What to do When You Have Mold Growth

1/10/2022 (Permalink)

In as little as 48 hours, mold can quickly become a problem in your home or business when there's a water intrusion, like a roof leak or leaking water line. Mold can cause health effects and can also cause significant damage to your property. SERVPRO of Kingsport/Bristol has the training, protective gear, and specialized equipment necessary to handle your mold problem. 

If you have a mold problem in your home or business, consider these DOs and DON'Ts until help arrives.

Do:

• Stay out of affected areas

• Turn off the HVAC system and fans

• Contact SERVPRO of SERVPRO of Kingsport/Bristol at 423-245-5552 for mold remediation services

Don't:

• Touch or disturb the mold

• Blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth

• Attempt to dry the area yourself

• Spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold

Don't Let mold get you down!

1/19/2021 (Permalink)

Bathrooms and basements are habitually moist areas, vulnerable to mold growth, any moist area in the home can become affected. The below are examples of areas in the home that can breed mold if the ideal growing conditions are present.

• Drywall
• Ceiling Tiles
• Carpet
• Furniture
• HVAC ducts
• Roofing
• Paneling
• Wallpaper
• Below Sinks
• Areas around pipes

Mold can be seen in many different colors (ie. brown, green, and black) and often times appears as spots. Additionally, a musty odor may be present. While it is impossible to eliminate all mold spores in an indoor environment, the mold spores will not grow in the absence of moisture. Thus, controlling moisture is the key to preventing mold growth.

Remember the following:

• It's important to identify and repair water problems, such as leaks in plumbing or other structures that may lead to moisture buildup.
• Clean and dry areas of any leakage and water damage in the home within the initial 24-48 hours to prevent mold problems.
• Use of an air conditioner or air dehumidifier during humid seasons can help reduce the potential for moisture buildup.
• Avoid the use of carpets in humid basements and bathrooms.
• Using fans and maintaining good ventilation in the home can also improve indoor air quality and help prevent or control dampness.
• Add mold inhibitor products to household paints.
• Keep indoor humidity levels low (ideally between 30%-50%).
• Use bathroom fans or open bathroom windows when showering for air circulation.
• Vent appliances that produce moisture, such as clothes dryers and stoves, to the outdoors when possible.
• Adding insulation can reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (such as windows, piping, roof, or floors).

Please call us today, SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol 423-245-5552 to schedule a mold inspection. 

Eliminating Conditions that Can Lead to Mold Damage in Your Home

1/7/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Remediates Mold Damage and Takes Steps to Prevent Future Mold Growth

A continuous state of elevated humidity is a primary cause of excessive microbial growth in Bloomingdale residences and can quickly increase the amount of damage that follows. Other factors, such as the presence of absorbent materials in the home can also play a role in how rapidly microbial growth occurs.

Whenever a residence in Bloomingdale sustains mold damage, one of the aspects examined inside the home includes the presence of water sources. Leaky water lines, past flooding events, and saturated ground near the home can all increase the amount of humidity the interior of the home experiences. SERVPRO technicians use moisture meters and other devices to locate the sources as well as areas where moisture accumulated. Once we locate these areas and sources, we can then resolve the situation that caused microbial growth to affect the home.

Mold remediation experts know that the existence of future invasive water can cause the microbial problem to return, rendering mold remediation efforts useless. Once we eliminate these sources, we can then begin removing mold-damaged materials, laundering and cleaning household items and furniture, and caring for the carpeting throughout the home. Walls that harbor mold, even if dormant, need cleaning and dried.

During our work, maintaining a set of controls to keep all mold contained safely, affects the overall outcome of our labor. This includes the use of plastic sheeting surrounding areas within the home, along with the use of our air scrubbers. Sending microbes outdoors helps keep them from entering other areas of your property.

However, ensuring that moisture sources no longer exist where they should not helps keep old from returning in full force. Effectively starving microbes, their population growth stays under control. Once we complete our remediation work, diligent homeowners know to keep an eye out for leaking water lines, loose connections, and other sources of moisture. Microbes do not need a great deal of moisture to begin growing again and causing future problems.

SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol is always ready to serve those in our communities, including Blountville and Marilyn Hills. Contact us by calling our 24-hour service line at (423) 245-5552. Your family does not need to live with the effects of mold damage in your home.

Why Professional Mold Remediation is Necessary for Your Kingsport Home

2/12/2019 (Permalink)

With Tennesee's humid conditions, mold has a thriving environment to grow.

Professional Remediation Vs. DIY for Your Kingsport Home

Many Kingsport homeowners would argue that their methods of repairing and restoring damage to their home are as effective as the professionals could produce. While there might be instances in which this could be as effective or more money-saving, mold remediation is not one of these situations. There are some things that every homeowner should know about the differences between DIY mold removal and professional remediation work for their property.

One of the first concerns about mold damage that any Kingsport homeowner should have is the extent of the damage that they are currently facing. Even a small colony can spread quickly throughout a home and pose a significant risk to both structural integrity of the property and those that get exposed to the colony. This safety concern is one of the defining factors that should deter homeowners from DIY removal. Without the appropriate personal protective equipment and training, removal efforts could cause acute health effects.

