Our lives are often contained in our legal papers and other documents that are important to us, so taking good care of them and keeping track of where they are at all times is pretty important for most people. If it is not important to you, it should be, since losing these items can cause you problems later on. These documents can include anything from a birth certificate to a death certificate and from divorce papers to marriage papers and everything in between. Insurance documents, contracts, bank statements, tax records, and anything else that you can think of that you might need in the legal arena is something that you need to take care of and while this may seem like a daunting task for most people, it really is necessary in order to retain a somewhat organized life.
But, what do you do when a flood strikes your home? The documents that you have done so much to take care of are often flooded along with the rest of your home and depending on the amount of time they stayed in the water, they may not be salvageable. One thing that you can do to protect your most important documents is to purchase a waterproof safe. These can protect your papers in some of the most dilapidated watery conditions in a way that other plastic containers and drawers cannot.
When sewage, chemicals, bacteria, and other things contaminate your home and everything in it, you will want to know that the copy of your homeowner’s insurance policy is safe. Floods are not covered by most insurance policies, but if you have purchased it, you will want to find your copy of the policy as soon as possible after the event occurs. If it is lost in the sea of contaminated items in your home and damaged beyond repair, you may be in trouble. Water damaged papers are difficult to salvage sometimes, but you will not have to worry about this if you have a waterproof safe in your home to hold your most valuable possessions and documents.
Purchasing a safe that is both waterproof and fireproof can be an even better investment. Unlike water damaged documents, fire damaged documents are usually not salvageable, since there is often only a scrap or two of it left after the fire is over.
Dror Klar is a writer and promoter of
Queens Water Removal
and
Elizabeth NJ Wet Basement Flooding Emergency Service Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Monday, February 4, 2008
When Remodeling Your Home Kitchen
Even though the kitchen is one of the only rooms in the house that gets cleaned every day or even two or three times a day, depending on how many meals you fix, it is also one of the rooms that is the most neglected as far as long term care. This is one of the two most important rooms in your house and will often be a selling factor of the home. You need to take care of this room’s structure and appearance, especially if you plan on selling your home any time soon. Do what you can to take care of the water damaged parts of your kitchen and learn how to prevent water damage from occurring in the future.
One thing to be sure of is that the flooring in your kitchen is waterproof and completely sealed. You can have a hardwood floor in your kitchen or even in your bathroom, but reviews on the subject by most people are mixed. Some say that they have had a hardwood floor in these areas for a long time and they have been no worse for the wear, but others have had problems. It is really up to you, but you should consider going with a laminate that looks similar to real wood, since this will resist absorbing water much better and it will look almost the same.
If the dishwasher in the house is old and malfunctions often, you should really consider replacing it, whether you have hardwood, laminate, linoleum, tile, or vinyl floors. It really does not matter. Too much water spilled on the floor will eventually damage it and the cabinets that it comes into contact with. If the dishwasher is malfunctioning, wash the dishes by hand until the problem is solved.
Your plumbing under the sink should also be checked on a regular basis. If you find that it is leaking, even only a few drips, you should put a bucket or a large bowl underneath it until you get a chance to fix it. It is important not to let this leak into your cabinets for very long, because it can cause the bottom to rot out.
If the power goes out and all the food in your freezer melts, you’ll have a fair sized water leak on the floor. Get this cleaned up as soon as possible, even if your floor is waterproofed.
Lastly, make sure you have a mop in your kitchen that really absorbs water well. Some cheaper mops simply will not do the job if you spill a large amount of water onto the floor. If you can afford one, you might even want to purchase a wet vacuum.
Dror Klar is a writer and promoter of
Manhattan Water Damage Repair
and
Elizabeth NJ Wet Basement Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
One thing to be sure of is that the flooring in your kitchen is waterproof and completely sealed. You can have a hardwood floor in your kitchen or even in your bathroom, but reviews on the subject by most people are mixed. Some say that they have had a hardwood floor in these areas for a long time and they have been no worse for the wear, but others have had problems. It is really up to you, but you should consider going with a laminate that looks similar to real wood, since this will resist absorbing water much better and it will look almost the same.
If the dishwasher in the house is old and malfunctions often, you should really consider replacing it, whether you have hardwood, laminate, linoleum, tile, or vinyl floors. It really does not matter. Too much water spilled on the floor will eventually damage it and the cabinets that it comes into contact with. If the dishwasher is malfunctioning, wash the dishes by hand until the problem is solved.
Your plumbing under the sink should also be checked on a regular basis. If you find that it is leaking, even only a few drips, you should put a bucket or a large bowl underneath it until you get a chance to fix it. It is important not to let this leak into your cabinets for very long, because it can cause the bottom to rot out.
If the power goes out and all the food in your freezer melts, you’ll have a fair sized water leak on the floor. Get this cleaned up as soon as possible, even if your floor is waterproofed.
Lastly, make sure you have a mop in your kitchen that really absorbs water well. Some cheaper mops simply will not do the job if you spill a large amount of water onto the floor. If you can afford one, you might even want to purchase a wet vacuum.
Dror Klar is a writer and promoter of
Manhattan Water Damage Repair
and
Elizabeth NJ Wet Basement Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Water Damage Considerations in the Bathroom
The bath has almost always been an important part of daily life for us all, even back into the ancient Romans who were known for their lavish and expensive bathing areas. The importance of the bath has not declined over time but has actually become much more important than it used to be, since most people are expected to bathe at least once a day. The bathroom takes a pretty heavy amount of abuse, though, and most people do not realize just how important it is not to neglect this area of the house. Neglecting the bathroom can knock thousands of dollars off the value of the home, especially if it appears to be structurally damaged by water.
Structural damage is significantly more important to take care of than cosmetic damage when you are trying to sell a home and a lot of the time, this damage is due to rotting support beams in the house. This is pretty common in the wet rooms of the property, such as the kitchen and the bathroom. One of the last things that any homeowner wants to deal with is the floor of a room collapsing, especially in the rooms that can add or subtract the most value from the house.
Make sure that the floor of your bathroom is extremely water tight. If water can get under the tile, it will soak the floor underneath and even though it does not seem like a lot to worry about, it will really add up over time. Having hardwood floors installed in either the kitchen or bathroom is not a good idea. Try installing laminate that is made to look like hardwood instead for a similar, yet more practical effect.
The ceiling and upper walls are often forgotten about completely when we think about the structural integrity of our homes, since we do not often look up long enough to realize that they need care, too. They take abuse in a different way, though; the steam that comes from taking a bath or a shower can damage these more than you think and this is why having an exhaust fan (as you see in most hotel bathrooms) is almost imperative if you want to avoid having to repaint or replace drywall in the future.
Something else important to think about is how often you allow your bathtub or toilet to overflow. If the bathroom is on the second floor or higher, this can wreak a huge amount of damage not only on the floor, but the ceiling underneath it. Do your best to not begin running a bath while you are on the phone or leave the room if you have to answer it. Keep an eye on it from the time you begin it until the time it ends and do not get occupied with other chores in the house.
Dror Klar is a writer and promoter of
Westchester County Water Damage Repair and
Elizabeth NJ Water Damage Repair Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Structural damage is significantly more important to take care of than cosmetic damage when you are trying to sell a home and a lot of the time, this damage is due to rotting support beams in the house. This is pretty common in the wet rooms of the property, such as the kitchen and the bathroom. One of the last things that any homeowner wants to deal with is the floor of a room collapsing, especially in the rooms that can add or subtract the most value from the house.
Make sure that the floor of your bathroom is extremely water tight. If water can get under the tile, it will soak the floor underneath and even though it does not seem like a lot to worry about, it will really add up over time. Having hardwood floors installed in either the kitchen or bathroom is not a good idea. Try installing laminate that is made to look like hardwood instead for a similar, yet more practical effect.
The ceiling and upper walls are often forgotten about completely when we think about the structural integrity of our homes, since we do not often look up long enough to realize that they need care, too. They take abuse in a different way, though; the steam that comes from taking a bath or a shower can damage these more than you think and this is why having an exhaust fan (as you see in most hotel bathrooms) is almost imperative if you want to avoid having to repaint or replace drywall in the future.
Something else important to think about is how often you allow your bathtub or toilet to overflow. If the bathroom is on the second floor or higher, this can wreak a huge amount of damage not only on the floor, but the ceiling underneath it. Do your best to not begin running a bath while you are on the phone or leave the room if you have to answer it. Keep an eye on it from the time you begin it until the time it ends and do not get occupied with other chores in the house.
Dror Klar is a writer and promoter of
Westchester County Water Damage Repair and
Elizabeth NJ Water Damage Repair Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Water Damage Concerns in the Kitchen
The heart of the house is the kitchen for most people, but they may not realize just how important taking care of this room is. Its structural integrity is often overlooked and everything in it is bound to take a lot of abuse, since it is one of the only rooms in your home that everyone goes into at least once or twice a day. The only other room that competes with this frequency is the bathroom in most circumstances, but it can suffer from about the same amount and kind of neglect. That neglect is water damage and these are the areas most at risk for it for obvious reasons.
Water damage not only does physical damage to the home, but it can also do a lot of damage to the value of the home, as well. Most people understate the drop in value that this can cause and thus, are not as careful in their kitchens as they need to be.
The most important structure in the kitchen is not really the most obvious one: the floor. The floor of your kitchen really needs to be water tight, since there are bound to be all kinds of spills, not just of water, but also of grease. For this reason, hardwood floors should not be put in the kitchen. Installing laminate floors that appear almost like natural wood is a great alternative, since they will handle spills much better.
