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Why DIY Mold Prevention Fails

Mold can be an expensive problem for both your home and your health. Many homeowners try to take care of their mold problems with mold prevention by themselves. That means a do it yourself atpreview-full-condensationtitude gleaned from neighbors or family telling them what worked like ‘magic’ but leaving out everything that didn’t. It is important to remember that DIY mold prevention fails for a lot of reasons, and here are some tips that often go wrong.

 

Declutter the Wrong Things

 

People are told to get rid of the clutter that’s keeping air stagnant in their homes. After all, if air is stagnant and it gets humid, it is likely that mold could grow. This leads you to declutter all that you can, in the name of mold prevention. You get rid of the toy boxes, or that chair you really didn’t want but you husband did. Maybe all the odds and ends in the bathroom are going to find a home in the cabinet. But what if the cabinet is in front of the vent? The problem with decluttering is that if you get rid of things, but don’t get rid of the items blocking your air vents you are likely not solving your problem at all.

 

Shut the Windows

 

Maybe you shout “I’m turning the air on!” when you do, because that means everyone has to shut their windows. However, if the air conditioner is humming and the kids are running in and out to the pool, it’s just like they left the bedroom window open. Mold prevention begins with keeping condensation out. Humid air is coming into the house and causing condensation. Condensation leads to mold, and not always in the obvious places. You may wipe away the condensation you see immediately, but it can lurk.

 

Hold Steady

 

Perhaps you’re the master of the thermostat. This too plays a part in mold prevention. If you have a hot and humid summer you’re likely to set the air conditioner a bit lower than usual for some relief, but pay the price in electricity bills. If you’re willing to suffer the humidity a little, you’ll keep it up too high. The humidity in the air can cause mold to grow, so it is important to keep a steady temperature. This goes for when you’re at home and if you’re at work to keep the house cool, or during a vacation. Many suggest a temperature of 78 degrees F for efficiency and mold prevention, but no more than 80 degrees when you are away.

 

Cleaning the Obvious Areas

 

So, you have some mold. It may be past the point of prevention, but you’re certain you can clean it off and go back to the mold prevention stage, right? It is incredibly important to examine the area that has mold. Common areas that have mold are likely to be warm and wet such as the bathroom. If you’re cleaning the bathroom of mold, you need to also check to see what prevention can happen to improve it. Perhaps you need a new fan, so that the humidity can disperse after a shower or bath. Or the mats need to be laundered more frequently or picked up after the children have splashed around in the tub. If mold is present, you may want a professional to come clean the area because some molds are hazardous to your health. We here at Rainbow Restoration can clean your mold problem so you don’t have to worry. Give us a call today.

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How to Eliminate the Odor of Water Damage

Water damage can cause a headache, a disruption in your daily life, but also a foul smell. Sometimes the odor may not appear immediately, and perhaps water damage is only evident because of a smell. The smell may seem musty, or sharp, but no matter what the water damage odor presents as, it needs to be dealt with.

The Science of Scent

Neuroscientists have studied why human noses distinguish a good odor from a bad one. They believe it comes down to how ancestors survived that we distinguish so quickly that something is harmful or bad, and when something smells good. However, due to advancements in technology, researchers believe that things that smell worse have heavier and more spread out molecules. A heavy odor really does have heavy molecules. Yet, what does that have to do with water damage? Water is, after all, a very light molecule. H2O is a simple molecule to begin with. The answer may be, that it’s not the water that smells, but what is added to the water or the remains of it.

Sneaky Odor

If it isn’t the water that gives off an odor in and of itself, being that your water damage was a clean water loss, then it will be the hitchhiking molecules with it. The mold that will threaten to grow where you think you had cleaned the water damage up. Trained and certified professionals know how to properly deal with water damage and effectively remove moisture. However, if not properly cleaned up, formerly harmless bacteria, found in the water, may become foul. If air is not properly moved, and enough dehumidifiers deployed for an adequate amount of space, excess moisture will not be removed. This is the source of odor. The musty or sharp twang in the basement after a frozen pipe burst. Worse yet, if professionals are not employed to extract your water loss, moisture can remain in your drywall, tile and even concrete.