DIY approaches encourage homeowners to use a harsh detergent like bleach and scrub over present colonies to remove them, but this can prove problematic as well for multiple reasons. The first of these concerns is that bleach can react adversely with certain types of mold and become more volatile. Another reason that this is less effective is that this approach only takes off surface mold, and does not remove the entire hyphae like the equipment our SERVPRO Franchise professionals use can.

Another concern is the spread of the organism. Homeowners do not have the available equipment to contain a spreading mold colony as our SERVPRO Franchise professionals do. With the use of air scrubbers, hydroxyl generators, and physical plastic sheeting barriers, we can effectively prevent the spread of the organism to new areas of the home while remediation and mold removal efforts get underway.

As tempting as it might sound to save money and take care of mold growth on your own, many homeowners find that the situation only ends up continually getting worse despite their efforts. Give our SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol remediation specialists a call at (423) 245-5552 to make mold damage “Like it never even happened.”

Read about the new Silent Skies mural here.

Does Your Long Island Home Struggle With a Mold Situation?

1/13/2019 (Permalink)

Regardless of the room that the mold infestation affects, contact SERVPRO for effective remediation and mitigation services.

Mold Remediation Specialists Discuss How to Control Microbial Populations in Long Island Residences

Long Island residences often succumb to mold infestations because of elevated humidity in the home. SERVPRO can remediate infested areas but helping you prevent such situations from affecting your home helps save you money and time.

Here are some ways that you can help protect your home from requiring mold remediation services in Long Island. Our specialists explain that prevention efforts on the part of the homeowner require less work while providing the best outcome. SERVPRO is always here for you when efforts begin too late or lapse and result in microbial overgrowth in the house.
 
Controlling the home's humidity level can mean microbes cannot grow. According to the CDC, humidity levels should remain below 50% in the residence. This can mean you need to use a dehumidifier during more humid periods. Some months become more humid than others, and during these, the humidifier might need to run continuously instead of only at certain hours of the day.
 
Two methods can help prevent mold growth by protecting walls and other surfaces. When repainting walls and ceilings, adding a mold inhibitor to the paint can prevent microbes from surviving once settling on the surface. Another method is to use mold-killing cleansers in bathrooms and kitchens.
 
Keeping your bathroom from retaining moisture happens more easily when a working ventilation system pulls moist air out of the bathroom and forces it outside of your home. Ventilation ducts should contain no extra bends or extra length that allow moist air to get trapped before exiting through the outside vent. Residents should also use exhaust fans to remove steam from the kitchen, as well. It is essential to allow the fan to run for a few minutes after all of the steam has left, to ensure such dampness is pushed out of the home altogether.
 
Eliminating components that hold moisture means fewer places exist for moisture, and mold, to hide. One primary culprit in retaining moisture and dampness in bathrooms is carpeting and padding. While getting out of the shower and standing on a warm, cushy surface appeals to many, achieving this with the use of bath mats also reduces moisture levels.
 
SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol wants to help your family through effective prevention methods that reduce humidity levels in your home and through skilled mold remediation where needed. Call us at (423) 245-5552, and we can provide you with more information specific to your property and how we can help you maintain it well.

Click here for more about Long Island.

Is Moisture Causing Mold Growth in Your Kingsport Home?

12/26/2018 (Permalink)

Without proper mitigation, mold is often a secondary damage after a water loss incident.

Lingering Moisture Can Cause Mold Growth in Kingsport

Many Kingsport homeowners work to clean up their houses on their own without involving professional cleaning and restoration crews unless it is evident they are necessary. The trouble with this determination for water loss incidents is that many homeowners do not realize when the situation has gotten out of their control and continues to be a problem once they think it has gotten resolved. Lingering moisture not only continues to threaten the construction materials, flooring, and other exposed materials but also opens the door for more health hazardous effects like mold growth.

In a matter of a few days, lingering moisture and dampness out of sight can allow for colonization and mold damages to begin in your Kingsport home. With the situation occurring out of your line of sight, this problem can grow and spread before it gets significant enough to breach the surface where you can see. Our SERVPRO technicians can respond quickly to mold growth that you discover in your home with the tools and expertise to remove these colonies fast.

With widespread mold growth through materials in your home, often the only effective solution is to remove these damaged materials and replace it with new ones. We utilize controlled demolition techniques to remove only the portions that have become affected by the spreading organism and spray the portions that get left with an antimicrobial solution to deter mold and fungal growth while the area gets thoroughly dried with air movers and dehumidification equipment. The area gets extensively checked with thermal imagery cameras to ensure that any lingering moisture gets addressed.

Once these damaged materials have gotten removed and the affected areas of your home have gotten dried thoroughly, our reconstruction contractors can get to work on reinstalling drywall, flooring, and other components requiring replacement.

While taking matters into your own hands can sometimes save you money, with water loss incidents, it is often better to trust our SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol rapid response team to clean up the mess and dry up the damage to prevent effects like mold. Give us a call anytime that you need us at (423) 245-5552.

Click here to read about Kingsport’s Heritage Trail.

MOLD?? OH NO!! On Long Island, Call SERVPRO for Quick Remediation

10/3/2018 (Permalink)

Hidden Moisture Can Mean Mold Damage in a Kingsport Property--Call SERVPRO

How Mold Colonies Form in Your Long Island House

Perhaps one of the most troubling things about owning your Long Island home is the understanding that whatever happens to it is a responsibility that rests on your shoulders. With this in mind, you take the necessary precautions and preventative care to keep it safe from damages, but many homeowners still do not fully prepare for all of the possibilities. Mold growth is a situation that catches many people by surprise and can prove hazardous to ignore.

When it comes to mold damage, many Long Island homeowners do not understand what these are much less how the colony formed in the first place. The more that you can understand about the presence of mold inside of your house, the more prepared you become to deal with the situation as soon as you discover it. Our SERVPRO applied microbial remediation technicians are available 24/7 to help you overcome mold growth in your house.

One of the first points that you need to understand about mold is that every single home can be susceptible to this fungal growth. Cleanliness or clutter has no bearing on the colonization of mold spores, and the conditions to allow a colony to form rest exclusively in the presence of moisture in your house and a consistent temperature. Several situations could lead to lingering moisture and dampness concerns throughout various areas of your house, and naturally occurring mold spores in the environment have the means to seat and thrive in nearby surfaces and organic materials.

To overcome the colony, which continually weakens the materials to the point of being unsalvageable, is to act quickly. Our SERVPRO technicians can isolate the colony and get to work fast on removing the organism through advanced techniques or removing the material entirely should the damage be too severe.

One of the essential things to remember about mold growth in your home is that the situation does not get better on its own. Our SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol remediation specialists can help you through every step of the process to remove the colony and restore your home to the way it used to be. (423) 245-5552.

Historical information on this area by clicking

Why Does Mold Grow In Your Long Island Basement?

8/2/2018 (Permalink)

Mold spores exist all over your house and in the environment outside of your home as well.

Mold Damage In Your Basement

There are plenty of questions that people have about mold growth in their Long Island residence. With a plethora of bad information that can get found across the internet, it is important to get the facts straight about a discovery like this in your home, and the best approach to remove this fungal colony before it causes too much damage.

Since many of the instances of mold damages that our SERVPRO professionals encounter in Long Island homes gets uncovered in the basement, many homeowners are naturally curious as to the reason. Of all the places that mold growth could occur in your home, what makes the basement such a common location to find a colony?

Mold spores exist all over your house and in the environment outside of your home as well. These microscopic organisms are waiting for the conditions to get met so they can seat on materials and colonize. Basements often provide an essential component to this colonization with persistent moisture. This area of your home is continually under attack by the external water looking to force its way into your property. In cracks and crevices, and even through seeping into the concrete flooring from below, moisture finds a path inside the basement and provides a damp environment.

Another condition that basements tend to allow to aid mold growth is darkness. Do not assume that mold colonies require darkness to grow and thrive, but rather these areas provide better conditions for rapid expansion. Many varieties of household mold can spread more quickly in the dark, which in turn means a broader remediation area for our SERVPRO technicians.

Warmth is another condition that many basements have to offer mold spores, which can accelerate their growth rate. Since many homes have their furnaces in the basement, this persistent warmth throughout the months this is in use provides a continual breeding ground for mold spores if the moisture conditions already get met.

Better understanding the conditions required for mold growth and the likelihood that any basement could be at risk for colonization should help homeowners appreciate the need for regular inspections. You can usually quickly tell if mold is present by a musty odor or by physically seeing the colony. If mold is growing in your home, give our SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol mold remediation technicians a call right away at (423) 245-5552.

Click here for more about Long Island.

Kitchen and Bathroom Mold Remediation in Your Colonial Heights Residence

7/8/2018 (Permalink)

Finding mold in your kitchen or bathroom can cause you to panic. Call SERVPRO and let us handle the remediation.

Certified and Experienced SERVPRO Technicians Remediate Household Mold Infestations and Offer Tips to Help Prevent Recurrences

While you might have experienced mold growth throughout your life in various places, no homeowner wants to find this same occurrence in their Colonial Heights residence. The basement is often a common location for such an incident, as it is often difficult to keep this area completely dry throughout the better part of the year, but surprisingly, it is also common to see these colonies sprouting up in poorly ventilated rooms like bathrooms and kitchens.

Finding mold damages in your Colonial Heights home can be overwhelming to see, but even harder to combat on your own. While you might have seen sites online that encourage DIY methods for mold removal, the truth is that exposure to these colonies could cause health effects. This situation is always one that should get handled by certified, experienced professionals.


Fortunately, our SERVPRO applied microbial remediation technicians get uniquely trained to handle any variety of mold or fungal growth and the best approaches to remove this presence from your home completely. When we arrive at your home, our first step is to isolate the room where the colony has gotten located to prevent the spread of spores to new areas of the house.

With a bathroom or a kitchen being so heavily used, it is critical for our team of SERVPRO professionals to act quickly to remove a colony from where it seated. Often sanding and soda blasting can be two effective approaches, and in more challenging areas we often combine these efforts along with a penetrative antimicrobial solution sprayed on the colony. These efforts help our team to remove the entire organism, unlike DIY methods which often only remove the surface mold.

Finding mold growing in your home, especially in a heavily used area, is nothing that any homeowner gets prepared to find. Fortunately, with our training and expertise, our SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol remediation technicians can help you to overcome this presence in your house and restore your home to its original condition. We are available 24/7, so call us anytime you need us at (423) 245-5552.

Click here for more information on the city of Colonial Heights.

The Right Call for Mold Damage in Your Colonial Heights Home

3/15/2018 (Permalink)

Mold can sneak up on you and spread rapidly in your home. Call SERVPRO to investigate the situation and remediate any damage.

SERVPRO Quickly Investigates a Mold Infestation Throughout Your Home

With the humid air through a significant part of the year, your Colonial Heights home might be more at risk of mold growth and fungal colonies than you know. The conditions necessary for mold growth in your home are only dampness and moisture combined with an increase in temperature. When these two conditions get met, spores in the air can find the nutrients and food they need to seat themselves on surfaces in that area and grow a thriving organism.
 
You would not be the first Colonial Heights home to experience mold damage, but too often homeowners believe that the problem is not severe, or it is something that they can remedy on their own. To be clear, it is widely understood that mold can cause health effects to you or your family coming into contact with the colonies, so it is something that should get handled promptly. Moreover, conventional cleaning methods are often ineffective for removing the entire hyphae, meaning that the colony itself could merely sprout forth again after a short time.
 
When our SERVPRO remediation specialists begin work on your home, we focus our efforts both on removing the present growth and identifying the source that fed the spores in the first place. Understanding where the source of the water is can aid our technicians in sealing off these areas and keeping conditions from allowing further colonies to grow again in this same area of your home.
 
With the latest techniques and equipment, our SERVPRO IICRC-certified technicians get to work quickly on isolating the area where the growth occurs and preventing these spores from spreading to new areas of your house. Once the colonies have gotten removed, dehumidification begins to pull all of the moisture from the area. It could get recommended, in very damp areas of your house, to run similar equipment indefinitely to keep spores from being fed and forming damaging fungal growths.
 
Discovering mold damage in your home does not have to be an overwhelming experience, nor do you have to handle it alone. Our experienced team at SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol is available to help you anytime you need us just by calling (423) 245-5552.

Click here for more information about the city of Colonial Heights.

Eliminating the Conditions that Can Lead to Mold Damage in Your Bloomingdale Home

3/2/2018 (Permalink)

Past flooding, leaking pipes, and saturated ground outside your home can all cause higher humidity levels in your home which can lead to mold growth.

SERVPRO Remediates Mold Damage and Takes Steps to Prevent Future Mold Growth

A continuous state of elevated humidity is a primary cause of excessive microbial growth in Bloomingdale residences and can quickly increase the amount of damage that follows. Other factors, such as the presence of absorbent materials in the home can also play a role in how rapidly microbial growth occurs.

Whenever a residence in Bloomingdale sustains mold damage, one of the aspects examined inside the home includes the presence of water sources. Leaky water lines, past flooding events, and saturated ground near the home can all increase the amount of humidity the interior of the home experiences. SERVPRO technicians use moisture meters and other devices to locate the sources as well as areas where moisture accumulated. Once we locate these areas and sources, we can then resolve the situation that caused microbial growth to affect the home.

Mold remediation experts know that the existence of future invasive water can cause the microbial problem to return, rendering mold remediation efforts useless. Once we eliminate these sources, we can then begin removing mold-damaged materials, laundering and cleaning household items and furniture, and caring for the carpeting throughout the home. Walls that harbor mold, even if dormant, need cleaning and dried.

During our work, maintaining a set of controls to keep all mold contained safely, affects the overall outcome of our labor. This includes the use of plastic sheeting surrounding areas within the home, along with the use of our air scrubbers. Sending microbes outdoors helps keep them from entering other areas of your property.

However, ensuring that moisture sources no longer exist where they should not helps keep old from returning in full force. Effectively starving microbes, their population growth stays under control. Once we complete our remediation work, diligent homeowners know to keep an eye out for leaking water lines, loose connections, and other sources of moisture. Microbes do not need a great deal of moisture to begin growing again and causing future problems.

SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol is always ready to serve those in our communities, including Blountville and Marilyn Hills. Contact us by calling our 24-hour service line at (423) 245-5552. Your family does not need to live with the effects of mold damage in your home.

Click here for more information on the Bloomingdale area.

Removing Mold Damage In Long Island

1/10/2018 (Permalink)

Mold is a quiet threat which can affect every apartment, condo or house on Long Island.

Removing Mold Damage

Mold is a quiet threat which can affect every apartment, condo or house on Long Island. Usually, mold spores are inactive. In this state, they are no more harmful than common, household dirt. Inactive spores are in virtually every structure in the city.

Remediating the effects of Long Island mold damage is not a short or simple process. To ensure every residence is clean, owners need to engage a service specializing in removing mold. SERVPRO has a set of four procedures designed to contain mold, clean mold from the property, remove it, and dry the home.

The first procedure is to install mold barriers. Our technicians cover every entrance to the infested area with plastic sheeting and use negative air pressure to force loose spores in the quickest direction out of the home. Installation includes covering the air vents to prevent accidentally spreading the mold to other areas of the home. We also use the sheeting to create a clean room, if needed, for storing tools and protective gear.