Your dishwasher is also a concern. Malfunctions and leaks can end up doing a lot of damage to the floor over time and if you have one that does this often, consider saving up the money necessary to purchase a new one to replace it.
Another thing to consider is the ceilings and upper walls. You might not realize this, either, but the ceiling of your kitchen takes just as much of a beating as the floor does over the years. Steam from cooking on the stove year after year is absorbed by it and will eventually cause it to discolor or even to sag. Consider installing an exhaust vent in your kitchen if one does not already exist. This should do a great job of ridding the room of the excess humidity that can cause damage to the ceiling and also mold growth over time.
Try to keep any spills of water on the floor or counters cleaned up, since water and grease can do damage to anything if they are allowed to stay on the surface long enough.
Water damage not only does physical damage to the home, but it can also do a lot of damage to the value of the home, as well. Most people understate the drop in value that this can cause and thus, are not as careful in their kitchens as they need to be.
The most important structure in the kitchen is not really the most obvious one: the floor. The floor of your kitchen really needs to be water tight, since there are bound to be all kinds of spills, not just of water, but also of grease. For this reason, hardwood floors should not be put in the kitchen. Installing laminate floors that appear almost like natural wood is a great alternative, since they will handle spills much better.
Your dishwasher is also a concern. Malfunctions and leaks can end up doing a lot of damage to the floor over time and if you have one that does this often, consider saving up the money necessary to purchase a new one to replace it.
Another thing to consider is the ceilings and upper walls. You might not realize this, either, but the ceiling of your kitchen takes just as much of a beating as the floor does over the years. Steam from cooking on the stove year after year is absorbed by it and will eventually cause it to discolor or even to sag. Consider installing an exhaust vent in your kitchen if one does not already exist. This should do a great job of ridding the room of the excess humidity that can cause damage to the ceiling and also mold growth over time.
Try to keep any spills of water on the floor or counters cleaned up, since water and grease can do damage to anything if they are allowed to stay on the surface long enough.
Mold Spores and HEPA Filters
While you may think that HEPA filters are overrated and you do not need to have any appliances in your home that have them, you may want to rethink that logic and take a moment to consider all the things that contaminate the air inside your house. As people are spending more and more time making a living while working from home, we do not realize just how many airborne particles we are inhaling. Whether it is smoke, pet dander, dead skin cells, mold spores, chemical fumes, dust mites, or anything else that might become airborne, having a HEPA filter either on your vacuum cleaner or having an air purifier equipped with one can improve the quality of your health by leaps and bounds.
High Efficiency Particulate Air filters are becoming more and more popular these days, but many of us are still skeptical about what exactly their qualifications are. These filters are made up of fibers that are arranged randomly so that dust and other small particles in the air have a hard time navigating through them. They are capable of removing 99.97% of all particles in the air down to 0.3 microns in diameter. This is approximately 1/300 the width of a human hair.
Removing mold spores and other possible allergens are of particular concern for parents of children who have allergies and respiratory conditions. A household that suffers from a high mold spore count can benefit from the purchase of a vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a HEPA filter until they can afford to remove the mold from the property.
HEPA filters used in hospitals and other clean areas have also been known to incorporate ultra-violet lights to kill some live bacteria that often become trapped by it. Some of the most effective HEPA filters are capable of removing 99.995% of particles from the air and this means that they are very effective in reducing incidences of airborne disease transmission.
Some vacuum cleaners also come equipped with HEPA filters, although in order to be effective, all the air that the machine takes in must be pushed out through the filter and none of the air can be allowed to get past it. To get through the extra amount of air resistance, the motor of the vacuum also needs to be much more powerful, so these machines are typically quite a bit more expensive than your normal vacuum.
High Efficiency Particulate Air filters are becoming more and more popular these days, but many of us are still skeptical about what exactly their qualifications are. These filters are made up of fibers that are arranged randomly so that dust and other small particles in the air have a hard time navigating through them. They are capable of removing 99.97% of all particles in the air down to 0.3 microns in diameter. This is approximately 1/300 the width of a human hair.
Removing mold spores and other possible allergens are of particular concern for parents of children who have allergies and respiratory conditions. A household that suffers from a high mold spore count can benefit from the purchase of a vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a HEPA filter until they can afford to remove the mold from the property.
HEPA filters used in hospitals and other clean areas have also been known to incorporate ultra-violet lights to kill some live bacteria that often become trapped by it. Some of the most effective HEPA filters are capable of removing 99.995% of particles from the air and this means that they are very effective in reducing incidences of airborne disease transmission.
Some vacuum cleaners also come equipped with HEPA filters, although in order to be effective, all the air that the machine takes in must be pushed out through the filter and none of the air can be allowed to get past it. To get through the extra amount of air resistance, the motor of the vacuum also needs to be much more powerful, so these machines are typically quite a bit more expensive than your normal vacuum.
Avoid Purchasing a Flooded Car
If you are looking to purchase a vehicle, odds are fair that you cannot afford to purchase a brand new one right off the lot. Buying a new vehicle is often not necessary and you can get some pretty good deals, since most vehicles depreciate in value by thousands of dollars right after you drive them off the lot that you bought it from.
While there are many factors to consider when you purchase a used vehicle, one important thing to avoid when you do go looking is a vehicle that shows signs of water damage. The car could have been driven into a river or any other body of water and you simply not realize it, because the signs are often difficult to spot. You can purchase a vehicle history report from sites like Carfax.com, but you should be aware that these reports are not always entirely accurate. If damage was done to a vehicle and a claim not filed on it with the owner’s insurance company, then the damage will not show up on the history report. Unless the owner tells you the car was flooded, you will often not realize it until it is too late.
Look at the nooks and crannies of the vehicle for signs of silt or rust, especially in the trunk and the glove box. The area around the tail lights in the trunk is one of the first areas on a vehicle that will rust.
The upholstery in the vehicle also needs to be looked at. Smell the inside of the car and note if it is musty at all. This can be a sign that mold has started to grow inside either in the upholstery or the carpet itself. Be wary if the vehicle has been treated with air fresheners, since this may be being used to cover up an odor.
Flex the wires located under the dashboard. If they are brittle and crack at all, then they have probably been exposed to water.
Another thing to take into consideration if you can stand the condition of the interior of the car is the engine. Sand, dirt, and silt getting inside an engine like this can potentially ruin it and the last thing you want to do with a car you just purchased is replace the engine.
Always get a vehicle history report when you purchase a vehicle, but be sure to do your own inspection before buying anything. Hire a trusted mechanic to inspect the technical parts of the car if you have no experience in them, as well.
While there are many factors to consider when you purchase a used vehicle, one important thing to avoid when you do go looking is a vehicle that shows signs of water damage. The car could have been driven into a river or any other body of water and you simply not realize it, because the signs are often difficult to spot. You can purchase a vehicle history report from sites like Carfax.com, but you should be aware that these reports are not always entirely accurate. If damage was done to a vehicle and a claim not filed on it with the owner’s insurance company, then the damage will not show up on the history report. Unless the owner tells you the car was flooded, you will often not realize it until it is too late.
Look at the nooks and crannies of the vehicle for signs of silt or rust, especially in the trunk and the glove box. The area around the tail lights in the trunk is one of the first areas on a vehicle that will rust.
The upholstery in the vehicle also needs to be looked at. Smell the inside of the car and note if it is musty at all. This can be a sign that mold has started to grow inside either in the upholstery or the carpet itself. Be wary if the vehicle has been treated with air fresheners, since this may be being used to cover up an odor.
Flex the wires located under the dashboard. If they are brittle and crack at all, then they have probably been exposed to water.
Another thing to take into consideration if you can stand the condition of the interior of the car is the engine. Sand, dirt, and silt getting inside an engine like this can potentially ruin it and the last thing you want to do with a car you just purchased is replace the engine.
Always get a vehicle history report when you purchase a vehicle, but be sure to do your own inspection before buying anything. Hire a trusted mechanic to inspect the technical parts of the car if you have no experience in them, as well.
Thinking About Flipping a House With Mold?
When you are purchasing a house to flip it and earn a return on your investment, you need to do a few things before sealing the deal. One of the first things that you need to do is make sure that the property has no structural problems, especially if you are on a tight budget. Sometimes structural problems can be fixed fairly easily and buildings brought up to code by simply adding an extra support beam to a ceiling, but this is usually not the case.
One of the worst problems that you can run across when you are playing the house flipping game is mold growth anywhere in the house. Have the home tested for mold or moisture issues before you purchase it and if these problems arise, ask yourself just how much of your budget can you allocate to getting rid of this problem. You may want to pass if the mold remediation will take too big of a chunk out of your budget and move onto the next property. A number of factors will determine if the problem is worth it.
What is the house worth and how much do you expect to earn when you sell it? A $550,000 house you purchased for $400,000 with a $5,000 mold problem is not such a bad thing, but if it is all over the house and you have to tear down all the walls and replace them, you may be looking at much more work than will be worth it in the end.
Is the mold growth isolated to one part of the house? Is it dead? If the mold is dead and you can remove the affected drywall or wood fairly easily, it might be worth it. You need to look around for water damage in the molded area, though, and determine if there is still a water damage issue that needs to be repaired. The most important thing is to make sure that there are no plumbing leaks in the house.
