Posts Tagged ‘mold spores’

A simple trick to help reduce mold spores within the home and thus, help thwart mold growth is to vacuum surfaces with a vacuum cleaner which has a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter.

Proper vacuuming reduces the amount of mold spores.  All surfaces in the home (floors, walls, ceilings, shelves) and non-washable furnishings (such as sofas, chairs, etc.) must be vacuumed thoroughly and frequently.

HEPA filter vacuums are made by companies such as Dyson and are found in all major retailers now.  Some other great benefits to using a HEPA filter vacuum is that the filter doesn’t clog with dust and can be washed.  As well, you don’t need to purchase vacuum bags; rather, you dump the vacuum tank when full.  This is both a benefit on the budget and for the environment (less waste).  Plus, no loss of suction!

Advanced Restoration, Inc. is a Water Damage, Mold Remediation New Port Richey, Sinkhole, Fire Damage, Sewer Damage and Emergency Disaster Recovery Restoration Company in Tampa Bay, Florida. Company Services Include: WATER DAMAGE EXTRACTION and RESTORATION; MOLD REMOVAL and MOLD REMEDIATION; STORM DAMAGE RESTORATION; FLOODS; HURRICANE DAMAGE; SEWER DAMAGE; Complete Restoration Services. Residential, Commercial & Industrial structures in the Tampa Bay Metro Area, Sarasota County, FL and Manatee County, FL. 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT Contact Us!

Recently, Advanced Restoration was called out to inspect a situation in a Palm Harbor attic: mold damage.

When we arrived on scene and climbed up into the attic of the home, we could clearly see several patches of mold growing.  Once up in the attic, we inspected the area and came to two major conclusions.  The first conclusion was that there was not nearly enough insulation in the attic.  Insulation is extremely important in retaining the temperature in your home.  For example, a well insulated attic will help retain warm temperatures in the winter and cool temperatures in the summer.  The insulation in this home, however, was inadequate.  It was old and probably a low grade.  The recommended energy efficient insulation is scored at least at an  index insulation value of R-30.  R-30 would also mean between 8-14″ of insulation as opposed to the 2″ of insulation we were met with.   So, not only was the lack of insulation working against the homeowner’s efforts to keep an ambient temperature in their home, and thus, increasing energy costs, but it was also allowing heat to enter the attic.

Our second conclusion as to what was creating an environment hospitable for black mold was the fact the the attic had very poor ventilation.  With heat comes moisture and without adequate ventilation, the heat becomes trapped in the attic and the moisture sets onto the various materials in the attic.  And as we all know, standing water can cause mold to grow rather quickly, especially if it is surrounded by mold’s favorite food: organic materials.  It was clear what needed to be done.  The first step: mold removal followed by complete remediation.  The next step: the homeowner’s needed to get their attic updated with increased ventilation.  Finally, the homeowner’s would need to get their insulation upgraded.

A quick note to homeowners is to check with your energy company to see if you can get a rebate.  For example, Progress Energy offers homeowners incentives to upgrade their insulation.  See this link for details: http://progress-energy.com/custservice/flares/energyhome/insulation.asp

Either way, the cost of upgrading your insulation and ensuring proper ventilation in your attic can benefit you in more ways than one.  Not only will you be able to control your ambient temperature, but you will also be able to save on your energy bills and know that you have a healthy, happy attic.

Advanced Restoration, Inc. is a Water Damage, Mold Damage Tampa, Sewer Damage and Emergency Disaster Recovery Restoration Company in Tampa Bay, Florida. Company Services Include: WATER DAMAGE EXTRACTION and RESTORATION; MOLD REMOVAL and MOLD REMEDIATION; STORM DAMAGE RESTORATION; FLOODS; HURRICANE DAMAGE; SEWER DAMAGE; Complete Restoration Services. Residential, Commercial & Industrial structures in the Tampa Bay Metro Area, Sarasota County, FL and Manatee County, FL. 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT Contact Us!

BENEFITS OF ADVANCED RESTORATION’S NEWEST GREEN EQUIPMENT: The BOSS XL3

Here is the top 11 short list of benefits associated with using an ODOROX hydroxyl generator:

1. It’s Green!
2. Improve Air Quality
3. Completely safe for people, pets, plants, rubbers, plastics & other organic materials.
4. No chemicals and no residue make them ideal for the environment of the chemically sensitive or medically compromised persons.
5. Extremely energy efficient
6. Simultaneously decontaminate the air, surfaces, and objects.
7. Safe for rubber, plastic, leather, vinyl, electronics or other sensitive materials
8. Will not bleach or discolor items that are wet
9. Decontaminate previously considered unsalvageable items
10. Remove Odors:
    1. smoke; flood; nicotine; grey/ black water; decomposition; mold and mildew; chemicals; sewage, pets, cooking, skunks and trash.
11. Eliminate Air Contaminants:
    1. noxious gasses, VOC’s, mold spores, bacteria and viruses

Read more about how Advanced Restoration uses the BOSS XL3 for water damage restoration, sewage backups and mold remediation.

Read more about the cross-industry uses and benefits of an ODOROX hydroxyl generator.

“It’s good to go green!” – Jon Hall, Advanced Restoration

Advanced Restoration, Inc. is a Water Damage, Mold Damage Spring Hill, Sewer Damage and Emergency Disaster Recovery Restoration Company in Tampa Bay, Florida. Company Services Include: WATER DAMAGE EXTRACTION and RESTORATION; MOLD REMOVAL and MOLD REMEDIATION; STORM DAMAGE RESTORATION; FLOODS; HURRICANE DAMAGE; SEWER DAMAGE; Complete Restoration Services. Residential, Commercial & Industrial structures in the Tampa Bay Metro Area, Sarasota County, FL and Manatee County, FL. 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT Contact Us!

