Month: December 2016

The 6 Most Helpful Blogs of 2016

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The 6 Most Helpful Blogs of 2016

How to Patch Drywall

Drywall allows the homeowner to hang walls in sections rather than having to carefully plaster the whole wall and wait for it to dry.  Hanging drywall is faster and allows for easier patches and repairs if something happens.  Wall damage is extremely common, and it’s not just water or smoke damage that can lead to a repair.  A melted electrical outlet or a stray ball thrown in the house can damage drywall or punch a hole into the wall.  Either way, if the damage is small enough, you can patch the problem yourself simply.

Preventing Water Damage

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.

Mold Prevention for Your Bathroom

Out of all the places in your home, the bathroom is exposed to more water than anywhere else – the kitchen is a very close second though.  Because most bathrooms are secluded, lack windows, and are typically more humid than the rest of the home they have a greater risk of mold infestation than anywhere else.  So what should you do to make sure that your bathroom is not a haven for mold and mildew?

How to Waterproof Your Home

The first line of defense when it comes to protecting your home against water damage, mold, mildew, and even some smoke damage is to make sure that your home is waterproof.  We aren’t talking about giving your home an IP68 waterproof rating (a completely sealed home would be difficult to breathe inside).  With all the rain we’ve had recently, it’s a good idea to take a look around your home and find where problems are.

Dealing with Car Mold

When we think mold, mildew, and fungus our thoughts go to the basement or the forest.  But you might be surprised to find that mold can live in between these spaces.  In fact, if you spend enough time in your car on a daily basis, you can create a pretty comfortable space for mold there as well.  We don’t want mold anywhere, but we especially would like to keep it out of our vehicles.  So if you’ve noticed increased allergy symptoms, but your house has been inspected and is clean, consider doing an inspection of your car as well!

What to Look for During a Mold Search

It sounds simple: “I’m looking for mold, so that’s all I need to find.”  But finding mold isn’t just about looking in a corner and spotting mold growth.  It’s about finding the signs of growth, seeking out their source, and looking for possible future problems.  So what should you be looking for?

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Types of Water Damage

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Types of Water DamageWater damage, on the surface, is simple: an item or surface came into contact with water and the structure was compromised.  But when it comes to home or property damage, there’s more to it.  The type of water and its long term effects on your home are important things to observe in the event of any emergency.

Water Types

First, there are three types of water that you should be aware of:

  • Clean Water
  • Grey Water
  • Black Water

Clean water is exactly what it sounds like: water that was free of contaminants or potable before it spilled into your home.  This kind of water typically comes from rainfall or the pipes leading into your home.  The biggest hazard you’ll face here is from water that left standing or is not cleaned up swiftly enough.  Be cautious, always shut off power to any room that is flooded before entering, regardless of how clean the water is.

Grey water is mid-range in cleanliness.  While not toxic or caustic, it isn’t suitable for drinking.  For many homes, grey water is perfect for watering the lawn after it’s been used in the home.  Grey water contains bacteria and other microorganisms that, while not harmful to your yard, is not suitable for drinking or walking through (use rubber gloves and boots while cleaning up).  When a sewer line backs up or a drain pipe breaks, the water that flows out is grey water.  Even water that leaks from a washing machine is considered grey water since it’s no longer suitable for drinking.  The contaminants here are hazardous and will incite mold growth quickly if left unchecked.

Black water is the most dangerous.  Fortunately, few homes are going to encounter black water unless they’re in the middle of a major catastrophe.  Black water is typically the result of a natural disaster (severe flooding), sewage break, or a substantial chemical spill.  Pesticides, chemicals, bacterial diseases, microbes, and countless other contaminants are contained in black water.  When flooding damages entire city blocks and overflows sewers and drain lines, avoid all contact with the water.

Types of Water Damage

Once water damages a surface, the impact can be anywhere from mild to catastrophic.  Sometimes you’re looking at damaged books that will need to be dried or thrown away.  Other damages consist of:

  • Peeling Laminates
  • Warped Wood
  • Swelled Timbers
  • Mold Growth on Porous Surfaces
  • Rotting of Wood and other Materials
  • Staining on Carpets, Walls, and Paint
  • Rust

Some of this damage is only evident after the water has been pumped out of the home or dried out.  Water spots and stains are often difficult to detect until the entire area has dried, and rust won’t appear until after steel has had a chance to oxidize.  It’s important to keep an eye on affected areas for a while to make sure you’re home hasn’t been compromised.  Or call an expert to inspect and advise on the damage, regardless of the source or type of water.