The Goldilocks of Water Damage

preview-full-how-to-eliminate-odor-from-water-damageOdor from water damage occurs for many reasons. Some homeowners may not think there is water damage, only noticing the signs when there is a massive problem. Some owners think they can put off the problem, because it’s only a little smelly and they never go in the basement anyway. Aren’t basements supposed to smell a little, gross? Never ignore an odor from water damage, because it indicates harm for your family. While many articles suggest DIY treatments to get rid of a stench, the only solution suggested and safe is to call a professional. Professionals diagnose the water damage or odor, and then solve the issue. At Rainbow Restoration International of Northeastern Maryland, we help you eliminate the odor once and for all.

Coming Up Roses

Water damage can occur without the homeowner even knowing it has happened. Sometimes, the only indication is an odor left behind. It may be musty or sharp, and is often heavy. Professionals need to be called to eliminate the odor of water damage because often the scent will remain in drywall, tile and even concrete if drying is done improperly.

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Have You Had Your Ducts Cleaned Lately?

It’s that time of the year again, and the heat is going to be turned on sooner than you think. The heat in most hpreview-full-have-you-had-your-ducts-cleaned-latelyouses will flow through your air ducts, just like cool air that may have been on a lot this summer. Which also means you need to consider if it’s time to get your ducts cleaned. Duct cleaning is beneficial not only for the health of the inhabitants of your space, but also to prolong your system. It can also save on heating and cooling costs.

 

How duct cleaning is beneficial

 

When it comes to safety, duct cleaning is important for your home or office. Air flows through your duct system frequently, and in that air there are contaminants and pollutants. While most healthy people deal with the average contaminants and pollutants every day, some of these may stay in your ducts and become harmful. That is not to say that the contaminants and pollutants from your duct system are the main cause of illness for visitors and residents. Contaminants and pollutants enter your home or office through various ways, such as people coming in from outdoors, pets, and even cooking. However, duct cleaning may cut down on the number of pollutants and contaminants. You may wish to get your ducts cleaned if your duct system has visible mold growth inside a hard surface. It’s important to not only have an inspection if you suspect there’s mold, but to clean it right away.

 

Duct cleaning could improve energy efficiency

 

The EPA has released studies stating that keeping your heating and cooling system clean could improve your energy efficiency. That means lower energy bills. Your air ducts are a part of your heating and cooling system. Ignoring the other aspects of your system will not help if you only clean your ducts, so it’s important to treat the entire heating and cooling system. It’s particularly important to have clean air ducts, when your heating system is a fuel burning furnace. When cleaning ducts routinely, if your system is fuel burning the service that cleans your ducts can make sure that you’re protected against carbon monoxide poisoning. It does this by making sure that your system is properly functioning. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a silent killer and often forgotten in the hassle of preparing for winter.

 

Rainbow Restoration cleans your ducts

 

If cleaning your ductwork not only takes care of pollutants and contaminants, as well as lowering energy costs, why wouldn’t you? If your heating system is fuel burning, it is particularly important to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. That’s where Rainbow Restoration comes in. At Rainbow Restoration, located in Northeastern Maryland, our friendly team of professionals are experts in duct cleaning. We do work for all the insurance companies of Harford, Baltimore, and Cecil counties.

 

If you are in need of duct cleaning due to restoration, look no further. We can restore properties due to fire, flood, and mold. A 24/7 company with IICRC certification, we do background checks on all of our employees so you’re more than comfortable to invite them into your home or office for such a delicate and important task. Cleaning ducts seems like a dull job, but at Rainbow Restoration it’s far from it. We’re cleaning your ducts to protect your business or home from catastrophe and that’s not dull at all. Give Rainbow Restoration of Northeastern Maryland a call to set up your duct cleaning today.

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The Benefits of Heat Cleaning Hard Surfaces

Ceramic and porcelain tile floors are among the most popular choices for flooring, showers, and backsplashes. Not only because of their attractiveness, but also because they are durable, waterproof, and easy to install. However, to keep tile floors, showers, and other hard surfaces looking great for years to come, you should properly clean them via heat cleaning, by a professional, every one to three years.

Although your freshly-mopped tile floors may appear thoroughly clean, they are not deep cleaned. Unfortunately, mopping only spreads dirt and grime around. No dirt is extracted when mopping. Some of the dirt is absorbed by the mop, but the rest settles into the grout. Eventually, the tile and grout appear dull, dark, and dirty.

The Facts About Grout

As most people already know, grout is porous. Its rough surface absorbs moisture and discolors liquids, soap scum, dirt, and oils from your body thus breeding bacteria, mold, and mildew. This ultimately leads to the stain and discoloration of the grout. Without proper grout sealing, the moist, warm environments of kitchens and bathrooms are perfect surfaces for mold, mildew and bacteria to breed on. Additionally, if there are cracks in the grout or if the sealer is worn, moisture can sink into the grout.