Hey Tampa Bay, let’s talk about MERV Ratings!

The acronym MERV stands for “Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value”. MERV is a standard used to measure the overall efficiency of a filter’s ability to remove airborne particles as they pass through the filter; the higher a MERV rating, the better the filter’s ability to remove dust particles and airborne contaminants. MERV ratings range from 1 to 16, with 16 being the best air filter, and are based on their effectiveness to remove particles according to size. Particles are measured in microns and the sizes measured fall between 1 and 12 (12 being the largest). It is important to note that most filters found in residential use are rated MERV 1-4. At these low ratings, the filters do not catch any particles that measure below 10 microns, leaving an enormous amount of contaminants, including mold spores, airborne. FYI – Visible dust particles start at a measurement of 10 microns.

To learn about how to choose the best air filter for you, read our article Air Filters and Effective Mold Spore Removal: What you need to know.

For more information on how to protect your family from mold and mold spores, please contact Advanced Restoration, Inc. at 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT or at www.drymeout.com.

Advanced Restoration, Inc. is a Water Damage, Mold Damage, Sewer Damage and Emergency Disaster Recovery Restoration Company in Tampa Bay, Florida. Company Services Include: WATER DAMAGE EXTRACTION and RESTORATION; MOLD REMOVAL and MOLD REMEDIATION; STORM DAMAGE RESTORATION; FLOODS; HURRICANE DAMAGE; SEWER DAMAGE; Complete Restoration Services. Residential, Commercial & Industrial structures in the Tampa Bay Metro Area, Sarasota County, FL, Manatee County, FL and Okaloosa county, FL.  1-800-DRY-ME-OUT Contact Us!

Living in Florida means dealing with high humidity and a potential list of high indoor air contaminants, including mold spores. Air quality is a serious issue and for years and years, people have used house plants as a way of cleaning indoor air.

Did you know that there is a list of plants approved by NASA to remove harmful chemicals from the air? Considered beneficial houseplants, here is the list:

Bamboo Palm
Chinese Evergreen
English Ivy
Gerbera Daisy
Dracaena Janet Craig
Dracaena Marginata
Dracaena Massangeana
Dracaena Warneckii
Mass Cane/Corn Plant
Mother-in-Law’s Tongue
Pot Mum
Peace Lily

It has been noted that all philodendron varieties as well as African Violets help filter out the air. As well, a recent study supports that the purple waffle plant (Hemigraphis alternataa), English ivy (Hedera Helix), variegated wax plant (Hoya cornosa), Asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus) and the Purple heart plant (Tradescantia pallida) proved to remove the most VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from the air.

However, there is a recent controversy surrounding the benefits of indoor plants in eliminating airborne contaminants. Some studies show that plants themselves emit VOCs. Fortunately, not all VOCs are toxic and most plant VOCs appear not to be non-toxic (at normal exposure levels). Also, it should be noted that mold can be attracted to soil and thus, release mold spores into the air. Always let your soil dry out thoroughly and check for signs of mold. Change soil often.

To answer our question, “Do house plants improve indoor air quality?”, the jury is still out. Nonetheless, it appears that the general consensus maintains that introducing common indoor plants, especially the above noted, into indoor spaces can significantly improve the quality of indoor air.

If you have any concerns about your For any other information about indoor air quality or indoor mold spores, please visit our website to learn how Advanced Restoration, Inc. can help you.

Advanced Restoration, Inc. proudly services Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Pasco County, Sarasota County, Manatee County & Okaloosa County. Call us today at 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT.

Advanced Restoration, Inc. is a Water Damage, Mold Damage, Sewer Damage and Emergency Disaster Recovery Restoration Company in Tampa Bay, Florida. Company Services Include: WATER DAMAGE EXTRACTION and RESTORATION; MOLD REMOVAL and MOLD REMEDIATION; STORM DAMAGE RESTORATION; FLOODS; HURRICANE DAMAGE; SEWER DAMAGE; Complete Restoration Services. Residential, Commercial & Industrial structures in the Tampa Bay Metro Area, Sarasota County, FL, Manatee County, FL and Okaloosa county, FL.  1-800-DRY-ME-OUT Contact Us!

Recently, in our article on Winter Mold, we discussed the benefit of using a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Some of you may be familiar with it and some of you may not be; for those of you who are not, we thought we’d unlock the mystery!

By definition, HEPA means High Energy Particulate Arresting. The filters remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles (mold spores, pollen, dust etc.)

Put as simply as possible, HEPA filters are composed of a mat of randomly arranged sticky fibers (typically fiberglass). The filter acts like a sieve and trap particles through a few different methods.

Interesting fact: the original HEPA filter was designed in the 1940s.

In addition to being used in vacuums, HEPA filters are also found in air purifiers as well as in biomedical applications. HEPA filters do have to be changed per manufacturer’s directions.

In sum, HEPA filters can be a great preventative measure you can take to help protect your home and family from mold spores, mold growth and bacteria.

For any other information about mold damage and mold remediation, please visit our website to learn how Advanced Restoration, Inc. can help you.

Advanced Restoration, Inc. proudly services Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Pasco County, Sarasota County, Manatee County & Okaloosa County. Call us today at 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT.