Month: October 2016

Why are Allergies Worse in the Fall?

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Why are Allergies Worse in the Fall?People deal with allergies and allergy-like symptoms year-round.  But for many of us, Fall is when the harshest allergies seem to make their strongest attack.  When certain agents (pollen, dander, mold spores, etc) are inhaled or come into contact with the skin, the body can produce histamines which react in the form of swelling, rashes, or inflammation in the sinuses (among other symptoms).  Histamine blocking medicines are usually called upon to stop this, but there are other ways to deal with your fall allergies, staying away from allergens in the first place.

Source of Fall Allergies

The worst allergies are triggered by a plant commonly known as ragweed.  Pollen from any plant can induce an allergic reaction or even a simple sneezing fit, but ragweed is extremely potent.  Its pollen can travel for hundreds of miles and is spread across large portions of the nation.  If it’s early fall and you’re having sinus trouble, ragweed is a likely suspect.

But ragweed and pollinating trees are not the only source of mild to severe allergies in the fall.  Mold spores, which can lodge themselves in sinus passages or your lungs, are another source of allergic reactions, sinus irritation, and breathing difficulty during the fall.  These spores aren’t just from mold growing in your home either.  There’s an increase in mold spores during the fall due to fallen leaves, dead grass, and other decaying vegetation.

Mold is part of the Earth’s natural process for breaking down biomass.  As plants enter their dormancy period, large quantities of vegetation are left to be broken down by microbes and mold.  That fancy landscaping job you have around your home may be great during the spring and summer, but during the fall you’re likely to run into allergy issues from pollen and mold spores.

How to Fight Mold Allergens

In short, keep mold spores outside.  Taking a proactive approach to dealing with spores is the best way to prevent allergy attacks throughout the fall season.

  • Remove jackets as soon as you enter the home to keep from tracking mold spores throughout the home
  • Wear a mask while raking leaves, mowing the lawn, or doing yard work (and change clothes as soon as you’re done)
  • Have a HEPA filter installed in your home to filter out the worst contaminants
  • Vacuum floors, upholstery, and curtains regularly during the fall
  • Watch the weather for high pollen and mold counts, and keep the windows closed on high-count days
  • Air out your home on days when the pollen and mold count is low
  • Use a dehumidifier to dry out the air, limiting potential mold growth

If you’ve tried all of these things, then there’s a chance the problem is hiding somewhere inside your home.  Take a look around for common trouble spots or signs of places mold could be hiding.  If you haven’t found anything and are still worried that there may be an infestation, call a professional to inspect your home.  Mold is no joke.  It’s hazardous to your health and can lead to damages that are expensive to repair if left unchecked.  Even a small infestation can be a huge irritation.  It’s better to spend a little to find a small infestation than to wait until the damage becomes visible and expensive.

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How to Dry a Carpet

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How to Dry a CarpetA flooded house is never an enjoyable event.  Burst pipes, a leaky roof, or even damaged appliances can lead to a large enough flood of water that you find yourself dealing with waterlogged carpets.  Aside from being a danger to the flooring and leaving you with wet socks, the extra moisture is a sure-fire way to fill your house with mold.  Knowing how to deal with a soaked carpet is essential.

Small Floods

Small puddles of water are fairly easy to clean up.

Start with a Towel – Spread towels over the wet carpet until you’ve covered the entire area.  Walk across the towels until they’ve soaked up as much water as they can.  Don’t rub at the carpet, simply blot to soak up the water into the towel itself.  Replace with dry towels and keep repeating until the carpet is dry.

Use a Wet Vac – A vacuum cleaner is an effective way to pull the water out of the carpet, especially if it’s started to soak through.  Do not use a regular vacuum for this, you’ll need a wet/dry vac that’s capable of handling water.  Keep vacuuming the carpet until no water is being pulled out anymore.  Maintain a steady eye on the fill level of your vacuum and be sure to dump it out before it overfills.

Forced Air – Finally, use forced air to dry out the carpet.  Keep air circulating with a fan or hair-dryer until all the water has dried.  For larger areas, keeping several fans pointed at the spill is ideal.

Large Floods

When it comes to larger flooding, or a room where all of the carpet has been soaked, more drastic measures will need to be taken.