Know what you are getting yourself into when you make the decision to purchase a home contaminated with mold. If it is only in one room and there do not appear to be any expensive water damage issues to deal with, it might be worth it. If you think you will make significantly more than the remediation will cost you, go for it. But, if the mold is all over the house and you’re on a budget, stay away.
One of the worst problems that you can run across when you are playing the house flipping game is mold growth anywhere in the house. Have the home tested for mold or moisture issues before you purchase it and if these problems arise, ask yourself just how much of your budget can you allocate to getting rid of this problem. You may want to pass if the mold remediation will take too big of a chunk out of your budget and move onto the next property. A number of factors will determine if the problem is worth it.
What is the house worth and how much do you expect to earn when you sell it? A $550,000 house you purchased for $400,000 with a $5,000 mold problem is not such a bad thing, but if it is all over the house and you have to tear down all the walls and replace them, you may be looking at much more work than will be worth it in the end.
Is the mold growth isolated to one part of the house? Is it dead? If the mold is dead and you can remove the affected drywall or wood fairly easily, it might be worth it. You need to look around for water damage in the molded area, though, and determine if there is still a water damage issue that needs to be repaired. The most important thing is to make sure that there are no plumbing leaks in the house.
Know what you are getting yourself into when you make the decision to purchase a home contaminated with mold. If it is only in one room and there do not appear to be any expensive water damage issues to deal with, it might be worth it. If you think you will make significantly more than the remediation will cost you, go for it. But, if the mold is all over the house and you’re on a budget, stay away.
Taking Care of Mold in Your Kitchen
The kitchen is often the heart of the household and since we have to eat to survive, this is one of the most important rooms in your home to keep clean. This means not only the countertops, dishes, and table where we eat, but also the inside of the refrigerator where we keep our food. We should pay special attention to what we take into our bodies, since foods that have become contaminated can make the strongest of us deathly ill.
So, just exactly what foods do we need to throw away? Well, not all foods that are outdated need to be thrown out. Most of the time the expiration date refers to the date that the grocery store has to sell the item by, not necessarily the date that it needs to be consumed by. Many items will remain safe to eat for months after their expiration dates, as long as the seal on them has not been broken. Once the seal has been broken, though, these items will go bad just like anything else.
Once an item has had its seal broken, it is exposed to mold spores, bacteria, viruses, and other hazards in the household. Keeping the inside of your refrigerator cleaned out can help reduce this, but the threat will always be there. Almost anything that you find in the refrigerator that has become molded needs to be thrown away, but a couple of things are fine as long as you cut off the molded parts and a generous portion around them. This includes dense items that do not contain a high moisture content, like hard salami and blocks of cheese. Items that have a lot of moisture, like jams, jellies, sour cream, mayonnaise, and etcetera cannot be saved. Do not consume these items under any circumstances.
Fruits and vegetables that become molded usually need to be thrown away, as well. Keep a check on your produce supply to make sure that one bad item does not contaminate the rest. Mold spreads fairly quickly over these and it needs to remain monitored or you will have wasted a good sum of money on fresh produce for nothing. Never buy more than you will consume within the next few days.
Cleaning out your refrigerator at least once every few months is advised to keep bacteria from building up inside it. This can be a chore that your kids can do, but only if you show them how to do is properly first. If not done correctly, it might as well not have been done at all.
So, just exactly what foods do we need to throw away? Well, not all foods that are outdated need to be thrown out. Most of the time the expiration date refers to the date that the grocery store has to sell the item by, not necessarily the date that it needs to be consumed by. Many items will remain safe to eat for months after their expiration dates, as long as the seal on them has not been broken. Once the seal has been broken, though, these items will go bad just like anything else.
Once an item has had its seal broken, it is exposed to mold spores, bacteria, viruses, and other hazards in the household. Keeping the inside of your refrigerator cleaned out can help reduce this, but the threat will always be there. Almost anything that you find in the refrigerator that has become molded needs to be thrown away, but a couple of things are fine as long as you cut off the molded parts and a generous portion around them. This includes dense items that do not contain a high moisture content, like hard salami and blocks of cheese. Items that have a lot of moisture, like jams, jellies, sour cream, mayonnaise, and etcetera cannot be saved. Do not consume these items under any circumstances.
Fruits and vegetables that become molded usually need to be thrown away, as well. Keep a check on your produce supply to make sure that one bad item does not contaminate the rest. Mold spreads fairly quickly over these and it needs to remain monitored or you will have wasted a good sum of money on fresh produce for nothing. Never buy more than you will consume within the next few days.
Cleaning out your refrigerator at least once every few months is advised to keep bacteria from building up inside it. This can be a chore that your kids can do, but only if you show them how to do is properly first. If not done correctly, it might as well not have been done at all.
Plumbing and Mold Issues for New Home Builders
When you are having a contractor build your home, there are a few things that you need to do before they begin the project.
The first thing on the list is to find a contractor that you think that you can trust. Finding one through the phone book is not an entirely bad idea, but asking around can be more beneficial. You can use the phone book to do this or ask friends for the name of a good contractor, you will still want to get at least three different contractors on a list of those that you are considering. Make sure they all three get the same set of building plans so they are all bidding on the same project.
When looking at the bids that you have received, be wary of a bid that is significantly lower than the others. This may be a sign of inexperience or desperation. While desperation is not necessarily a bad thing, inexperience is your enemy and you need to avoid hiring an inexperienced contractor. Consider the lowest offer, but do a good amount of research on the contractor first. Get more references from him than for the higher offers to ensure that he is experienced and will do a good job.
No matter which contractor that you choose from your list, you need to visit the job site as often as possible to ensure that your new home is being built correctly and is completely up to your local building codes. Building codes vary from state to state and even city to city, so be aware that a building inspector may come by to make sure it is done correctly. You should also pay good attention to how your contractor is taking care of your building materials. Nothing should ever be stored on the ground, especially wood and drywall. These will mold fairly quickly and the last thing you want is mold built into your brand new home. For best results, have a mold inspector come out to look at the property a few times before the project is completed.
Having an experienced plumber on the job is also very necessary. Bad plumbing in your home can cause water damage that is often very expensive to repair and you never know when a leak will spring up. If a building inspector has not come out to check the property, make sure he or she does to inspect this.
The first thing on the list is to find a contractor that you think that you can trust. Finding one through the phone book is not an entirely bad idea, but asking around can be more beneficial. You can use the phone book to do this or ask friends for the name of a good contractor, you will still want to get at least three different contractors on a list of those that you are considering. Make sure they all three get the same set of building plans so they are all bidding on the same project.
When looking at the bids that you have received, be wary of a bid that is significantly lower than the others. This may be a sign of inexperience or desperation. While desperation is not necessarily a bad thing, inexperience is your enemy and you need to avoid hiring an inexperienced contractor. Consider the lowest offer, but do a good amount of research on the contractor first. Get more references from him than for the higher offers to ensure that he is experienced and will do a good job.
No matter which contractor that you choose from your list, you need to visit the job site as often as possible to ensure that your new home is being built correctly and is completely up to your local building codes. Building codes vary from state to state and even city to city, so be aware that a building inspector may come by to make sure it is done correctly. You should also pay good attention to how your contractor is taking care of your building materials. Nothing should ever be stored on the ground, especially wood and drywall. These will mold fairly quickly and the last thing you want is mold built into your brand new home. For best results, have a mold inspector come out to look at the property a few times before the project is completed.
Having an experienced plumber on the job is also very necessary. Bad plumbing in your home can cause water damage that is often very expensive to repair and you never know when a leak will spring up. If a building inspector has not come out to check the property, make sure he or she does to inspect this.
Mold Threatens Home Canned Food
If you have a fair sized garden, odds are pretty good that you know how to can a lot of the things that come out of it. This can include tomatoes, cucumbers, and just about anything you can think of. When you can your food at home out of your own garden, you know exactly what is going into it without having to look on the back of the package. Unfortunately, though, some of the people who can their own vegetables at home are making some mistakes that completely void the benefits of doing this themselves.
Mold likes to grow on anything that is organic and of course, this includes anything that you are canning in your own kitchen. But, canning your own food is completely safe and you will not run into any mold contamination issues after the jars are sealed, right..? Wrong!
Before beginning the canning process, you need to make sure that you are using only the best samples from your garden. If there are any fruits or vegetables that you are unsure about, do not use them. One bad vegetable or fruit will cause the whole batch to be bad.
Sterilize everything. This includes the jars and everything the food is going to come into contact with. You can sterilize the jars by filling them and the pot they are in with hot water and heating it to boiling. Bring the temperature of the water up gradually and do not insert a jar into water that is already boiling. They should stand upright with water inside them.
You should also not pack things too tightly inside the jars. This can keep the food in the middle from reaching a sterilizing temperature and can leave microorganisms such as bacteria and mold spores alive. After you pack the jars full of whatever you want to can, you need to begin the processing immediately. Do not use old jars and lids for this, because they may not seal entirely.
Any jars that are found to have mold growing in them need to be thrown out. This food is no longer safe to eat, even if you take what appears to be the only molded part out.
After the processing bit is over with, you should store these in an area away from heat and sunlight. They should be let to cool naturally.
Mold likes to grow on anything that is organic and of course, this includes anything that you are canning in your own kitchen. But, canning your own food is completely safe and you will not run into any mold contamination issues after the jars are sealed, right..? Wrong!
