All molds including black toxic mold release very light microscopic spores which become airborne and when breathed in can lead to negative effects on health such as inflammation of the airways, nose and throat, lung infections and allergic reactions which can manifest as sneezing or skin rashes.

If there are stains on your walls or ceilings this could be a sign.

If the area is very dark, it could be toxic and should be taken care of immediately. Mold specialists should be able to tell by looking at it or testing, so you may want to call in an expert if you’re not sure.

>  For self-help solutions go here

Millions of people have allergies, but if they act up more often in your home than outdoors it’s not normal. The spores don’t give you allergies necessarily, rather causes allergy-like symptoms. The toxic variety will give you more intense symptoms, including headaches along with itchy eyes and sneezing.

Mold testing

If there are colored spots on moldy deposits that you’ve already discovered, it could be toxic. These spots can be brown, green, or even orange in color. Of course some toxic molds are just a dark gray or black, and spreads very fast as well as changes color.

The smell is much like the smell of other moldy, musty or urine-like smells. It’s certainly not a pleasant smell either way, so if you keep a clean home, don’t own pets, and your hallway still smells like urine- it very well may be the culprit.

Toxic black mold often exhibits circular patterns or spots within the formation.

These circles can be anywhere from 1 inch wide to 1 foot, and spread fairly quickly. Sometimes the circles don’t close, and make a semi-circle, or crescent shape instead, so don’t think “that’s not toxic” just because it’s not a perfect circle.

It is not likely to grow on metal, dry wood, or any other dry surface. It can only thrive and survive in very moist or even wet locations, so if what you see has any of the above characteristics and also happens to be under a wet rug, it may be toxic.

> Use a dehumidifier to reduce the moisture in the air. Learn More Here

Before becoming toxic, it can sometimes exhibit other forms, such as white fuzzy colonies, or even pink or orange formations instead of black. Be sure to call a specialist and describe it to them before trying to remove on your own. It can be very dangerous for your health and should only be removed by a trained professional or very knowledgeable person on the subject.

By: David Beavers

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

The Water Damage Team is a nation wide disaster restoration company, with years of experience in water removal, extraction, and drying. For www.floodrepairteam.com flooded basement help, or flood water extraction check out Flood Repair Team.com.

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Basements can be such a headache and are notoriously damp or wet – unless we do something about it and here is an article which describes basement problems and possible remedies.

There are so many aspects to basement waterproofing but in this article I am going to focus solely on basement sub-slab perimeter drains (a.k.a. interior french drains). The process for installing these drainage systems is designed to relieve the hydrostatic pressure under the basement floor. Properly designed drain systems will accept water into them at a depth and pace to ensure that the water level does not reach the bottom side of your basements floor, or slab. The result of a properly installed and free flowing sub-slab drain is a dry basement by eliminating seepage and future flooding.

The installation process involves removal of 8″-18″ of concrete around the interior perimeter of your basement, and/or in chosen water problem areas. A sump location must be chosen and dug out. All of the concrete must be removed and a trench must be dug 8″-12″ graded from a far high point to the sump location. The grade is a necessary step in order to properly pitch the drain pipe. Virtually every basement waterproofing company has their own company procedures for drain installation.

The drain is installed, usually accompanied by large amounts of river gravel or processed stone, it is lead to a sump location and then the drain opening is closed up and recemented. The sump pump(s) is installed and the discharge line(s) is fed to the outside of the building. Many companies offer drip moldings for the perimeter and vapor barriers so that water coming through wall-cracks and pipe penetrations can be collected in the drain below the floor. These are the main features of an interior french drain, though there are many other custom offerings from companies worldwide.

So how is Green Bear Innovations, Inc. going to help this industry go green. We have aligned our corporate values with waterproofing industry experts and come up with solutions to what we believe are flaws in the common designs of these wet basement systems. Most basement waterproofing companies train their installers to jackhammer the entire perimeter of the basement. This poses three major problems:

1. Jackhammering a basement floor, or slab, with no detached edges causes a tremendous amount of stress and leads to microfractures in the remaining portion of the slab. Instead of having a wet basement or a flooding problem, now you could have a radon problem, as these microfractures turn into floor cracks.