Move Furniture Out – Remove all large furniture.  You need to clear off the carpet so that you have access to the entire floor.  Never try to clean around furniture.  The water will simply damage both furniture and carpet while you’re trying to clean up.

Use a Wet Vac – Just as with small spills, use a wet vacuum to remove all of the excess water.  For a large carpet you will have to dump out the tank several times.  There are a few other ways to pump water out of a carpet, such as a hot water extraction unit.  The main goal is to remove as much water as possible.

Check for Soaked Matting – For larger spills, the matting underneath the carpet is likely to be soaked through.  Even if you remove all the water from the carpet and dry it out, the matting will re-soak the carpet as long as it stays wet.  Simply walk across the carpet and listen for squelching noises.

Raise Carpet Corner – you need access to the matting beneath the carpet.  Go to a corner of the room and pry up the edge.  Use work gloves and pliers to pull the carpet free, then fold the corner over so you can see the padding beneath.

Force Air –  Just as with a small spill, adding ventilation will dry out the carpet and the padding.  Place a fan to blow air under the carpet to start the drying process.  Use the exhaust hose from your wet/dry vac and place it under the carpet.  The warmer air will help to dry the carpet quickly.  Finally, rent or purchase a dehumidifier and run it in the room.  This will speed things up greatly.

Call Professionals

If all else fails, or you want the certainty of a dry carpet without having to worry about floor damage and mold growth, call a professional.  RestoPros specializes in water damage remediation and removal.  Rather than trying to tackle flood damage yourself or having to rent specialize tools, seeking help from a professional is faster and far more efficient than trying to do so on your own.

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Preventing Leaks and Other Water Problems

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Preventing Leaks and Other Water ProblemsWe’ve address how to go about waterproofing your home to prevent external water from damaging systems inside your home.  But external sources are not the only avenue of destruction that water has for devastating that sanctuary.  Your house is filled with pipes and equipment that condenses water, any of which can lead to a disastrous release of water.  Leaks and condensation can buildup and, with limited ventilation inside walls or your attic, that water will evaporate slower, leading to sodden insulation, mold, and structural damage.  So take steps now and learn how to best protect your home from internal water sources.

Know Where Your Shutoffs Are

Make sure you know how to access all the water shutoff valves in your home.  The most important of these is, of course, the main water shutoff valve.  For any major leak or burst pipe, the first thing you should do is shut off water to the problem area, so know where your shutoff valve is located.

You should also remember to turn this valve off when you go on vacation.  First, this helps reduce water consumption if there are any drips or leaks.  Second, it will prevent an uncontrolled flood of water if something does go wrong while you’re out.

Maintain Appliances

So many appliances in our homes use water.  The ice machine in your fridge, your instant coffee maker, the washing machine, and the dishwasher are all appliances with direct connections to a water source.  Ignoring basic maintenance for these devices and their connections is a recipe for disaster.  Water storage units like your water heater should be drained and the sediment removed regularly, while water hose connections (such as the one on your washing machine) should be inspected for signs of aging, wear, or seal damage.

Avoid Clogs

Clogged drains can lead to backsplash, overfilled sinks, or burst pipes elsewhere in your plumbing.  Taking care of your plumbing is important and should never be ignored.  That means keeping pipes insulated during the winter and leaving faucets dripping whenever a freeze is scheduled to happen.  But it also means running water down the garbage disposal to make sure it’s clear of food.

Avoid flushing any of the following down your drain, regardless of if that’s a disposal, toilet, or regular sink:

  • Grease and Fats
  • Starchy Food
  • Non-Water-Soluble Items
  • Strong Chemicals
  • Flushable Wet-Wipes
  • Anything other than hygienic paper

Avoid washing extremely dirty clothes in your washing machine.  Rinse them off first to remove dirt.  Doing so will prevent washing machine clogs and sediment buildup.

Repair Problems Immediately

Whether it’s a pipe that’s leaking or an HVAC unit that’s causing condensation to overflow the drip pan, get these problems sorted out quickly.  Call a repairman or plumber to handle the difficult tasks of leak detection and repair.  Remember, the sooner you take care of water source, the less likely it is to develop into something that will require you to call for water damage restoration services.

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