Before beginning the canning process, you need to make sure that you are using only the best samples from your garden. If there are any fruits or vegetables that you are unsure about, do not use them. One bad vegetable or fruit will cause the whole batch to be bad.
Sterilize everything. This includes the jars and everything the food is going to come into contact with. You can sterilize the jars by filling them and the pot they are in with hot water and heating it to boiling. Bring the temperature of the water up gradually and do not insert a jar into water that is already boiling. They should stand upright with water inside them.
You should also not pack things too tightly inside the jars. This can keep the food in the middle from reaching a sterilizing temperature and can leave microorganisms such as bacteria and mold spores alive. After you pack the jars full of whatever you want to can, you need to begin the processing immediately. Do not use old jars and lids for this, because they may not seal entirely.
Any jars that are found to have mold growing in them need to be thrown out. This food is no longer safe to eat, even if you take what appears to be the only molded part out.
After the processing bit is over with, you should store these in an area away from heat and sunlight. They should be let to cool naturally.
Mold and Plumbing Considerations When Hiring a Contractor
When building a new home or remodeling your old one, the most important decision that you need to make is who will do the job. The contractor that you hire to do this project is obviously going to influence how it turns out, not the budget or what type of materials you plan on using. You could do some of the remodeling work on your own and get away with it if you do your research ahead of time, but if you are planning on building a house and have no prior experience, then the best thing to do is to leave it to the professionals.
Finding a contractor in the phone book might not seem like a great idea, but for those of us moving to new areas and wanting to build a new home there, we may not have the advantage of talking to friends and neighbors in the area and getting references. No matter which method you use, you will want to get at least three different bids using the same exact building plans. Ask for references and do not be afraid to check up on them. Ask any of the references if they have had problems with mold or water damage in their constructions since they were first built. This should give you a decent idea whether the contractor can do the job you want.
You should visit the job site often and pay attention to how the contractor and his people are treating the building materials that you had them purchase for the job. None of these things should be stored directly on the ground, especially drywall and lumber, since these are porous surfaces. Mold will start to grow on these items and it will become built into the foundation of your home from the very start and even though your contractor will be liable should you have a problem later, it will be a huge inconvenience to deal with. It is better to monitor the care of your home’s building materials from the beginning. Have a mold inspector come at different intervals during the construction.
Make sure that your contractor has a plumber that knows what he or she is doing on the job to install the plumbing system. You want to make sure that the plumbing system is installed on your property correctly and that it is up to code. If you are having new plumbing installed in your home as a part of a remodeling or renovation project, you will want to have it inspected to be sure that it is up to code, especially if you live in an area with strict building codes.
Finding a contractor in the phone book might not seem like a great idea, but for those of us moving to new areas and wanting to build a new home there, we may not have the advantage of talking to friends and neighbors in the area and getting references. No matter which method you use, you will want to get at least three different bids using the same exact building plans. Ask for references and do not be afraid to check up on them. Ask any of the references if they have had problems with mold or water damage in their constructions since they were first built. This should give you a decent idea whether the contractor can do the job you want.
You should visit the job site often and pay attention to how the contractor and his people are treating the building materials that you had them purchase for the job. None of these things should be stored directly on the ground, especially drywall and lumber, since these are porous surfaces. Mold will start to grow on these items and it will become built into the foundation of your home from the very start and even though your contractor will be liable should you have a problem later, it will be a huge inconvenience to deal with. It is better to monitor the care of your home’s building materials from the beginning. Have a mold inspector come at different intervals during the construction.
Make sure that your contractor has a plumber that knows what he or she is doing on the job to install the plumbing system. You want to make sure that the plumbing system is installed on your property correctly and that it is up to code. If you are having new plumbing installed in your home as a part of a remodeling or renovation project, you will want to have it inspected to be sure that it is up to code, especially if you live in an area with strict building codes.
Mold And Humidity Problems
Mold will grow just about anywhere, but it really becomes a problem for human beings when the mold spores found in your home land on a surface that is wet and is allowed to stay that way for more than about 48 hours. Mold spores are always present in the home in some capacity, no matter what kind of air purification you use, but there are a few things that you can do inside your home to stop them from forming colonies.
One thing that you need to understand is that mold cannot grow without moisture or in some cases, standing water. The areas of your home that have the highest humidity are the places where mold is the most likely to start growing. Laundry rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and basements are notorious for mold growth, so these are the rooms that you need to focus on.
Kitchens and bathrooms should have tile installed on the floors and never carpet. Tile will keep any spilled water from being absorbed by the sub-flooring and will allow you to clean up the moisture pretty quickly, whereas with carpet, it will not be as easy to soak up the spill. Something else to be aware of is that the carpet padding underneath it will need to be taken up and thrown away if it becomes moldy. So, even if you can clean the mold off of the carpet that you have installed, you will still have to remove it to install new padding. The best thing to do is not have carpet in these moist areas of your home.
Having exhaust fans installed in your home to help control the humidity is something else that you should consider. These will help remove not only moist air from the rooms they are installed in, but also help reduce irritants like pet dander and smoke. It might cost you a few hundred dollars to install these in the most humid rooms of the house, but it will be worth it in the end.
Something else you can do to control humidity is to keep wet items outside. This means you should not hang clothes up to dry in the laundry room or the basement and any wet clothing should be washed and dried as soon as possible.
Where there is mold, there is usually a water leak issue. This can be a leak in the basement or a household appliance or it can even be a plumbing leak inside the wall that you are not aware of. Getting rid of the mold problem in your home is directly related to how well you can manage the water problems in your house, so getting any leaks fixed as soon as possible is in your favor.
One thing that you need to understand is that mold cannot grow without moisture or in some cases, standing water. The areas of your home that have the highest humidity are the places where mold is the most likely to start growing. Laundry rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and basements are notorious for mold growth, so these are the rooms that you need to focus on.
Kitchens and bathrooms should have tile installed on the floors and never carpet. Tile will keep any spilled water from being absorbed by the sub-flooring and will allow you to clean up the moisture pretty quickly, whereas with carpet, it will not be as easy to soak up the spill. Something else to be aware of is that the carpet padding underneath it will need to be taken up and thrown away if it becomes moldy. So, even if you can clean the mold off of the carpet that you have installed, you will still have to remove it to install new padding. The best thing to do is not have carpet in these moist areas of your home.
Having exhaust fans installed in your home to help control the humidity is something else that you should consider. These will help remove not only moist air from the rooms they are installed in, but also help reduce irritants like pet dander and smoke. It might cost you a few hundred dollars to install these in the most humid rooms of the house, but it will be worth it in the end.
Something else you can do to control humidity is to keep wet items outside. This means you should not hang clothes up to dry in the laundry room or the basement and any wet clothing should be washed and dried as soon as possible.
Where there is mold, there is usually a water leak issue. This can be a leak in the basement or a household appliance or it can even be a plumbing leak inside the wall that you are not aware of. Getting rid of the mold problem in your home is directly related to how well you can manage the water problems in your house, so getting any leaks fixed as soon as possible is in your favor.
House Flipping Issues: Mold and Water Damage
House flipping is an alluring business venture for almost anyone interested in making a lot of money in a short period of time, but it is not typically as easy as the home decorating shows make it out to be. While they do tend to show most of the problems that can arise while you are renovating a home for sale, what they do not do is put you and your money in the situation. It takes a lot of patience and resourcefulness and if you do not have at least both of these things, you will not succeed in this endeavor.
One of the biggest problems that can surface when you are renovating a home for resale is the presence of mold. Mold growing inside a home can be a huge problem to deal with financially and can completely ruin your budget and possibly the entire project. Before you purchase a property for any reason, you should have it tested for mold growth. As long as you do this and the house comes up clean, you should have no problem with mold growth.
Even if you have already purchased the home and find mold in it, all is not lost. Most of the time removing the affected building materials that have mold on them will fix the problem, but you need to make sure that the mold is dead to be certain. If the mold is dead and there is not a moisture problem in the home, you should be fine. You will run into more problems, however, if you discover that there is a water leakage problem in the home. Any water leaks in the house can lead to mold growth and water damaged materials need to be removed as soon as possible. Look for signs of water damage wherever the mold growth appeared to see if anything needs to be replaced. This is especially true in bathrooms, even if no mold was found there. Floors that have cracked tile in them need to be checked for signs of rotting, so you are certain that you are not installing a new tile floor only to have it collapse later on. The structural integrity of the floors is extremely important for a good flip, because if the brand new toilet, tub, sink, and vanity all fall through the floor later on, you will definitely have some explaining to do to your buyer.
One of the biggest problems that can surface when you are renovating a home for resale is the presence of mold. Mold growing inside a home can be a huge problem to deal with financially and can completely ruin your budget and possibly the entire project. Before you purchase a property for any reason, you should have it tested for mold growth. As long as you do this and the house comes up clean, you should have no problem with mold growth.
Even if you have already purchased the home and find mold in it, all is not lost. Most of the time removing the affected building materials that have mold on them will fix the problem, but you need to make sure that the mold is dead to be certain. If the mold is dead and there is not a moisture problem in the home, you should be fine. You will run into more problems, however, if you discover that there is a water leakage problem in the home. Any water leaks in the house can lead to mold growth and water damaged materials need to be removed as soon as possible. Look for signs of water damage wherever the mold growth appeared to see if anything needs to be replaced. This is especially true in bathrooms, even if no mold was found there. Floors that have cracked tile in them need to be checked for signs of rotting, so you are certain that you are not installing a new tile floor only to have it collapse later on. The structural integrity of the floors is extremely important for a good flip, because if the brand new toilet, tub, sink, and vanity all fall through the floor later on, you will definitely have some explaining to do to your buyer.