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Controlling Bathroom Humidity

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Controlling Bathroom HumidityThere’s nothing quite like a nice hot shower.  After a long day, a hot shower is a good way to relax and get cleaned up.  Hot showers are also a great way to start your day if you’re an early riser.  Trouble is, hot water, especially during a long shower, is going to create a lot of suspended moisture that will settle into every surface, nook, and corner in your bathroom.  If your mirror is fogged after a shower, you know that every surface in the bathroom is as well.  Condensed water, especial in the channels for a shower door or the corners of your bathroom, is a breeding ground for mold if left unchecked.  Here’s how to keep your bathroom clean and sparkling.

Mop Up After Showers and Baths

Use a towel to absorb water and dry off floors, walls, and tubs.  This is especially true after a shower and when bathrooms are not actually in use.  If you’re facing a humid week due to heavy rains or fog, keep an eye on your bathroom for condensation or black spots beginning to form near especially wet corners.  If mold does start to appear, use warm, soapy water to clean the area, then towel and air dry to clean the surface.

Use a Dehumidifier

If conditions are too humid, either from ambient air or due to a hot shower, then it’s time to break out a dehumidifier.  This is self-explanatory, since dehumidifiers take water-vapor out of the air and condense that water internally.  Running a dehumidifier during your shower will prevent condensation from forming on walls and surfaces.  But you should consider that humid air is warmer.  Running a dehumidifier while showering will mean stepping out into the cold.  If that doesn’t bother you, it’s better than drying the bathroom after every shower.

Forced Air Ventilation

Extractor fans or bathroom ventilators as the simplest and best way to dry a bathroom after a shower.  Every bathroom should have an exhaust fan (or at least a window) already.  Running the fan during your shower will help cycle air out of the room, drawing dryer air from other rooms.  By circulating the air out, it prevents saturation which means that colder surfaces (walls, sinks, etc) won’t cause condensation to form as easily.

Run your exhaust fan while showering to maximize the effect.  But, if you enjoy the warmth provided from a steam-filled bathroom, then turn on and run the fan for at least half an hour after your shower is over.  The circulating air will dry out the bathroom and clean up any condensation you missed with the towel.

Leave towels hanging to dry in the bathroom while air is being cycled, but don’t store towels in the bathroom after the fan has stopped and you’ve closed the door.  Wet laundry carries enough spores to spawn a colony of mold, and the warm and wet environment is perfect for them if the laundry is left there for too long.

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Dealing with Dry Rot

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Dealing with Dry RotThe wood in your home has been treated, varnished, and protected before installation.  This leaves you with a material that is strong, relatively inexpensive, and very resistant to most kinds of biological attacks or fungal growths.  That doesn’t mean your home is completely immune just because it’s made from wood.  You may have heard about dry rot, a fungus that breaks down wood over time.  Despite the name, dry rot forms when the moisture content of the wood in your home is raised above a certain level.  Prolonged humidity or water contact will cause moisture to seep into wood and allow for dry rot to settle in.  While today’s homes are designed to prevent this from happening, the system isn’t perfect and a lack of maintenance can lead to higher than normal moisture levels and weakening timbers.

Types of Rot

While similar to other types of rotting, wood rot is exclusively due to a fungal growth that breaks down the cellular structure of wood, waking timbers and leading to possible structural collapse.  There two types of wood rot you’ll find are brown and white rot.

Brown Rot cracks across the grain of timbers while simultaneously darkening the wood’s color.  After enough time has past, the wood will take on a dry feeling that crumbles to dust.

White Rot lightens the color of the wood without any cross cracking.  The wood takes on a stringy texture as the fibers loosen from each other.

Another way to break down the differences in wood rot is the different between dry and wet rots.  Wet rots are the most common but dry rot (a type of brown rot) is often the most devastating and likely more difficult to deal with.  Dry rots set into wood but they can crawl across other surfaces, moving behind plaster, wallpapers, or over brick to reach more wood in your home.  They’re more difficult to remove because they can remain hidden in harder to find areas. The first thing a professional does is analyze whether the rot is a dry or wet type, then increase the inspection area to find anywhere else the rot as spread to.

How to Find Dry Rot

If you’re worried about or suspect dry rot, stay on the lookout for:

  • Shrinking wood that darkens and cracks in a ‘cuboidal’ manner
  • A silky grey to mushroom colored skin frequently tinged with patches of lilac and yellow. This often develops under less humid conditions. The ‘skin’ can be peeled like a mushroom.
  • White, fluffy ‘cottonwool’ mycelium develops under humid conditions. ‘Teardrops’ may develop on the growth.
  • Strands develop in the mycelium; these are brittle and when dry and crack when bent.
  • Fruiting bodies are a soft, fleshy pancake or bracket with an orange-ochre surface. The surface has wide pores.
  • Rust red colored spore dust frequently seen around fruiting bodies.
  • Active decay produces a musty, damp odor.

The best way to deal with dry rot is to call a professional treatment company.  You’ll need to remove the moisture source (dripping pipes, leaking roof, etc) to make sure the issue doesn’t reoccur later.  All affected timbers and materials will need to be remove and replaced.  Porous woods are going to house the spores for dry rot and it will be incredibly difficult to treat without replacing.  Remaining surfaces will need to be cleaning with a fungicide.

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How to Patch Drywall

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How to Patch DrywallMost of our homes are made from drywall.  Whether you call it drywall, gypsum, or sheetrock, it all means roughly the same thing: Your wall.  Drywall itself is typically made from calcium sulfate dehydrate (gypsum).  The gypsum is pressed between two layers to hold it in place.  Drywall allows the homeowner to hang walls in sections rather than having to carefully plaster the whole wall and wait for it to dry.  Hanging drywall is faster and allows for easier patches and repairs if something happens.  Wall damage is extremely common, and it’s not just water or smoke damage that can lead to a repair.  A melted electrical outlet or a stray ball thrown in the house can damage drywall or punch a hole into the wall.  Either way, if the damage is small enough, you can patch the problem yourself pretty simply.

Nail Holes or Dents

Small damage such as a leftover nail hole from a picture or decoration can be fixed simply.

  • Place a small amount of spackle or putty can be placed over the hole.
  • Smooth it out so it’s even and textured the same as the rest of the wall.
  • Let the spackle dry for 24 hours.
  • Paint over it.

Small Holes

For small-size holes, we recommend using a self-adhesive mesh patch.  These patches are stuck in place over the hole and provide a framework for the covering to adhere to while you’re fixing the hole.  You also won’t need to cut into the existing wall or match sizes too closely.

  • Place adhesive patch over the hole.
  • Use a drywall knife to cover the patch with joint compound. You want a thicker layer over the whole itself and a thinner layer closer to the edge to help smooth things out.  Use a sharper angle on the knife as you apply the compound closer to the edges to apply less compound there.
  • Let the compound dry.
  • Apply a second coat, or use sand paper to smooth it out.
  • Paint over the patch to match the wall.

Medium Holes

If you’re looking at a hole (or water damage) that’s larger than an inch but less than 6 inches, you can patch it by cutting out another piece of drywall to make the replacement.

  • Cut out a new piece of drywall that’s 2 inches larger (on all sides) than the damage.
  • Score (make a shallow cut) the back of the drywall about an inch in from each side.
  • Snap off the extra gypsum but leave the paper backing intact.  You should have a piece of drywall that’s about an inch larger (on each side) than the damaged section and has an extra inch of paper backing on one side.
  • Trace the edge of the drywall piece (the gypsum, not the extra paper) over the part of the wall that’s damaged, be sure you’re covering all of the damage.
  • Cut out the traced section of the wall.  Be careful here, always turn off electrical power in the room and make sure you aren’t cutting through any wire before you begin.
  • Apply joint compound to the back of the paper (the side the extra paper that will make contact with the wall).
  • Fit the new drywall square into the hole left by the damaged square and press the paper edges against the existing wall.
  • Cover the whole patch with joint compound.
  • Allow the compound to dry, repeat with another coat and allow to dry.  Sand the patch down until smooth and paint over it.

Final Notes

For larger holes (anything over 6 inches across), consult a professional if you want a clean wall patch.  Don’t forget that matching paint is very difficult to do.  Don’t just eyeball it and hope for the best.  Get multiple paint samples and compare them under different light types (daylight, the lights you use at home, and a bulb with a different color temperature from what you use in the room if possible).  If you have a can of the original paint, use that as a template if at all possible.

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