Now, we clean the mold off surfaces. There are two types, non-porous like glass, plastics, and metal, and porous surfaces such as carpets, drywall, and fabrics. Non-porous surfaces are simpler to wipe down and clean. In many cases, SERVPRO can even do this inside the contaminated area. Our specialists remove most spores on these surfaces with a dry sponge or use an anti-fungal cleaner to dampen thick layers and then wipe them down.

Porous surfaces are more difficult to clean. If the mold has been in place for an extended period, it may not be possible to clean them, even with a strong detergent and a brush to agitate the surface, loosening the mold layers.

With both types of surfaces, we use vacuums with specially designed HEPA filters to trap mold spores after cleaning. For property we could not clean, we remove and dispose of according to state regulations along with the collected mold spores.

Our last procedure is to dry the affected area of the home and any property that we had to dampen to remove mold spores. Drying is necessary to reduce moisture which also reduces the chance of future mold growth. In most cases, we set up dehumidifiers to draw enough moisture from the air and surrounding property.

Cleaning and removing mold from your home can be a time-consuming and costly process. At SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol, we have more than twenty years of restoring homes to their original condition. For further information about our procedures, call us at (423) 245-5552 today.

Click here for more about Long Island.

An Answer For Mold Damage In Your Colonial Heights Home

12/8/2017 (Permalink)

There are a lot of reason for mold to develop in the attic of your Colonial Heights property that you might not be aware of until it is too late.

Mold Damage In Your Home

Many of us assume that mold only occurs in a bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room, somewhere in your home with a regular water source. However, there are a lot of reason for mold to develop in the attic of your Colonial Heights property that you might not be aware of until it is too late.

Heavy rainfall, plumbing issues, and problems with appliances or inadequate maintenance can all cause severe problems in the attic of your Colonial Heights home that often lead to mold damage. Without accessing your attic on a regular basis, it can be easy for things to get out of control, causing structural damage, and leaving corrosion, rot, or mold to thrive.

SERVPRO technicians check more accurate, pinpointed locations for attic problems. Finding the source causing the problem and controlling water in your home is the first step of any mold remediation. With that said, there are some common causes of attic mold that warrant discussion.

A leaky roof can allow water into unprotected areas of your home below including your attic, walls, ceilings, floors, and basement. SERVPRO technicians take roof damage very seriously since even a small amount can wreak havoc on several areas of your home. Water tends to follow the least path of resistance, settling into the lowest area of your home.

Missing or improperly installed insulation can also have a severe impact, allowing moisture into your attic that gets trapped and produces mold. Poor installation can act as a vapor barrier while the wrong kind of insulation results in higher heating and cooling costs. Improper attic ventilation can also trap warm moist air inside, creating the ideal environment for mold to grow.

SERVPRO professionals can perform a full inspection of your attic space and introduce ideas and implement suggestions that give you control over the humidity level in your attic, basement, and home. Many of which improve your indoor living environment while drastically reducing the possibility of mold growth in your home and giving you more of a healthy, clean atmosphere to enjoy.

SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol has IICRC technicians standing by to answer your call, today. We can perform mold damage mitigation services and help you protect your property better (423) 245-5552.

Click here for more about Colonial Heights.

Inspect For Mold Damage This Fall in Bristol

9/25/2017 (Permalink)

Mold can hide or exist in plain sight. Regardless of the mold type, contact SERVPRO to figure out the cause and remediate the damage.

SERVPRO Technicians Find the Cause of the Mold Infestation Before Starting the Remediation Process

The hot summer months come to an end, and the leaves begin to fall. Moving into a new season is a perfect time to check for mold issues in areas of your home you may neglect. Our area can see some ice and snow during the winter, and if gutters, eaves, and shingles need maintenance, moisture pushes in and creates a perfect environment for mold damage.
 
Your home experiences all four seasons, exposing it to mold damage risk in Bristol. Before we move into the colder months, evaluate the musty smell you notice when you open the door to your attic. Ice dams from winters and early springs past may have created a pathway for water to invade and saturate rafters and studs right under your roof. Severe cases allow that moisture to seep into your living areas. Do you see dark staining on ceilings or walls? A mold inspection is in order.
 
Often the only sign you notice when mold damages your home is an earthy, unpleasant smell. SERVPRO responds by sending an experienced mold remediation technician to check out concerns. If mold is detected, we work with you to discover where the moisture mold needs for growth is intruding. Our workers determine how to manage the current infestation and make recommendations to eliminate the water problem.
 
SERVPRO is a multi-service restoration company, able to make repairs and remediate serious problems like mold. We follow EPA industry standards when containing, removing, and sanitizing areas suffering from mold outbreaks. Keeping the moldy material in place until safely removing it prevents spread to other spaces within your home. Physical barriers like heavy duty plastic sheeting and high-technology equipment like negative air pressure scrubbers assist us in this endeavor.
 
We restore the appearance of your exterior and interior after abating a broad range of damaging processes and work with other contractors hired to make specific repairs. Ice dams frequently trace their cause to poorly maintained or clogged gutters and drains. SERVPRO remediates the mold and pinpoints the reasons it plagues you. We help you complete or arrange for repairs that stop moisture from feeding mold spores in your attic.
 