HEPA Filters And Mold Spores
Most people know generally what a HEPA filter does, but what they usually do not know is just how beneficial having appliances in your home equipped with them can be. These filters are designed to remove almost anything that you can think of in your home’s air that could be making you sick or aggravating your allergies. With more and more people working from inside their homes, the importance of the air quality inside it has also increased. For those with pets, allergies, family members who smoke, among other things, having an air purifying system in your home equipped with a HEPA filter can help you make sure that your air stays pure to about 99.97%.
It stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air” and purchasing anything equipped with one can be a great benefit to your health. The technology was originally developed by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission for the removal of 99.97% of airborne particles so that your air is as pure as it is capable of being. These filters will remove irritants from the air down to about 0.3 microns in diameter. This includes almost everything that you can think of: pet dander, dust, mold spores, smoke, chemicals, and etcetera.
A vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter can be very helpful, since most vacuum cleaners simply throw dust and other particles up into the air. Stirring up these particles into your air is bad for everyone, but it always happens when you vacuum or dust items in your home.
Air purification systems are popular in homes with people who have respiratory conditions or those who become sick easily. These can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, though, so you will want to make sure that it will be worth it to you and your family. Some families will want or need these more than others.
If you are about to undertake a fair sized mold remediation in your home or someone else’s property, you might want to think about buying a respirator that is equipped with a HEPA filter. This will really help you if you are planning on tearing out drywall or are going into a home with a high mold spore count. The last thing that you need to do when you are doing one of these necessary projects is to go in without wearing a respirator at all. Wearing a simple N-95 type respirator from the hardware store is preferable to wearing none at all.
It stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air” and purchasing anything equipped with one can be a great benefit to your health. The technology was originally developed by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission for the removal of 99.97% of airborne particles so that your air is as pure as it is capable of being. These filters will remove irritants from the air down to about 0.3 microns in diameter. This includes almost everything that you can think of: pet dander, dust, mold spores, smoke, chemicals, and etcetera.
A vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter can be very helpful, since most vacuum cleaners simply throw dust and other particles up into the air. Stirring up these particles into your air is bad for everyone, but it always happens when you vacuum or dust items in your home.
Air purification systems are popular in homes with people who have respiratory conditions or those who become sick easily. These can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, though, so you will want to make sure that it will be worth it to you and your family. Some families will want or need these more than others.
If you are about to undertake a fair sized mold remediation in your home or someone else’s property, you might want to think about buying a respirator that is equipped with a HEPA filter. This will really help you if you are planning on tearing out drywall or are going into a home with a high mold spore count. The last thing that you need to do when you are doing one of these necessary projects is to go in without wearing a respirator at all. Wearing a simple N-95 type respirator from the hardware store is preferable to wearing none at all.
HEPA Filter Items Reduce Mold In Your Air
Whether you are attempting a large scale mold remediation in your home or you just want to keep the mold spore level in the air of your home down on a daily basis, items that have HEPA filters in them will go a long way to assisting you in this.
“HEPA” is an acronym standing for “High Efficiency Particulate Air” and it does exactly what the name suggests: it removes 99.9% of particles out of the air in your home, including mold spores, dust, gas, smoke, allergens, and etcetera. You may not realize it, but the air inside your house may be what is making you sick, since breathing air of poor quality can cause all kinds of health problems such as headaches, dizziness, red eye, congestion, fatigue, and can aggravate asthma and other respiratory conditions.
The HEPA filter technology was first developed by the United States Atomic Energy Commission to get rid of radioactive particles in the air. To quality as a real HEPA filter, it must be able to remove 99.97% of any particles that are as small as 0.3 microns. This is equal to about 1/300 of the diameter of one of the hairs on your head. These are usually used in hospitals and in clean rooms of laboratories or anywhere that clean air is important.
There are a few different products that you can purchase to help you breathe better air in your home. These are a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner and an air purifying system equipped with a HEPA filter. Dyson is one of the most popular brands, but it is also one of the most expensive.
HEPA filtered air purifiers are also quite expensive and most of them cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. They can also be purchased by how large of an air space that you need to have cleaned. Ionic air purifiers have been competing with these, however, because the ionic purifiers make no noise.
Almost anything with a HEPA filter in it is going to be expensive, but in the end it will probably be worth it, especially if you have small children or elderly people in the house. It will be even more beneficial if you or a member of your house has a respiratory condition like emphysema or asthma. If you are about to take on a large mold remediation project, purchasing a respirator equipped with a HEPA filter may be something that you want to consider, since opening up walls and removing contaminated material will stir up all kinds of particles.
“HEPA” is an acronym standing for “High Efficiency Particulate Air” and it does exactly what the name suggests: it removes 99.9% of particles out of the air in your home, including mold spores, dust, gas, smoke, allergens, and etcetera. You may not realize it, but the air inside your house may be what is making you sick, since breathing air of poor quality can cause all kinds of health problems such as headaches, dizziness, red eye, congestion, fatigue, and can aggravate asthma and other respiratory conditions.
The HEPA filter technology was first developed by the United States Atomic Energy Commission to get rid of radioactive particles in the air. To quality as a real HEPA filter, it must be able to remove 99.97% of any particles that are as small as 0.3 microns. This is equal to about 1/300 of the diameter of one of the hairs on your head. These are usually used in hospitals and in clean rooms of laboratories or anywhere that clean air is important.
There are a few different products that you can purchase to help you breathe better air in your home. These are a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner and an air purifying system equipped with a HEPA filter. Dyson is one of the most popular brands, but it is also one of the most expensive.
HEPA filtered air purifiers are also quite expensive and most of them cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. They can also be purchased by how large of an air space that you need to have cleaned. Ionic air purifiers have been competing with these, however, because the ionic purifiers make no noise.
Almost anything with a HEPA filter in it is going to be expensive, but in the end it will probably be worth it, especially if you have small children or elderly people in the house. It will be even more beneficial if you or a member of your house has a respiratory condition like emphysema or asthma. If you are about to take on a large mold remediation project, purchasing a respirator equipped with a HEPA filter may be something that you want to consider, since opening up walls and removing contaminated material will stir up all kinds of particles.
Controlling Humidity to Prevent Mold
There are a number of ways to keep the humidity in your home from building up to a level that it allows mold to grow inside the house. The air in your home should not be made completely dry, however, because both airs that are too dry or too wet can cause you and the other members of your household significant discomfort. Having air that is too dry in your home can cause nosebleeds, but having air that is too wet will allow mold to grow, which in turn can cause some serious health problems.
One thing that you should seriously consider is installing a dehumidifier in your basement, if you have one. This is one of the most difficult areas of your home to keep the humidity down in, so sometimes purchasing a piece of equipment to help is necessary. Other ways to keep the humidity in your basement down are pretty cheap, though, in comparison. If the concrete walls in your basement are leaking, you can usually fix this with an injection of concrete using a caulking gun. Something else that you can do is to install an exhaust fan in the basement to alleviate some of the moisture. If you use the basement to do laundry, one of the worst things that you can do is hang clothes up to dry there, since as the clothes dry out, the moisture evaporates and saturates the air around them.
To keep your house as dry as possible, you need to clean up spills of water as soon as they happen and these spills are most likely to happen in the kitchen or the bathroom. Both of these rooms should have tile installed on the floor that is water tight, so any spills that do occur do not leak water into the sub-flooring. Sub-flooring that keeps getting wet will eventually crumble, leaving your toilet, bathtub, or sink on the ground under the house. Most people have not had to deal with a floor collapse in their home, but water damage or termites are the usual culprits.
Replacing the plumbing in your home can also help with preventing water damage (and thus, excess humidity) in the house. Older homes may have plumbing that needs to be replaced, since these can not only become inefficient due to mineral buildup inside them, but are also more likely to leak. If you notice any discoloration of the drywall in your house near the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room, you might have a leak behind the wall that needs to be dealt with.
One thing that you should seriously consider is installing a dehumidifier in your basement, if you have one. This is one of the most difficult areas of your home to keep the humidity down in, so sometimes purchasing a piece of equipment to help is necessary. Other ways to keep the humidity in your basement down are pretty cheap, though, in comparison. If the concrete walls in your basement are leaking, you can usually fix this with an injection of concrete using a caulking gun. Something else that you can do is to install an exhaust fan in the basement to alleviate some of the moisture. If you use the basement to do laundry, one of the worst things that you can do is hang clothes up to dry there, since as the clothes dry out, the moisture evaporates and saturates the air around them.
To keep your house as dry as possible, you need to clean up spills of water as soon as they happen and these spills are most likely to happen in the kitchen or the bathroom. Both of these rooms should have tile installed on the floor that is water tight, so any spills that do occur do not leak water into the sub-flooring. Sub-flooring that keeps getting wet will eventually crumble, leaving your toilet, bathtub, or sink on the ground under the house. Most people have not had to deal with a floor collapse in their home, but water damage or termites are the usual culprits.
Replacing the plumbing in your home can also help with preventing water damage (and thus, excess humidity) in the house. Older homes may have plumbing that needs to be replaced, since these can not only become inefficient due to mineral buildup inside them, but are also more likely to leak. If you notice any discoloration of the drywall in your house near the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room, you might have a leak behind the wall that needs to be dealt with.