It is very hard to remove stains from grout after they have settled. Restoring the grout to its original color, even with proper cleaning methods, proves to be extremely difficult – if it is even possible. Regular cleaning and maintenance by a professional is a must, in order to keep your tile and grout as clean as it was the day you installed it.

Heat Cleaning

Using state-of-the-art equipment combined with a high pressure heat cleaning system with proven cleaning solutions, Rainbow International Restoration restores the appearance of your tile and grout to a like-new appearance. To aid in making the grout more resistant to spills as well as prolong the sleek, clean appearance of the flooring, Rainbow’s experienced, certified technicians use a truck-mounted water extraction unit with high pound-force per square inch (PSI) that also heats the cleaning solvents to ensure a deep, sparkling clean.
Avoiding Damage and Illness
If mold and mildew spores grow in the grout and spread, the possibility of illness and mold damage is high. Mold damage can cause respiratory distress, allergies, and intensified asthma symptoms in individuals already diagnosed with asthma. In addition, once mold has damaged your home, you will be facing remediation and restoration costs. This can be avoided by having your floors and grout professionally cleaned as recommended.
The tile and grout cleaning experts at Rainbow International Restoration recommend all tile surfaces be cleaned every 1-3 years with a post-cleaning sealant applied to the grout. To keep your home or business flooring clean and free of mold, mildew, and dirt, call the Rainbow Restoration professionals at 877-853-2445 to set up a free, on-site, heat cleaning consultation.

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The Cold, Hard Facts of Dry Ice Blasting

Dry ice blasting is a form of carbon dioxide cleaning. This cleaning process takes dry ice, the solid form of carbon dioxide, and accelerates or “blasts” it in a pressurized air stream and directed at a surface or item to clean it. The dry ice almost immediately turns to gas, or sublimes, leaving no residue or secondary waste. Dry ice is soft enough not to pit or damage the underlying surface of the area or item to be cleaned. The only cleanup remaining is the material that was removed from the surface. Superior to other methods of cleaning, dry ice blasting is approved by the EPA, FDA, and USDA. It is 100% ecologically safe and is harmless to humans and animals.

Uses for Dry Ice Blasting

Proven to be very effective in fire restoration, it removes soot, char, residue and odor from all burned surfaces. Additionally, for industrial machinery cleaning, it removes oil, grease, adhesives, ink, asphalt, tar, wax, and other items that have built up on the surface. Dry ice blasting is non-toxic and non-hazardous making it the perfect cleaning method for food service machinery and medical appliances. It inhibits the growth of mold and bacteria.

Dry ice blasting maintains surface integrity; therefore, equipment does not have to be replaced due to surface erosion commonly seen with sand, glass beads, and other abrasive cleaning methods. Also, with traditional cleaning methods, equipment can be damaged while being moved to a different area to be cleaned. With dry ice blasting, most equipment and machinery can be cleaned while in place.

Dry ice blasting is an improvement over steam and water blasting for numerous reasons:

1. There’s no drying time. Immediately put generators and electrical parts back into service without waiting.
2. Mold and mildew removal are more complete with a much less chance of regenerating because of water vapor or moisture.
3. Removal of radioactive contaminate does not require huge containers for storage of contaminated water.
4. It replaces environmentally damaging solvents including trichloroethane, methylene chloride, cresylic acid, and caustic solutions.
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A More Thorough, Faster Cleaning Method

With the ability of dry ice blasting to clean equipment in place, it eliminates the need to move equipment which can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. There is no waiting for the equipment to cool down, disassembling it, transporting it to a designated cleaning area, reassembling it, and returning it. Dry ice blasting provides a more thorough cleaning and can shorten the cleaning time from days to hours, thus saving a tremendous amount of labor. Additionally, dry ice blasting cleans crevices and places that cannot be reached by hand resulting in equipment running more efficiently. Possible leaks are also revealed and may prevent major equipment failures in the future.

Rainbow International of Northeastern Maryland is 24/7 full service, IICRC Certified restoration company. Each and every one of their technicians are trained and certified to provide the very best remediation and restoration services. For more information on dry ice blasting or any other specialty cleaning needs you may have, call them at 877-853-2445 or fill out the contact form here.

