Water is one of the great mechanisms of change in the world. Water can carve massive canyons out of solid rock, and it can drop loads of sediment that fill in valleys and expand deltas. Plants and animals thrive in the presence of water, and without it you’re left with nothing but an empty desert. Continue reading →
In one sense, mold is a bit like water. In small amounts, no mold is actually dangerous, but if you find yourself surrounded by huge amounts, a real health hazard exists. On the other hand, there are particular types of mold that present a higher health risk, because in addition to simply producing spores that people should not be breathing, the spores themselves contain “mycotoxins,” essentially substances that are poisonous to the human body. Keep in mind, ALL molds are unhealthy in large amounts, but these two types of mold in particular can cause illnesses at a faster, more serious rate. Continue reading →
If you live on the East Coast, it rains a lot. Some years it rains more than others, but thanks to the Atlantic Ocean we’re never too short on water. Continue reading →
For most people, the easiest way to test for mold also probably means that the problem is very severe. Being able to see mold all over the walls, or smell a powerful, musty odor means that the mold infestation is already at a serious stage. By the time it hits this stage, a serious mold remediation process is called for, and there’s little choice but to bring in the experts. Continue reading →
Despite the fact that the phrase “roof over our heads” is synonymous with safe shelter, very few people give much thought to how important the roof is to the overall welfare of the home and its residents. To many, the roof is just something that keeps the rain out, and some make many modifications to the roof in order to make it more “useful,” installing skylights, adding solar panels, or even just old fashioned features like chimneys. Various vents for other appliances as well as other features all act as points of penetration on a roof where rain water or melt water from a spring snow melt can get into a home. Continue reading →
When you’re standing on your own two feet, the world can seem like a pretty sturdy place. Grass and dirt may feel just a little bit springy, at least compared to packed earth or pavement, but overall you can trust that it won’t slip out from under you or randomly list to the side. Continue reading →
Humidity is one a regularly occurring phenomena that everyone is familiar with, though not everyone necessarily understands the full import of what it can do. The concept of humidity doesn’t seem especially harmful, after all, moisture in the air doesn’t sound like such a bad thing, but in the long run, it can lead to the damage of wood, or make conditions within a home more inviting to hazardous organisms like mold. The most common solution to a problem of excessive, regular humidity is a device called a dehumidifier, but does it really work? Continue reading →
The earth surrounding your home seems like a pretty solid thing; after all you walk on it, and everyone builds on top of it, so it’s hard to think of it as especially delicate. In the short term, that’s true, but for longer periods of time, especially years and decades, soil is a pliable, changeable thing that can have an effect on everything around it, including the buildings constructed on top and in it. But how and why does this happen? Continue reading →
One of the worst scenarios for a water damage is a flooded basement, but one of the worst ways that a basement can flood is through sewer lines. This happens when heavy rains or any other form of excessive water overwhelms a sewage system, and rather than flowing safely away from homes, the sewer, over its own capacity, starts forcing water out any way it can, including back out into homes. Continue reading →
More so than any other insect, termites are a bane to the homeowner. While other infestations like ants and cockroaches are an unsightly and unwanted addition to any house, these pests mainly eat the same sorts of food as humans and do minimal damage to the building. On the other hand, termites consume the very walls themselves. Continue reading →