What Molded Foods to Discard
Knowing what kind of food in your refrigerator that has become moldy that you should throw away can sometimes be a difficult task, especially if you do not understand what kinds of foods are affected by mold the most severely. If people would keep their refrigerators cleaned out more often, there might be less instances of mold growth in them, but mold growing in the refrigerator on some food every once in a while is fairly unavoidable. Sometimes we leave things in the fridge for too long because we forget they are there or possibly we just put off eating that particular item until it becomes moldy and it is too late to save. So, what kinds of foods can be saved if they become contaminated by mold?
Fruits and vegetables can become moldy if you leave them in the refrigerator long enough and especially if there is a bad one among them that does not get thrown out. Leaving a bad fruit or vegetable near healthy ones will inevitably cause the others to go bad in a relatively short period of time. Most molded fruits and vegetables cannot be saved because these items are porous and generally have a high content of moisture.
Other foods that contain a high moisture content such as jams, jellies, and etcetera should also be thrown out if you find mold growing on them or even just on the inner surface on the lid of the jar. The mold will contaminate the entire jar, because they are not dense foods.
Foods like cakes, cookies, breads, and other baked goods should also be thrown away because of their porous, non-dense nature. We all know that breads can become moldy and most of us throw them away and this logic is usually applied to everything else baked in the oven.
Foods like blocks of cheese and hard salami, however, can usually be saved even if they become contaminated with mold. Simply take a knife and cut around the molded area by about one inch and cut one inch underneath. Throw the molded piece away. Unfortunately, individually sliced cheeses that become moldy cannot be treated in this manner because they are moist enough that the mold “roots” will contaminate the whole slice and even possibly the entire pack. Just throw them away.
Let’s review. Items that contain a lot of moisture such as cream cheese, sour cream, and etcetera should be thrown away. Foods that are also very porous like baked goods should also be thrown out. Dense foods like blocks of cheese and hard salami can be saved.
Fruits and vegetables can become moldy if you leave them in the refrigerator long enough and especially if there is a bad one among them that does not get thrown out. Leaving a bad fruit or vegetable near healthy ones will inevitably cause the others to go bad in a relatively short period of time. Most molded fruits and vegetables cannot be saved because these items are porous and generally have a high content of moisture.
Other foods that contain a high moisture content such as jams, jellies, and etcetera should also be thrown out if you find mold growing on them or even just on the inner surface on the lid of the jar. The mold will contaminate the entire jar, because they are not dense foods.
Foods like cakes, cookies, breads, and other baked goods should also be thrown away because of their porous, non-dense nature. We all know that breads can become moldy and most of us throw them away and this logic is usually applied to everything else baked in the oven.
Foods like blocks of cheese and hard salami, however, can usually be saved even if they become contaminated with mold. Simply take a knife and cut around the molded area by about one inch and cut one inch underneath. Throw the molded piece away. Unfortunately, individually sliced cheeses that become moldy cannot be treated in this manner because they are moist enough that the mold “roots” will contaminate the whole slice and even possibly the entire pack. Just throw them away.
Let’s review. Items that contain a lot of moisture such as cream cheese, sour cream, and etcetera should be thrown away. Foods that are also very porous like baked goods should also be thrown out. Dense foods like blocks of cheese and hard salami can be saved.
Stop Snow Mold From Eating Your Lawn
Most of us enjoy a nice patch of thick green grass under our feet during the spring and summer, but unfortunately for those people who live in areas that get thick blankets of snow, this might actually be something that they take for granted. Mold becomes a problem for some lawns during the winter time and can absolutely wreak havoc on them while that thick and beautiful blanket of snow graces your front yard. By the time it melts, you will be left with dead circular patches of grass all over and not a clue as to how they got there.
Mold is a problem generally when a thick and wet layer of snow falls on your front yard before the ground has had a chance to freeze and render the mold spores and fungus living there dormant. This means that when the blanket of snow is resting on your lawn and insulating it throughout the winter, mold is free to run amok and have a feast on it.
The symptoms of this lawn disease are typically circular patches of dead grass all over the lawn, but if the infection is severe, then you may not even be able to see these as circular patches due to the amount of grass that has been killed.
There are at least two different kinds of snow mold and these are pink and gray. The pink variety of snow mold seems to be the most dangerous of the two, as it is able to reach the roots of the grass and completely kill it. This is caused by the mold Microdochium nivale and can be anywhere from a light pink to a deep salmon-pink type color.
Gray snow mold is, as you would guess, anywhere from gray to white in color, but it is not caused by a specific mold. It is caused by molds in the genus Typhula. These molds do not affect more than the blades of grass and will not kill the grass down at the roots.
Snow mold occurs most often when a blanket of snow falls on a patch of ground that is not frozen and does not melt for an extended period of time. It can also occur, however, when fall leaves are let to cover a patch of grass for a long time. The best thing that you can do to prevent snow mold is to keep mowing your lawn as long as it keeps growing and do not fertilize your lawn less than six weeks before cold weather rolls in.
Mold is a problem generally when a thick and wet layer of snow falls on your front yard before the ground has had a chance to freeze and render the mold spores and fungus living there dormant. This means that when the blanket of snow is resting on your lawn and insulating it throughout the winter, mold is free to run amok and have a feast on it.
The symptoms of this lawn disease are typically circular patches of dead grass all over the lawn, but if the infection is severe, then you may not even be able to see these as circular patches due to the amount of grass that has been killed.
There are at least two different kinds of snow mold and these are pink and gray. The pink variety of snow mold seems to be the most dangerous of the two, as it is able to reach the roots of the grass and completely kill it. This is caused by the mold Microdochium nivale and can be anywhere from a light pink to a deep salmon-pink type color.
Gray snow mold is, as you would guess, anywhere from gray to white in color, but it is not caused by a specific mold. It is caused by molds in the genus Typhula. These molds do not affect more than the blades of grass and will not kill the grass down at the roots.
Snow mold occurs most often when a blanket of snow falls on a patch of ground that is not frozen and does not melt for an extended period of time. It can also occur, however, when fall leaves are let to cover a patch of grass for a long time. The best thing that you can do to prevent snow mold is to keep mowing your lawn as long as it keeps growing and do not fertilize your lawn less than six weeks before cold weather rolls in.
Ordinary Water Damage Prevention Tips
The majority of water damage to your home can be avoided if you just take a few simple steps. They are not as hard as you might think and you will be safeguarding the value of your home for years to come. Repairs for water damage do not typically come cheap unless you do it yourself and use less than ideal building materials, so why not do your best to avoid the problem altogether?
You might not be thinking about the structural integrity of your home when the washing machine or the bath tub overflows, but you probably should be. If you are a forgetful person that allows this to happen a lot more than it probably should, you could actually be doing quite a bit of damage to the floor of your home. Overflows like this should be avoided at all costs, but we are all a little forgetful sometimes.
Something that we also do not typically think about most of the time is whether or not the steam that exists in our kitchens and bathrooms actually has anywhere to go while we are bathing or cooking dinner. The sad fact is that if the steam does not have anywhere to go, it will stick to your walls, ceiling, and cabinets and be completely absorbed by them. When drywall absorbs too much water, the paper on the outside of it can start to sag and eventually, the entire board becomes weakened by it. Combine that with the unsightly appearance of water stains and you have a fair sized problem on your hands. The solution is to install a steam vent into both of these rooms near the source of the steam.
Keep your rain gutters cleaned out every fall. The purpose of the gutters is to collect the water that slides off of your roof when it rains, channel it to downspouts, and eventually down to the ground and away from the foundation of the home. Water that settles around the foundation of your home can be a real problem if you let it happen over years of time, because it can cause the home to start sinking into the ground.
Any leaks that you find in your roof need to be fixed as often as necessary, because a roof leak can ruin not only ceiling drywall, but also the fiberglass insulation that you might have in your attic. This insulation becomes completely useless and heavy when it gets wet and can eventually cause the drywall underneath it to collapse.
You might not be thinking about the structural integrity of your home when the washing machine or the bath tub overflows, but you probably should be. If you are a forgetful person that allows this to happen a lot more than it probably should, you could actually be doing quite a bit of damage to the floor of your home. Overflows like this should be avoided at all costs, but we are all a little forgetful sometimes.
Something that we also do not typically think about most of the time is whether or not the steam that exists in our kitchens and bathrooms actually has anywhere to go while we are bathing or cooking dinner. The sad fact is that if the steam does not have anywhere to go, it will stick to your walls, ceiling, and cabinets and be completely absorbed by them. When drywall absorbs too much water, the paper on the outside of it can start to sag and eventually, the entire board becomes weakened by it. Combine that with the unsightly appearance of water stains and you have a fair sized problem on your hands. The solution is to install a steam vent into both of these rooms near the source of the steam.
Keep your rain gutters cleaned out every fall. The purpose of the gutters is to collect the water that slides off of your roof when it rains, channel it to downspouts, and eventually down to the ground and away from the foundation of the home. Water that settles around the foundation of your home can be a real problem if you let it happen over years of time, because it can cause the home to start sinking into the ground.
Any leaks that you find in your roof need to be fixed as often as necessary, because a roof leak can ruin not only ceiling drywall, but also the fiberglass insulation that you might have in your attic. This insulation becomes completely useless and heavy when it gets wet and can eventually cause the drywall underneath it to collapse.