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The Effects of Mold on Your Home and Your Health

Mold damage can have in severe consequences to your home and, more importantly, to your and your family’s health. Mold has the ability to grow anywhere in your home and it may or may not be visible. Dampness or additional moisture in your home enables the mold to colonize and grow. The organic compounds of building materials give mold a food base. This allows mold to spread and multiply which affects the structural integrity of your home. It does not go away on its own. Until the mold is removed from your home, the mold spores will continue to spread. Actively growing mold damages the structure, or any material, it grows on.

Growth Opportunities

Mold damage is often associated with a water leak, flood, drainage issues, or other problems that result in a sizable amount of water settling indoors. These all can and sometimes do cause mold; however, it is important to recognize there are other things in your home that provide ample opportunities for the growth of mold spores even in the absence of water. Some of these are:

• Air conditioners
• Window condensation
• Dehumidifiers
• Air filters
• Damp bathrooms
• Potted plants
• Clothes dryers
• Dishwashers

Anything that generates water vapor gives mold spores a place to grow and thrive. It is essential to clean up excess water immediately to prevent the growth of mold and mold damage.

Health Hazards of Mold Damage Exposure

There are numerous health risks associated with the growth of mold and mold damage. The EPA states that molds can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs. Individuals who are sensitive to mold may experience allergic reactions including sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rashes. Mold can also trigger asthma attacks in sensitive individuals with asthma.

The CDC reports that people with severe reactions may experience fever and shortness of breath. Individuals with chronic lung illnesses, such as obstructive lung disease, may develop mold infections in their lungs. Health problems resulting from mold exposure can last for years.

Individuals who suffer neurological symptoms such as headaches, trouble concentrating, shortened attention span, memory loss, and dizziness may have toxic mold growing somewhere in their homes. Mycotoxins from toxic molds can have a mental effect on people much more severe than the allergic symptoms caused by other non-toxic molds. Similar to allergies, if any toxic symptoms increase when you are at home, it is likely there is toxic mold growing in your home.

Take Action

If you think you have a mold issue, call the professionals at Rainbow International Restoration to schedule an on-site consultation to have your home inspected for mold and/or mold damage. Their certified mold removal specialists will evaluate mold growth (visible or suspected), contain mold damage to the smallest area possible, physically remove contamination, dry materials to ensure mold will not return, and perform or recommend procedures for returning your property to a pre-loss condition.

If you see mold damage or suspect mold growth, call today. Mold damage to your home can be repaired in a timely manner, your health may take much, much longer.

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We Clean Your Belongings at Our Place, Not Yours

If your home or business suffers water, fire, smoke, or mold damage, it can be a very traumatizing time in your life. Working through the emotional loss and dealing with the property loss on top of filing insurance claims leaves you little time to clean your personal belongings. How to clean them properly may also have your mind boggled.

This is when you need a professional cleaning company to help you. At Rainbow International Restoration, we’ve got you covered. We sympathize with what you are experiencing on a personal level as well as a professional level.

How it Works

Our service professionals ensure your personal belongings receive the best possible care by meticulously documenting each and every item including photo documentation, identification numbers and detailed lists. Using Assured PackOut software in our inventory process, we are able to provide precise tracking of your items. All of your personal belongings are carefully and respectfully packed to be transferred to an off-site facility to be professionally cleaned and restored, if possible.

At the off-site Rainbow International Restoration facility, your items are stored in a secure, climate-controlled environment where they will remain until the professional cleaning and restoration process of your home or business has been completed.

Professional Cleaning and Restoration

Successfully restoring personal belongings can help ensure significant cost-savings over item replacement as well as avoiding the loss of items no amount of money can replace. Using industry-leading technology, equipment, processes, and training, we guarantee your valuables are handled in the most responsible and professional manner possible.

Rainbow International has cleaned and restored to pre-damaged condition a wide diversity of personal items. These items include but are not limited to:

• Artwork
• Documents
• Books
• Photographs
• VHS and DVD media
• Clothing
• Electronics (televisions, computers, stereos, etc.)
• Furniture
• Rugs
• Retail Inventory

Equipment and Processes

At Rainbow International Restoration, we use a wide variety of professional cleaning equipment and processes to clean your personal belongings. By performing an expert inspection of the items to be cleaned and restored, including materials, composition, durability, type of damage, and known reaction to certain restoration processes, we are able to determine the equipment and methods used to professionally clean and restore your items. These may include:

• Specialized drying chambers
• Ultrasonic cleaning
• Launder/dry cleaning
• Spray and wipe
• Immersion cleaning
• Ozone treatment
• Air duct cleaning
• Deodorization

We Deliver

When the professional cleaning and restoration process of your personal belongings is complete, they are returned to you in the exact same manner they were taken. Using the same inventory procedures and documentation used in the pack-out process, your personal content is loaded, transported, and delivered back to you with extreme care. It is then reconciled with the original pack-out inventories.