2. The jagged edge that is created by the jackhammer is NOT a clean cut. The cement is cracked in many directions including underneath the floor. When recementing is done, not only does it look terrible, but due to the fact that old concrete and new cement does not bond, in a year or two you may have efflourescence and maybe even mold seeping through where these two types of cement meet. (See below for more information about how Green Bear Innovations will ensure that his does not happen to you.)

3. Jackhammering is very labor intensive, time intensive and causes silica dust from the concrete to cover everything in your basement that is uncovered.

So what’s the solution? Green Bear Innovations, Inc. will first use a concrete saw to cut a straight edge around the basement perimeter through the entire slab. We use a dust collector during this part of the installation process to reduce the amount of dust that can potentially settle on anything in sight. Once the perimeter cutting is complete, cross cuts will be made to section the waste concrete. A jackhammer, or hammer drill, will then be used to separate any stubborn slab pieces. Because the waste portion of the slab and the remaiing basement floor are detached, there is no risk of floor cracking.

We mentioned above that we will ensure that efflourescence and mold will not seep through the separation made by this installation method. What GBI does is thoroughly clean and wash the cut edge and apply a cement bonding glue (SilPro) immediately before the recementing process begins. You will never have anything creeping through this man made separation in your basement floor.

Green Bear Innovations is dedicated to using recycled/recyclable materials during all installations. We use 3″ and 4″ HDPE perforated pipe which is 100% recyclable and in the near future recycled HDPE pipe will be available. We use as little PVC as we can. PVC is recyclable but remains the number one pollutant of our world’s oceans due to the extensive recycling processes required for reuse.

GBI has eliminated an entire days labor and more, not by cutting corners, but by reducing the need for river gravel and recycling much of the soil that is extracted from the trench. We wrap our pipe with a stone mesh made from recycled plastic and place recycled low-float plastic pellets between the pipe and the mesh. This process eliminates the need for river gravel/processed stone and allows us to reuse the soil that was removed from the trench. Sandy and clay soils are mixed with clean fill before being used to ensue that water can freely enter the drain pipe.

Green Bear Innovations, Inc. offers energy efficient sump pumps and battery back up systems with all sub-slab basement drainage systems and even offers a water powered back up system. We also offer foundation wall vapor retarders and drip moldings made from 100% recycled plastics.

In summary, GBI is innovating the basement waterproofing industry in many ways. Our industry experience and extensive research have helped us save the earth’s resources and save consumers money in a home improvement sector that is known for resource gluttony and unaffordability.

By: greenbearinnovations

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Lois Bartels is the owner of Green Bear Innovations, Massachusetts greenest home improvement company offering green insulation, basement waterproofing, foundation repair, sump pump installations, seamless gutters, replacement windows and doors, airsealing and weatherproofing, mold and radon assessment and remediation and complete home energy audits. We use energy efficient products, recycled/recyclable materials and hold a high standard for resource conservation during all installations. We are based in Reading, MA and serve the entire state and also RI, CT and NH. www.greenbearinnovations.com

To clean up mold that is already present make use of recommended mold cleaning products

To dry out the basement you can  make use of a dehumidifier

When cleaning the area of the mold spores that can fly about easily in the air you might want to  make use of a breathing mask

Once you have cleaned up the area and to prevent further infection  an air purifier is recommended.

Basement Waterproofing And Hydrostatic Pressure Damage

Basement flooding problems and water damage is a problem experienced by many homeowners, especially those who have older residences that haven’t been properly.  

How Does One Find Out How to Waterproof A Basement?

The basement waterproofing systems and their working. To answer that question, let’s first look at historically conventional basement waterproofing and how it.  

Insulating Basement Wall: Preventing Basement Problems

Aside from insulation, work on other basement damage prevention control scheme. The closest to this is the waterproofing of your basement. They are closely related and share the same objective – to prevent future damage of your basement 

Things To Consider For A Perfect Basement Wall System

So this is basement waterproofing comes in. Some basements have rubber plastic adhesive solutions layered in joints and walls to prevent moisture to set in. You may also want to check other basement wall system options in waterproofing. 