Rely on SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol to investigate your potential mold issues. Our office staff at (423) 245-5552 schedules an appointment with one of our project managers at a time convenient for you.

For more information about the Bristol, Tennessee visit: http://www.bristoltn.org/

Hidden Mold in Bloomingdale Needs Professional Abatement

3/24/2017 (Permalink)

Don't let mold lurk in the corner. Call SERVPRO quickly to remediate.

SERVPRO Technicians Have an Arsenal of Assessment Tools to Find the Source of Your Mold Infestation

Every home has nooks and crannies within which to hide treasures, or, sometimes, to breed fungi and other nasty microbes. Musty and unpleasant smells often encourage you to spray air fresheners or other cover-ups and hope for the best. This superficial approach is not effective. Contact SERVPRO for a proper inspection and to devise a plan if mold is the culprit.
 
Resist the urge to try to manage mold damage in your Bloomingdale residence on your own. Although the health effects of molds can only be assessed by a physician, microbial colonies also damage the structure of and contents inside your home. Very specific protocols must be followed to remediate mold growth. An assessment of the causes that led to the mold proliferation is part of the comprehensive approach we take as mold recurs if the source of its food remains in place.
 
Mold needs moisture to activate and grow. Homes, offices, schools and other indoor areas harbor mold spores as a matter of course. The spores are also found outside and hitch a ride on pets, shoes, clothing, and the wind through your open doors and windows to infest your home. SERVPRO mold remediation experts receive special initial training and continuing education on the most effective and safe ways to isolate, contain, and remove fungal colonies. We do this while protecting unaffected areas of your home, sometimes with barriers and, in severe cases, with negative pressure ventilation.
 
The most important step after mold removal is to find the moisture and stop it from invading your home. Water moves in mysterious ways, and SERVPRO technicians are real detectives as they figure out where the problem resides. Ice dams, overflowing gutters, and ordinary roof leaks are common offenders. Slow leaks in plumbing or poorly vented appliances are also on the list of mold encouragers. On occasion, high ambient humidity within your home is the villain. An assessment of the conditions contributing to mold growth considers all potential sources. Then SERVPRO technicians go into action to eradicate the water to reduce the possibility of future mold growth and damage. Sealing gaps, reducing humidity, and repairing appliances are just some of the options.
 
Smelling something nasty? Hurry to contact SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol to have the odor checked out. The longer you wait to call the more difficult the remedy. Our dispatchers at (423) 245-5552 send out trained mold inspectors within hours.

Help With Mold Damage Found In Your Colonial Heights Home

2/16/2017 (Permalink)

Mold growths often look like common dirt blotches but may develop into patches with many different colors and have a musty odor associated with them.

Mold Damage In Your Home

The battle against mold damage developing in your home is a constant one. Since mold is everywhere, in the air and on many surfaces throughout our environment, exposure is inevitable where moisture is present.

Damp, dark spaces within your Colonial Heights home are perfect breeding grounds for mold damage. However, controlling the sources of moisture found in your home can significantly increase your chance of avoiding these types of damages from developing in your house entirely. At SERVPRO we prefer to maintain a relative humidity level below 50%, promptly repairing plumbing leaks, damaged roofs, and windows. Thoroughly cleaning and drying any areas affected by flooding, properly ventilating your shower, laundry room and cooking area, all of which greatly increase your chances.

However, how do you know what mold even looks like if you have never seen it before? Mold growths often look like common dirt blotches but may develop into patches with many different colors and have a musty odor associated with them. If you find mold spores growing in your home, there is no reason to discover which type of mold you have. If you can see it, or smell mold, a possible health risk may already be present, requiring you to contact a restoration company, like SERVPRO, to deal with the situation properly.

A company with expertly trained remediation technicians can perform the proper services and repair the source of moisture causing the issue. The best thing you can do is have the mold removed and work on ways to prevent future growths from forming within your living space. SERVPRO technicians highly suggest seeking professional assistance with any area larger than 10 square feet. It is likely that you do not have the resources or experience to handle the larger contaminated areas on your own.

Contact SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol today for additional information or assistance regarding mold contamination in your home. We are here to help (423) 245-5552.

Mold Damage Challenges in Bloomingdale

1/6/2017 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO to investigate the mold in your home or business.

SERVPRO Tailors a Unique Restoration Process Based on the Damage in Your Home

Most of the time, the first signs of a mold infestation in your home is a musty odor emanating from somewhere that you cannot quite locate. By the time you can see visible signs of a mold infestation, things are beyond your capabilities, and expertly trained professionals are required to deal with the situation appropriately. Attempting to tackle a mold situation on your own has the possibility of causing greater damage to your home that you many think. If you take the wrong approach to your situation, you can spread mold spores throughout your home without even realizing that you are doing it.
 
Use this opportunity to acquire the services of an expertly trained mold damage restoration specialist in your Bloomingdale home. We have several years of experience dealing with situations just like yours and provide you with the proper services to fit your unique circumstances. We will walk you through every step of our remediation process and get your mold damage under control. Contact our locally owned and operated franchise today.
 
SERVPRO offers many services to assist you with restoring your belongings and take great care to ensure your safety and the safety of the occupants of your property. Many mold-contaminated buildings offer a unique situation and must be properly handled to eliminate exposure. Our professional technicians perform a post-cleanup assessment and thoroughly inspect the level of contamination in your home before attempting our remediation process.
 
All of the services SERVPRO technicians provide include proper containment and control procedures to prevent the spread of microscopic spores throughout your home. We can assist with repairing plumbing leaks, clean off affected surfaces, properly remove and dispose of any infected materials and restore your property to a quality pre-damage condition.
 
If you insist on attempting mold remediation on your own, the professionals at SERVPRO recommend a few things to assist you with the process. Always locate and remove the source of moisture, drying all affected areas thoroughly. Scrub mold off of any hard surfaces with a quality detergent and water, making sure to dry the area completely. Ensure proper handling and disposal of any absorbent or porous materials that have extensive mold growth. They cannot be saved, don't try.
 
Avoid exposing yourself and others by properly cordoning off the affected area that you are working on and control the spread by wearing the proper protective equipment during repairs. If you are unsure or need advice on how to proceed, take a few minutes to contact us. We are happy to help you get started off on the right foot.
 
Call SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol today to get the help you need. (423) 245-5552

Dealing With Mold Damage in Tennessee

8/19/2016 (Permalink)

Mold Remediation In Bloomingdale Gets Fixed by SERVPRO

SERVPRO Certified Technicians Remediate Mold Damage Professionally and Safely

Water has to be removed quickly when flooding occurs. Even when the visible effects, such as standing water and warped flooring, has been eliminated and replaced, there is the hazard of mold spores. Please continue reading.

Mold damage in Bloomingdale homes is caused not just by pools of standing water, but in spaces, such as behind drywall, which has not been dried out properly. If a previously flooded area isn't taken care of, then mold will grow quickly. SERVPRO has the expertise and the equipment to help prevent breeding grounds for mold and remove it if needed.

If you're concerned about earlier flooding, we can inspect your home to determine if there may be any areas that need cleaning or may just require drying and dehumidification to prevent the growth of mold. If our inspectors discover any fungi, we will test further to see how far it has grown. In cases of obvious mold patches, we can immediately start the remediation process. Once the area of infestation is determined, our technicians have a variety of anti-fungal and anti-microbial cleaners at their disposal to scrub the area clean.

To make sure the process is thorough, your heating and air system will need to be scrubbed using specialized equipment and anti-fungal product filled foggers to destroy any trace of the infestation within the air ducts. All of the air filters will be replaced as well. If the source of the mold is within the walls, then that section of drywall or framing will need to be removed. If there is no mold, but an excess amount of moisture is discovered, our technicians will use a series of dehumidifiers and exhaust fans to clear out the wetness. These same units are also used to remove mold spores from your home by blowing outside using a technique called negative pressure. HEPA filtration systems are also used by our SERVPRO Applied Microbial Remediation Technicians (AMRT) to restore your home to its pre-loss condition "Like it never even happened."

With the weather like it is in Sullivan and surrounding counties, excessive moisture and humidity is almost the norm. If you are concerned about possible mold damage to your home, contact us here at SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol today at (423) 245-5552.

Mold Damage Rogersville - The Mold Remediation Process

3/18/2016 (Permalink)

When mold is attacking the integrity of your home with odor and damage, remediation is needed.

Rogersville Mold Damage - The Mold Remediation Process

Mold is part of everyday life. When used correctly mold and mold spores have a lot of positive uses for food and medicine. However, when mold is attacking the integrity of your home with odor and damage, remediation is needed. Call a mold damage expert in Rogersville. There are four broad categories for mold remediation.
 

Remove and Dry Water Damage
After a flood or heavy water damage, mold can start to form. Water and floods should be cleaned up and dried thoroughly as soon as possible. An expedited cleanup helps prevent the spread and growth of new mold.
 

Quarantine Mold Growth and Spores
Using plastic sheeting and household duct tape, seal off areas that have mold or mold growth. A mold damage professional in Rogersville can help with a particular equipment like airlocks, filters, and suppression units.
 

Safe Removal of Mold and Clean-up
Mold removal is best left to mold damage professionals in Rogersville. These professionals begin the very complex tasks of safely removing mold from your home. Many steps are probable, but most likely they involve using a chemical solution to scrub mold away from all appliances, counters, and surfaces. All materials that are removable are put in sealed plastic bags for transport. Sealing the items is done when mold damage to items is so high they are unsalvageable. All dirt and debris must is removed with an approved vacuum cleaner and filter.
 

Complete Inspection and Future Monitoring
After an inspection and testing reveal that all mold has been safely removed, a mold damage expert in Rogersville returns periodically to monitor the future mold growth or mold spore activity in the home. These additional checks help prevent future spread of mold growth to dangerous levels.
 
 
 
When your home in Rogersville needs mold remediation Call SERVPRO of Kingsport / Bristol at (423) 245-5552. They respond quickly to address and remediate your mold problem.

Safety First For Mold Remediation in Bristol

10/13/2015 (Permalink)

Water Damage Leads to Mold

Let SERVPRO Safely Remove Mold from Your Bristol Home

When a natural disaster strikes your residential home in Bristol, the result is often water damage. Once your home is inundated with water, you can find yourself dealing with a mold infestation. Often, homeowners will attempt to eliminate the mold bloom themselves. There are numerous reasons why this course of action will almost always prove ineffective and even possibly dangerous. Learn more about mold infestations and why they require professional remediation by reviewing the following article.

Mold Basics

Molds are fungi that are endemic in nature. These fungi appear in various colors, including orange, blue, dark green, and black. Mold also comes in various levels of toxicity due to the production of mycotoxins. Examples are toxigenic molds like Stachybotrys chartarum and pathogenic molds than cause many allergies. Prolonged or habitual exposure to mycotoxins can result, in the extreme, death.

Why You Need Professional Mold Removal Services

As mentioned earlier, homeowners seek to remove mold from their home without professional assistance. Don't make this mistake. Property owners are generally not able to determine how hazardous the mold removal process will be. There are many reasons why this work must be left to the professionals. For example, the general public is typically not able to distinguish between toxigenic and pathogenic molds. Additionally, most people do not have access to the specialized equipment and protective gear like HEPA filters, goggles, Hazmat protective clothing and more.

Another reason that you should avoid completing the mold removal process on your own results from the fact that mold spores can cause serious health challenges. Some of these health problems include:

• Respiratory complications
• Vision and eye problems
• Circulatory issues
• Skin conditions
• Discomfort
• Fatigue

It's also important to note that ongoing exposure to mold can cause neurological and mental symptoms. Some of them include:

• Confusion
• Shortened attention span
• Brain fog
• Disorientation
• Slowed reflexes
• Impaired learning ability
• Dizziness
• Shock
• Shaking

To avoid the onset of these symptoms, you should stay away from the mold and have it removed by professionals. These trained technicians from SERVPRO will seal off the areas affected by mold--containment--and even employ negative air pressure chambers to prevent cross-contamination. We will utilize disinfectants to sanitize and then fogging machines to deodorize your home in Bristol.

Let SERVPRO Help You

When your property in Bristol is infested with mold, it's time to take action. The team to call for fast and effective mold remediation services is SERVPRO. Our IICRC-certified technicians are highly skilled in recognizing and responding to your unique mold issues with expedience and efficacy. We're ready to restore your property to its previously safe state.

Locally Owned, with National Resources

We are proud to be an active member of Bristol. SERVPRO of Kingsport/Bristol is locally owned and operated. Call us. (423) 245-5552

Top 10 Tips for Preventing Mold after Your Kingsport Home is Water Damaged

5/20/2015 (Permalink)

Mold Damage

Mold can grow quickly in your Kingsport home.

When a flood has contributed to mold damage in a Kingsport home, due to either a serious water leak in the house or a natural disaster, mold can start to develop very quickly, sometimes in just a mere 48 hours. It is true that many types of mold are relatively benign, but there are other types that can cause health problems, such as irritation of the eyes, throat, and nose. Other common symptoms that mold can cause are respiratory problems, lethargy, headaches, and vomiting. To protect the health of everyone in the home, it is crucial to start thoroughly cleaning up as soon as possible after damage has occurred.

1. Keep doors and windows open to maximize ventilation and help air dry your home. If the power is working and you know it is safe, turn on fans as well to expedite the drying.

2. Remove and dispose of any wall to wall padding and carpeting. Wet carpets can take a very long time to dry, and the underlying floor will be ruined in the process.

3. Throw out any upholstered pillows, mattresses, and furniture. These are very difficult to clean properly and take too long to dry. These are ideal conditions in which mold can grow.

4. Any wallboard that has come into contact with water should be taken out. If it is wet, it will swell up and deteriorate, providing an environment in which mold can grow.

5. Throw away any wet papers and books that do not have value. Copy any important documents, and dispose of the originals if you can.

6. Mop up ceramic and vinyl flooring with a disinfecting cleaning solution. Ensure that any underlayment is properly dried.

7. Wash or dry clean curtains and draperies according to instructions given by the manufacturers.

8. Extract as much water from hardwood floors as you can, and do this immediately. Use dehumidifiers and fans to expedite this, but do not use heat, which runs the risk of warping the floor.

9. Remove and throw out any wet ceiling tiles. Let the area dry completely before putting in a new ceiling.

10. If the damage is severe, you may have to bring in a water remediation service, in order to dry your house out quickly. Keep in mind that in cases of water damage, the sooner you handle it, the higher the chance that you can stop mold from developing. 

We are trained Kingsport mold damage specialists who get started quickly to get your home or business back to normal, with specific training and certifications to handle your restoration needs including Kingsport black mold, Bristol mold removal, Blountville household mold removal, Kingsport mold removal companies, Bristol SERVPRO restoration, Blountville bathroom mold and Kingsport SERVPRO mold cleanup. 

We live and work in this community too; we might even be neighbors. As a locally owned and operated business, SERVPRO of Kingsport/Bristol is close by and ready to help with your mold-damaged property.

If you have questions about mold, call us today at 423-245-5552.