the fall, past the cute mushrooms growing under trees and such. We just don't want it indoors with us. Most mold in most homes or businesses can just be removed, especially in small amounts -- like on a back basement wall that stays damp throughout the year. There are lots of waterproof paints and epoxys to use after the water is stopped, but first you should:

1. Call a plumber or your landscaper and drying solutions professional and stop the water source. Then, we'll come in and get your structure dry and mold free. Afterwards, you can install French drains around the outside of a home or business, put in a good dry well, an effective sump pump in a lower level, or basement, with a generator -- if you lose power more the once per year -- and a great dehumidifier (dehu).

NOTE: Set your "dehu" below 60 RH (for relative humidity) in your damp room(s). In the summer when it's more humid, set it at 50-55 and get one that you don't have to empty daily -- they shut off and that will do you no good. Some have a small hose that feeds into your sump pump or lower level drain. We've cleaned flooded homes where a dehu ran for a week, did not shut off and the water was pouring out and being dehumidified in a vicious cycle of water.

2. Remove / kill the mold - but don't just call a handyman or your local contractor, and have them ripping out your walls for no reason. Staining from moisture on walls does not mean you have mold. "The appearance of visible mold" is all we can say at my company, Servpro of Scarsdale / Mount Vernon. We can often see what appears to be mold on your walls and even ceilings, although we professionally remediate the stuff. Only those lab professionals in white coats with petri dishes can officially tell you and us that it's truly mold and what type.

3. Servpro and other certified mold mitigators don't do "demolition" unless we have to do so, and we are fully Water Certified professionals with The Clean Trust. In fact, if there are health issues with your children, someone elderly in the home, or a business with a history of flooding, we may suggest that you independently call an Indoor Environment Professional (IEP) to test for mold spores and levels. Our Servpro does not contract with or subcontract with IEPs because it is a conflict of interest. We work independently and have great respect for one another. Many IEPs recommend Servpros because of our 45 year old reputation in mold mitigation.

Our Servpro of Scarsdale / Mount Vernon offers names and numbers that home and business owners can call directly. My company's initial walk through for mold or a water damage is free -- that's after all the rain and flooding, plus a freak October snow storm / melt in Eastchester NY this year. So, the IEP gives us a "menu" for mold removal and we follow it and are "tested" at the end, to make sure your levels are safe and we have done the work correctly, based on industry standards and guidelines.

Excessive amounts of mold and certain types of mold may present health concerns. Water damages can cause mold growth in your home or business, therefore it is important to have your water damages cleaned promptly and professionally.

Help Is Here If you think you might have a mold problem in your Eastchester NY home, call a professional and shop local with a regional company like our Servpro. Just please pick a water certified professional with a proven mold remediation track record. Companies like ours are family owned and when your home or business floods -- and then grows mold in as little as 24 - 48 hours, take care of it quickly!

In most water damage situations, mold growth is not a problem and our Servpro crews, who are background checked, uniformed and certified, can safely restore your home or business to preloss condition. Again, the need to officially address the presence of mold can only be determined by an on-site, indoor environmental inspection. In some situations these IEPs will be required to create a restoration plan for your home or business.We are experienced at carrying out their independent, assigned plan and working to make it "Like it Never Even Happened."

Either way, make sure that you work with certified professionals who know their way around mold.

I am a local business owner and member of the Westchester women's group, First Fridays...look us up. I am on call 24 hours, through the holidays.

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GOT MOLD?...in Eastchester NY 10709 - Helpful Tips - do's and don'ts.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Hillary Sheperd

Vice President / Co-Owner, 

Servpro of Scarsdale /Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, NY  10550

914-669-5181

Servpro of Scarsdale / Mount Vernon

Flood, fire, mold remediation