Mold Remediation Cleanup Equipment
When you are talking about cleaning up mold and removing it from your home, there are a few different methods that you can use. Depending on the size and type of infection, you might want to use one technique before trying the other, however. Large scale infections can be handled by you if you know what you are doing and have the proper equipment to assist you.
Using a wet vacuum to clean up standing water in your home is a good thing to start with. This is especially important if you suspect Stachybotrys chartarum or Stachybotrys atra have made a home out of an area of your basement a home. Stachy loves standing water and cellulose-based items such as cardboard and paper, so removing standing water from any part of your home is important to keeping this kind of mold from growing. It does not always need standing water in order to grow, but it helps significantly. You should be warned, however, that if an infection already exists, you should probably call a professional to deal with this particular mold because it has been given the deadly label of “toxic”.
A vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter can assist you when you are performing any invasive procedures on your home to remove the mold infection that exists. This usually means tearing out drywall or other building materials or even just removing contaminated wallpaper. The HEPA filter removes all particles from the air that is being collected by it and releases clean air back into your home. When emptying the vacuum’s receptacle, you do not want to touch any of this material with your bare hands. When dumping it into a garbage bag, be careful to stir up the contents into the air you are breathing as little as possible.
You will also want to have a good respirator if you are planning on doing any remediation on your own. These can be anything from a simple N-95 respirator that you can find in hardware stores all the way to an electric powered air purifying respirator that requires training in order to use it effectively.
You should also wear some breathable, protective clothing made of a material such as TYVEK when doing your own remediation. Anyone that you hire should also be wearing these, as well, as it is a sign of just how professional their company may or may not be.
Using a wet vacuum to clean up standing water in your home is a good thing to start with. This is especially important if you suspect Stachybotrys chartarum or Stachybotrys atra have made a home out of an area of your basement a home. Stachy loves standing water and cellulose-based items such as cardboard and paper, so removing standing water from any part of your home is important to keeping this kind of mold from growing. It does not always need standing water in order to grow, but it helps significantly. You should be warned, however, that if an infection already exists, you should probably call a professional to deal with this particular mold because it has been given the deadly label of “toxic”.
A vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter can assist you when you are performing any invasive procedures on your home to remove the mold infection that exists. This usually means tearing out drywall or other building materials or even just removing contaminated wallpaper. The HEPA filter removes all particles from the air that is being collected by it and releases clean air back into your home. When emptying the vacuum’s receptacle, you do not want to touch any of this material with your bare hands. When dumping it into a garbage bag, be careful to stir up the contents into the air you are breathing as little as possible.
You will also want to have a good respirator if you are planning on doing any remediation on your own. These can be anything from a simple N-95 respirator that you can find in hardware stores all the way to an electric powered air purifying respirator that requires training in order to use it effectively.
You should also wear some breathable, protective clothing made of a material such as TYVEK when doing your own remediation. Anyone that you hire should also be wearing these, as well, as it is a sign of just how professional their company may or may not be.
Mold Related Diseases
Mold Related Diseases
Exposure to mold for a long period of time can cause all different kinds of health problems and individual diseases, but some of us do not really understand just how inconvenient and even deadly some of these conditions can be. Whether the disease or condition ends in “osis” or “mycosis” does not really matter as much as the actual symptoms of the disease, which can even lead to death in some cases.
Those who are the most threatened by mold exposure are typically those who have weak constitutions. This can be an infant or a small child, an elderly person with health problems, or someone who has HIV or AIDS. Even perfectly healthy people can succumb to the effects of breathing in mold spores or letting it come into contact with their skin, but it usually takes longer for these individuals to develop symptoms.
The typical symptoms of these diseases can be mild flu or allergy symptoms like coughing, sneezing, or fever or they can be more serious such as coughing up blood, respiratory infections, or yeast infections. The kind of symptoms that surface usually depend upon the exact kind of infection you have developed, but some conditions, such as the presence of aspergilloma (or fungus balls) in the body have no symptoms for quite a while before they are finally detected.
Caused by molds in the genus called Aspergillis, aspergilloma is a fairly serious condition. When called by the common name of “fungus balls”, they not only sound pretty nasty; they actually are. They invade any pre-existing cavities in the organs of your body and those who are at the most risk to develop these are typically those who have had conditions like cancer or tuberculosis. Without any symptoms in the beginning, you probably will not realize that you have aspergilloma living inside you without your doctor performing a chest x-ray or other detection technique.
Penicilliosis is a disease that is native to the region of southeast Asia where the mold that causes it lives and this is referred to as the third most common infection that occurs in patients with HIV and AIDS in the region. Since the mold that causes this, Penicillium marneffei, exists only in this region, cases of this infection are fairly confined to this region of the world. Those with HIV or AIDS, however, who are traveling back and forth to the region should be very cautious because this infection can be fatal.
Exposure to mold for a long period of time can cause all different kinds of health problems and individual diseases, but some of us do not really understand just how inconvenient and even deadly some of these conditions can be. Whether the disease or condition ends in “osis” or “mycosis” does not really matter as much as the actual symptoms of the disease, which can even lead to death in some cases.
Those who are the most threatened by mold exposure are typically those who have weak constitutions. This can be an infant or a small child, an elderly person with health problems, or someone who has HIV or AIDS. Even perfectly healthy people can succumb to the effects of breathing in mold spores or letting it come into contact with their skin, but it usually takes longer for these individuals to develop symptoms.
The typical symptoms of these diseases can be mild flu or allergy symptoms like coughing, sneezing, or fever or they can be more serious such as coughing up blood, respiratory infections, or yeast infections. The kind of symptoms that surface usually depend upon the exact kind of infection you have developed, but some conditions, such as the presence of aspergilloma (or fungus balls) in the body have no symptoms for quite a while before they are finally detected.
Caused by molds in the genus called Aspergillis, aspergilloma is a fairly serious condition. When called by the common name of “fungus balls”, they not only sound pretty nasty; they actually are. They invade any pre-existing cavities in the organs of your body and those who are at the most risk to develop these are typically those who have had conditions like cancer or tuberculosis. Without any symptoms in the beginning, you probably will not realize that you have aspergilloma living inside you without your doctor performing a chest x-ray or other detection technique.
Penicilliosis is a disease that is native to the region of southeast Asia where the mold that causes it lives and this is referred to as the third most common infection that occurs in patients with HIV and AIDS in the region. Since the mold that causes this, Penicillium marneffei, exists only in this region, cases of this infection are fairly confined to this region of the world. Those with HIV or AIDS, however, who are traveling back and forth to the region should be very cautious because this infection can be fatal.
How to Avoid a Buying a Water Damaged Car
One of the most important events in a young person’s life is the purchase of a vehicle and if you are unfortunate enough, as many of us are, to have to buy a used vehicle, well, you might already be a tad aggravated at the process. Maybe you cannot find the right color or the right make or model vehicle that you really want and even if you do find that, is the vehicle a sound one? Does it run the way it should for its age? These questions and more plague those of us who cannot afford a brand new vehicle, but did you ever think about asking whether a vehicle has been submerged completely in water before?
Flooded vehicles being sold without telling the consumer that they have been flooded is a bit more common than you might think. Unfortunately, most of us who go to purchase a used car do not think to ask about this or even check for signs of water damage before we sign the final sale papers. There are a few things that you can do to check and make sure if a vehicle has been flooded before.
Check the upholstery. If it does not appear to match the rest of the vehicle, such as the dashboard and other interior parts of the car, it may have been taken up and replaced due to water damage. If you think it has been replaced, do not hesitate to ask if it has and why the replacement was necessary. If it was due to the vehicle being submerged in water, then this is a vehicle that you probably do not want. You could have a full inspection done by a mechanic that you trust, however, if this is the exact make and model that you want.
Check the trunk and inside the dashboard for signs of rust. Checking around the taillights in the trunk is especially advised, because this is a typical spot where rust will build up if the car has been submerged.
The engine also needs to be checked. If the car was driven into a lake or a river, then the possibility that silt, sand, or mud has gotten into the engine is pretty large. These items can completely ruin an engine beyond repair, even though they may run for a short period of time.
If mold has started to grow in the interior carpet or upholstery, then the vehicle will have a fairly musty smell to it. If you stick your head inside the car and smell air freshener, however, you might want to be careful from that point forward. Air freshener is sometimes used to cover up undesired smells and give you the impression that the car is in better condition than it really is.
Flooded vehicles being sold without telling the consumer that they have been flooded is a bit more common than you might think. Unfortunately, most of us who go to purchase a used car do not think to ask about this or even check for signs of water damage before we sign the final sale papers. There are a few things that you can do to check and make sure if a vehicle has been flooded before.
Check the upholstery. If it does not appear to match the rest of the vehicle, such as the dashboard and other interior parts of the car, it may have been taken up and replaced due to water damage. If you think it has been replaced, do not hesitate to ask if it has and why the replacement was necessary. If it was due to the vehicle being submerged in water, then this is a vehicle that you probably do not want. You could have a full inspection done by a mechanic that you trust, however, if this is the exact make and model that you want.
Check the trunk and inside the dashboard for signs of rust. Checking around the taillights in the trunk is especially advised, because this is a typical spot where rust will build up if the car has been submerged.
The engine also needs to be checked. If the car was driven into a lake or a river, then the possibility that silt, sand, or mud has gotten into the engine is pretty large. These items can completely ruin an engine beyond repair, even though they may run for a short period of time.