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Avoid health problems by treating it quickly .

In order for you to distinguish the species of mold growing in your house, you need to obtain a sample of it.

Cladosporium is a kind of mold that affects both outside and inside the house.

It has around 40 species, which are found naturally around potted plants. They thrive in the soil and decaying plants. On the other hand, Cladosporium may occur as plant pathogen.

According to studies performed in North America and Europe, the spores of Cladosporium are circulating in the atmosphere the entire year. However, their concentration or population is extremely low during winter. They are highly present during summer with daily peaks ranging from 2,000 to 50,000 spores per cubic meters of air. The growth of different Cladosporium species within homes and other buildings depends on the concentration from outside environments. The concentration may also be influenced by the indoor sources of the growth.

A high concentration of spores may lead to some detrimental health effects and in this case   mold removal is advised .

Common Cladosporium Species

Cladosporium species grow as secondary colonizers of walls within indoor environments. They appear after the development of primary molds such as Aspergillus versicolor, Wallemia sebi, and certain species of Penicillium. Cladosporium is commonly found or grows on wet or damp building materials. These usually include acrylic paint, gypsum board, damp wood, and wet insulation within cooling units. The most common Cladosporium species include the following:

1. Cladosporium macrocarpum – This cosmopolitan species is commonly found in soil, dead plants, seeds, and juice concentrates of apples, and indoor air.

2. Cladosporium cladosporioides – This is another cosmopolitan species that can be commonly found in the air, soil, textiles, paint, and meat.

3. Cladosporium sphaerospermum – This is one of the most commonly encountered species. It can be commonly found in the soil, acrylic paint, air, gypsum board, painted wood, dust from mattresses or carpets, wet insulation in cooling units, HVAC fans, textiles, paint, and some food sources.

4. Cladosporium herbarum – This is perhaps the most common species of the Cladosporium. It is found on textiles, dead woody and herbaceous plants, paper, rubber, and different food sources. This species can be found in indoor areas such as the floor, mattresses, carpets, wet walls that are painted with acrylic, wallpaper, filters, fans, and HVAC insulation. C. herbarum is considered as the most well-known airborne mold spores. It is capable of developing in different temperature ranges. As a matter of fact, there have been reports of meat spoilage within cold storage.

The Effects of Cladosporium

Most Cladosporium species are not pathogenic to human beings. However, there are isolated cases, especially to immunocompromised patients. On the other hand, Cladosporium species are widely known to possess the capability to stimulate allergic reactions.

This is common to individuals that are highly sensitive. Prolonged and heavy exposure to the airborne  spores of this mold species can lead to chronic asthma and allergic reactions .

There is an observed clinical significance to a concentration threshold of 3,000 spores per air cubic meter.

The reactions of an individual to the concentration of the airborne spores depend on his or her health conditions.

People with weak immune system easily acquire allergic reactions even if the spore concentration is low. Like other mold spores, the spores of Cladosporium are very small, microscopic even. Because of this, they are easily breathed into the person’s alveoli and terminal bronchi.

By: Paul Wise

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

The author of this article, Paul Wise, has completed extensive research about mold. If you encounter mold within your home it would be wise to contact a mold specialist. Trying to do-it-yourself when it comes to mold can be hazardous to your health. A well respected company dealing with Mold Inspections and Mold Removal is CleanFlood they are experts in their field.

How to Learn  Removing Mold

There are many, many different species and types of mold. Each has its own type of spores. Some of the most common types are also the most toxic. Toxic mold spores are especially dangerous for asthmatics and those prone to alergies.

Healthy World Environment

Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types

Toxic Mold

Not all types of mold fall into this category. In fact, there are many types of beneficial mold. We would not have cheese for example, without the beneficial action of mold on milk ingredients for example.

Black Mold Forces  Woman Out Of Apartment

You either have mold or do not. Depending on the person, they may or may not be allergic to certain mold types. Some people could be more sensitive than others. If mold is found clean or remove it. Mold also needs a continous water

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