Posts Tagged ‘mold spores’

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.