By using these industry-leading processes, procedures, and technologies, we provide complete professional cleaning and restoration of your contents as well as your structure. Call Rainbow International Restoration at 877-853-2445 immediately if you are the unfortunate victim of a house or business fire, smoke damage, water damage, or mold damage. Our service professionals are available 24/7 to help you.

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How Rainbow Restoration Goes Above and Beyond

Since 2009, Rainbow Restoration has provided exemplary restorations and customer service. Their approach to doing business is goal-oriented to ensure the job is done professionally and the customer is completely satisfied; however, they actually go far above and beyond the call of duty.

Customer Service

The owner of Rainbow Restoration, Jay Van Deusen, goes by the philosophy, “Slow it down in order to speed it up.” This translates to explaining every detail of a restoration process so the customer is aware of what is happening with their home or business. More importantly, it means taking the time to understand and sympathize with the situation the customer is experiencing. A fire that destroys part of your home and personal belongings can be devastating. Jay and his team at Rainbow Restoration understand this and sympathize with what the homeowner is experiencing. By taking the time to listen and relate to the customer as a person first, Rainbow Restoration establishes a person-to-person relationship which is very rare in today’s business world.

The Team

Every employee at Rainbow Restoration has completed a background check and they are the type of people you would welcome into your home. Friendly, trustworthy, and highly-trained, they treat your home as if it were their own. Communication is key with Rainbow Restoration and you, the homeowner, are kept in the loop of what is happening every step of the way. Any question you have can and will be answered on the spot.

Cleaning Services

When your home has suffered damage such as fire damage, water damage, and sewer damage, your personal belongings will need to be cleaned. Rainbow Restoration takes your belongings to their place to clean them and they treat them like their own. A detailed inventory of every item they take is provided and, once cleaned, the items are stored in a vault until your home is restored and you are ready for them to be returned. How’s that for convenience and professionalism?

Insurance Companies and Communication

When faced with a disaster in your home, you are forced to deal with the insurance company, right? Not in this case. Rainbow Restoration communicates with the insurance company for you so you have one less thing to worry about. They do work for all insurance companies in Harford, Baltimore, and Cecil Counties. Simply by placing a call to their office, they coordinate with your insurance agent. It really is that simple.

In addition to working with the insurance company, Rainbow Restoration educates insurance companies with free classes. To support the insurance agents it serves, Rainbow Restoration offers 15 courses each year through which insurance agents can earn continuing education credit. Rainbow Restoration developed the classes and he and his employees teach them. This is quite a testament to how qualified the staff is.

Additional Services

Rainbow Restoration offers services other than restoration. Carpet cleaning, mold inspection, dry ice blasting, duct cleaning, sanitizing, deodorizing, laundry and dry cleaning, tile, grout, and hard surface cleaning, and biohazard and crime scene cleanup are just some of the additional services performed by Rainbow Restoration’s industry professionals.

They’re Always Available

Not all disasters strike during the daylight hours and on weekdays. Rainbow Restoration is well-aware of this fact and that is why they are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can call 877-853-2445 at any time of the day or night for any type of disaster and their 24-hour Emergency Response Team will be there as soon as physically possible.

When you have experienced a traumatic event to your home or business, you need help – help that cares and understands. Hopefully, you will never need restoration services but, in the unfortunate case that you do, contact Rainbow Restoration. Their entire team, including their office staff, is honest, trustworthy, experienced, and always willing to go the extra mile.

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Why Biohazard Spills and Crime Scenes are Suited for Professional Cleaning

Crime scene cleanup is defined as the cleanup of blood, bodily fluids, and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). It is also referred to as biohazard remediation because crime scenes are only a portion of the situations wherein biohazard cleaning is needed.

Other incidents when biohazard cleaning is needed include accidents, suicides, homicides, decomposition after death, mass trauma, industrial accidents, infectious disease contamination, drug/meth lab cleanup, bodily fluids and tissue cleanup, and animal infestation cleanup.