If mold has started to grow in the interior carpet or upholstery, then the vehicle will have a fairly musty smell to it. If you stick your head inside the car and smell air freshener, however, you might want to be careful from that point forward. Air freshener is sometimes used to cover up undesired smells and give you the impression that the car is in better condition than it really is.
Diseases Caused by Mold Exposure
We all know that mold poses a pretty good sized threat to our health, but the diseases that come about because of mold are some of the most serious around. These diseases almost always end in the suffix of “mycosis” or simply “osis” and they can sometimes end in damage to your internal organs that is often irreparable. They can also sometimes eventually result in death in the most extreme of cases.
These diseases are the most threatening for those people who have weakened immune systems. This can include small children (especially infants), those with HIV or AIDS, and the elderly who have any kind of health problems. Perfectly healthy small children and elderly people might fight off these infections a little better than some of their peers, but it is still not recommended that these people be exposed to mold for a long period of time.
The symptoms of diseases caused by mold can be anything from flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, coughing, and sneezing all the way to more serious symptoms like the coughing up of blood. Anti-fungal medications can also pose a threat, since these medications can sometimes cause the exact symptoms that they are being prescribed to treat. Almost any doctor that gives a patient antifungal medication will request the patient to come back and lab work be done on a regular basis in order to spot these possible side effects before they move into their next stage.
When you have a mold-related disease, one of the things that you should not do is eat foods that have been manufactured using funguses like mold. This includes things like blue cheese and blue cheese dressing, roguefort, and gorgonzola cheeses, and especially foods that contain mushrooms.
Aspergillosis is caused by those molds that are in the genus Aspergillus. One of the most intriguing and dangerous things about this is that what are called “aspergilloma” have been known to start growing in the lungs and other organs that have pre-existing cavities in them. These cavities can be a result of cancer or a disease that has a similar effect to tuberculosis. Unfortunately, aspergilloma typically do not cause the person to have any symptoms, although in later stages a person might cough up blood, experience weight loss, shortness of breath, and fever.
Penicilliosis is an opportunistic infection that occurs mainly in southeast Asia where the mold that causes it is indigenous. The vast majority of those who develop this infection are those that have HIV and AIDS and it is the third most common opportunistic infection for these individuals in the region.
These diseases are the most threatening for those people who have weakened immune systems. This can include small children (especially infants), those with HIV or AIDS, and the elderly who have any kind of health problems. Perfectly healthy small children and elderly people might fight off these infections a little better than some of their peers, but it is still not recommended that these people be exposed to mold for a long period of time.
The symptoms of diseases caused by mold can be anything from flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, coughing, and sneezing all the way to more serious symptoms like the coughing up of blood. Anti-fungal medications can also pose a threat, since these medications can sometimes cause the exact symptoms that they are being prescribed to treat. Almost any doctor that gives a patient antifungal medication will request the patient to come back and lab work be done on a regular basis in order to spot these possible side effects before they move into their next stage.
When you have a mold-related disease, one of the things that you should not do is eat foods that have been manufactured using funguses like mold. This includes things like blue cheese and blue cheese dressing, roguefort, and gorgonzola cheeses, and especially foods that contain mushrooms.
Aspergillosis is caused by those molds that are in the genus Aspergillus. One of the most intriguing and dangerous things about this is that what are called “aspergilloma” have been known to start growing in the lungs and other organs that have pre-existing cavities in them. These cavities can be a result of cancer or a disease that has a similar effect to tuberculosis. Unfortunately, aspergilloma typically do not cause the person to have any symptoms, although in later stages a person might cough up blood, experience weight loss, shortness of breath, and fever.
Penicilliosis is an opportunistic infection that occurs mainly in southeast Asia where the mold that causes it is indigenous. The vast majority of those who develop this infection are those that have HIV and AIDS and it is the third most common opportunistic infection for these individuals in the region.
Discard Molded Foods
If we all kept our refrigerators cleaned out along with keeping an eye on what outdated items exist in it, we would probably all have healthier meals throughout the day. Most people, however, tend to forget just how important cleaning out their fridges can be and just accept the fact that foods will become moldy and that you will have to throw away a fair portion of the food that you store every year. There are a few things that you can do to prevent mold from growing in your refrigerator, but one of the best things is just to simply keep track of what food is in your refrigerator and how long it has been in there.
Some outdated items are fine as long as they have not been opened. Even things like mayonnaise or sour cream can last quite a while as long as they are still in sealed containers. But, after these are opened, their shelf life drastically decreases and the chance that mold will start to grow inside them goes up significantly. When you break the seal on an item such as this, you let the air in your home and your refrigerator inside the container. If mold spores are in the air in your home (and they probably are), these will get inside the container, as well. This does not mean that they will start to grow immediately, but the longer it remains uneaten, the bigger the chance that it will become the home of a mold colony.
Something else to keep an eye on is sour cream. Sour cream is notorious for becoming molded and this is unfortunately one of the foods that cannot be saved once it does. Once you start to see mold spots growing in your tub of sour cream, it is time to throw it out. This is a porous, highly moist food item and like other foods that meet that criteria, once it becomes contaminated by mold on the top, the whole container is, as well.
Other porous items that you might not keep in your refrigerator that are popular with mold are baked items. These are things like bread, cookies, cakes, and just about anything else that you bake in the oven. These should be thrown away and never eaten.
Other moist items in your refrigerator that tend to have mold problems are things like jelly and jam. Other spreads such as marmalade can also become molded if left uneaten long enough, so these should be completely discarded as well as soon as mold spots begin to appear.
Some outdated items are fine as long as they have not been opened. Even things like mayonnaise or sour cream can last quite a while as long as they are still in sealed containers. But, after these are opened, their shelf life drastically decreases and the chance that mold will start to grow inside them goes up significantly. When you break the seal on an item such as this, you let the air in your home and your refrigerator inside the container. If mold spores are in the air in your home (and they probably are), these will get inside the container, as well. This does not mean that they will start to grow immediately, but the longer it remains uneaten, the bigger the chance that it will become the home of a mold colony.
Something else to keep an eye on is sour cream. Sour cream is notorious for becoming molded and this is unfortunately one of the foods that cannot be saved once it does. Once you start to see mold spots growing in your tub of sour cream, it is time to throw it out. This is a porous, highly moist food item and like other foods that meet that criteria, once it becomes contaminated by mold on the top, the whole container is, as well.
Other porous items that you might not keep in your refrigerator that are popular with mold are baked items. These are things like bread, cookies, cakes, and just about anything else that you bake in the oven. These should be thrown away and never eaten.
Other moist items in your refrigerator that tend to have mold problems are things like jelly and jam. Other spreads such as marmalade can also become molded if left uneaten long enough, so these should be completely discarded as well as soon as mold spots begin to appear.
Avoid a Water Damaged Vehicle
Buying a used car is usually a pain in the rear, simply because of the fact that there are so many things that can be wrong with the car. It could be a bad transmission, alternator, carburetor, fuel injector, or any one of a thousand problems that could make you not want a vehicle. Some people buy cars that are “fixer-uppers” simply because of the fact that they are a cheaper buy if they decide to just repair the vehicle on their own. This is typical of mechanics who need a new vehicle, because a lot of the cost of repairing a vehicle comes from paying for the labor, not the actual parts itself.
But, what about water damaged vehicles? Most people do not think about this when they go to buy a vehicle, so they are not sure what to look for.
The first thing you should probably do is smell the interior. You should smell next to nothing. If the smell is a musty odor, then that probably means that mold is growing somewhere inside the vehicle. This could be due to liquid spills inside the car like soda, but it could also be due to the car having been flooded. Look for other signs of water damage if you detect a musty odor. Your prospective vehicle should NOT have been treated with air freshener. This is typically used to cover up musty odors and the dealer you are buying from may be hiding something.
Checking the car’s trunk for buildup of silt, rust, or mud is also a good idea. The area around the taillights should be checked thoroughly, since this is an area where these things will build up most often.
You can get a vehicle history report from a site like Carfax.com, but these are not always reliable. An accident or an incident of flooding will only be on this report if an insurance claim was filed. If the car is in an accident and the insurance company the person is with is not notified, then the incident will not appear on the history report.
Check the electronic parts of the vehicle such as gauges and make sure they are in working order. This can include the fuel gauge and other various indicator lights. Wires in the dashboard and under the steering wheel can be flexed and if they crack, they have probably been exposed to water.
But, what about water damaged vehicles? Most people do not think about this when they go to buy a vehicle, so they are not sure what to look for.
The first thing you should probably do is smell the interior. You should smell next to nothing. If the smell is a musty odor, then that probably means that mold is growing somewhere inside the vehicle. This could be due to liquid spills inside the car like soda, but it could also be due to the car having been flooded. Look for other signs of water damage if you detect a musty odor. Your prospective vehicle should NOT have been treated with air freshener. This is typically used to cover up musty odors and the dealer you are buying from may be hiding something.
Checking the car’s trunk for buildup of silt, rust, or mud is also a good idea. The area around the taillights should be checked thoroughly, since this is an area where these things will build up most often.
You can get a vehicle history report from a site like Carfax.com, but these are not always reliable. An accident or an incident of flooding will only be on this report if an insurance claim was filed. If the car is in an accident and the insurance company the person is with is not notified, then the incident will not appear on the history report.
Check the electronic parts of the vehicle such as gauges and make sure they are in working order. This can include the fuel gauge and other various indicator lights. Wires in the dashboard and under the steering wheel can be flexed and if they crack, they have probably been exposed to water.
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