Rules & Regulations

Crime scene cleanup cannot be performed by an average citizen without certification and training.  There are a number of regulations on the local, state, and federal levels when it comes to biohazard cleaning.  Some of these regulations are as follows:

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is the government agency that oversees employee safety.  In order to meet OSHA’s strict regulations for collecting, decontaminating, and disposing of biohazard materials, trained personnel require Bloodborne Pathogen Certification. In the process of receiving this certification, crime scene cleanup professionals learn about the dangers of bloodborne pathogens, how to use cleaning, and personal protection equipment properly, including protective full-body suits, respirators, booties, and gloves. Professionals also learn the regulations for each crime scene cleanup.

The EPA has federal and state regulations regarding the disposal of blood and biological materials to avoid possible negative environmental impacts.  Without knowing these regulations, you could face hefty fines.

The CDC has several booklets and resources regarding emergency response disasters, crime scene cleanup, and hazardous chemicals regulations.

All of these rules and regulations exist for your safety, and to protect you from exposure to dangerous chemicals, diseases, and toxins.

The Professionals

Certain skills are needed for different types of crime scene cleanup.  For example, cleaning of a methamphetamine lab may involve removing walls and shelves; therefore, a construction background is necessary.  Cleaning blood off of the carpet also means cleaning under the carpet.  This task requires professional carpet cleaners.

Rainbow International Restoration is experienced and certified in professional cleaning and restoration services.  Understanding the sensitivity of such situations while providing professional, respectful services is what we do best.  Our certified technicians ensure that all aspects of the scene that could lead to an unhealthy or hazardous environment are removed. The goal is to return the scene to the same condition it was in before the event occurred.

In some cases, the job is complete when cleanup is finished; however, other situations may require restoration such as repairing or replacing drywall, subfloor and other structural components, repainting damaged walls, replacing flooring, and checking plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems for full functionality

Our technicians are appropriately trained, educated, and certified to provide both crime scene cleanup and restoration services for your property.  For more information or to schedule services, please contact us at 757-447-9700.  Our team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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Taking Immediate Action Against Water Damage

Failure to take immediate action against water damage can result in serious consequences.  Moisture promotes the growth of mold and other organisms.  This greatly increases the risk of health problems because mold has a great impact on indoor air quality.  Allergies and asthma symptoms may be aggravated by mold exposure, especially in children or people with weakened immune systems.  Exposure to mold may also increase the risk of respiratory diseases.
The EPA states mold can grow anywhere – on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.  Mold destroys things it grows on which can end up costing you thousands of dollars.  The way to prevent mold is to prevent moisture.  Thus, if you have water damage in your home or business, you need to take action immediately.

Types of Water Damage

There are many things that can cause water damage.  Floods, heavy snow, heavy rain, broken pipes, leaky dishwashers, clogged toilets, overflowing washing machines, leaky roofs, plumbing leaks, and foundation cracks are just some of the possible causes of water damage. Too much water damage can result in minor problems like water in basement areas, or it can result in destruction of your home or business.

One of the most dangerous types of water damage is from sewage.  Sewage contains fungi, bacteria, and viruses which can lead to diseases.  The IICRC lists key principles homeowners should know about sewage backup.  If your home or business is infiltrated by sewage, you should evacuate immediately and call a reputable restoration company.  An experienced, trained can assess the damage and begin the remediation process.

Water Damage Categories

There are three categories of water damage.  The IICRC explains these categories as such:

  • Category 1. This is liquid from a clean and sanitary source such as faucets, toilet tanks, and drinking fountains. But, category one can quickly progress to category two.
  • Category 2. This category of liquid used to be called “grey water”, and is described as having a level of contaminates that may cause illness or discomfort if ingested. Sources include dishwasher or washing machine overflows, flush from sink drains, and toilet overflow with some urine but not feces.
  • Category 3. This is the worst classification and it is grossly unsanitary. It could cause severe illness or death if ingested. It used to be called “black water”, and sources include sewer backup, flooding from rivers or streams, toilet overflow with feces, and stagnant liquid that has begun to support bacterial growth.

As you can see, water damage progresses quickly and the hazards to your and your family’s health as well as the destruction of your home are not worth the risk of delaying remediation.

Call the Professionals

Rainbow International Restoration has a Remediation Team standing by to help you 24/7. They are IICRC-certified which means their technicians know the difference between all categories and classes of water damage and they form a restoration plan based on those factors.  Using a WRT (Water Damage Restoration Technician) and ASD (Applied Structural Drying) certified technicians who know the math and the science of drying your home or business, they restore your home or business to the way it was before sustaining water damage.

If you are the unfortunate victim of water damage, call Rainbow International Restoration immediately at 877-853-2445 to minimize damage to your home and your health.