A lingering threat: The dangers that persist long after the storm subsides.

11/1/2023 (Permalink)

Ceiling mold repair

Even after the storm clouds disperse and the rainfall ceases, South Louisiana area homes grapple with a lingering threat that extends far beyond the immediate impact. The insidious dangers of water damage persist, quietly wreaking havoc on your property long after the storm subsides.

One of the primary concerns is the hidden presence of moisture. While the visible signs of water damage may fade, residual moisture can linger within walls, beneath flooring, and in hard-to-reach spaces. This hidden moisture becomes a breeding ground for mold and mildew, which can rapidly increase and pose risks to both the structural integrity of your home and your health.

If left unchecked, mold growth can lead to various health issues, including allergies, respiratory problems, and even worsening conditions. Additionally, prolonged exposure to moisture can weaken building materials, compromising the stability and safety of your home over time.

Another lingering threat is the potential for long-term water damage effects, such as warped or weakened surfaces, stained walls, and deteriorated finishes. These issues not only detract from the aesthetic appeal of your home but also decrease its value. If left unaddressed, water damage can spread further and affect adjacent areas, exacerbating the scope of restoration required.

Contact the professionals at SERVPRO to help with all of your mold remediation needs.

Molded Hotel In Kenner

5/15/2019 (Permalink)

Ever wondered why you ended up sick after your relaxing stay on vacation? What if I told you it was because of mold? Crazy, I know! There are multiple ways a residence can become infested with mold. Surprisingly, one of the most common places for mold to be found is behind wallpaper especially in an older building or house. Mold loves cool, dark, humid areas. You don’t necessarily need a surface to be completely drenched for mold to appear. Yes, mold infestations can be caused by minor water intrusions, such as a slow roof leak or loose plumbing fitting however; it can also be caused by two people breathing while sleeping in a cool bedroom with the door closed. An adult gives off close to a gallon of water a day while breathing. It’s crazy to think about the amount of water that is being trapped in your wallpaper every night.

SERVPRO of North Kenner, Harahan & Lakeview is currently working a Mold Remediation job at a local Kenner hotel. Our employees are trained mold remediators trained to use the industry’s best practices. Our team is quickly working to contain the infestation and prevent any future mold growth from happening. We are managing the situation and working to remediate the property back to its original preloss condition.

SERVPRO of North Kenner, Harahan & Lakeview stands ready to help you with any of your Mold Removal and Remediation needs. Please contact us at 504.468.3048

How Professionals Remove Mold FromYour New Orleans Home

2/26/2019 (Permalink)

Louisiana's climate provides a hospitable habitat mold growth.

Mold Remediation Specialists in New Orleans Help Protect Homes from Microscopic Invaders

No matter where you go inside your New Orleans residence, microbes live there with you. Many of these go about their business without ever causing you grief or harm. Some, however, wait for a period of change in the indoor environment that brings an increase in moisture. When this change happens, some microorganisms switch from their naturally dormant state to a highly active one and begin to proliferate.  

SERVPRO helps protect and restore homes in the New Orleans area with standard mold remediation techniques. Eliminating the entire microbial population from any dwelling is not possible, nor would it result in a healthy environment. However, whenever mold grows too rapidly and covers a large area, removal of the contaminated sections of building materials and intensive cleaning of affected belongings and furnishings mitigates the situation.  

As we remediate damaged sections in a home, we use air scrubbers to strip the air of microbes and their spores. These spores can cause subsequent infestations in other areas of your residence, as well as cause health effects in you and your family members. Our mold remediation specialists place these air scrubbers outside of negative air pressure chambers to contain any already existing spores and also inside these chambers.  

When inside a chamber, an air scrubber is a part of the chamber once we hook it up to plastic tubing. This tubing runs from the air scrubber to the outside of your home, directing air out, while pulling in only fresh air from outside the chamber, which prevents any of our equipment from sending spores into any nearby uncontaminated places.  

Plastic sheeting is our ally when remediating mold damage, so we also use it in the form of double bags to help us safely remove moldy pieces of drywall and other materials. Keeping these pieces contained helps us protect your property.  

SERVPRO of North Kenner, Harahan & Lakeview can restore your home, "Like it never even happened." even when mold damage looks unmanageable. Our specialists hold IICRC certificates and are ready 24/7 to help protect your residence in Jefferson and Lakeview. Call us at (504) 468-3046 for prompt and professional remediation experts.

Read more about New Orleans here.

The Surprising Secret To Dealing With Mold Damage In New Orleans

9/21/2018 (Permalink)

Mold develops whenever the property is exposed to excess water.

An Action Plan To Deal With Mold Damage In New Orleans

Visible mold patches are unsightly, and since most are common in old, rundown properties, people tend to associate the problem with mismanagement. However, no property is immune to this problem, and nowadays you can find mold even in relatively new homes. With a bit of preparation, it is possible to deal with the problem if it affects your New Orleans property.

For new homes exhibiting signs of mold damage in New Orleans, it is possible to trace back the issues to the construction phase. Putting up studs, vapor and insulation barriers before the concrete foundation dries sufficiently traps moisture in creating the necessary conditions for mold to flourish. Failure to address such a problem allows the spores to spread causing issues with the air quality. One way to deal with this without teardown is by practicing proper heating and ventilation. Once our SERVPRO technicians inspect your home, we can advise you on how to do that.

Away from construction mistakes, mold also develops whenever the property is exposed to excess water. Therefore, periods when extreme weather events such as heavy downpours or storms are prevalent, there are higher chances of mold infestation. Once exposed to moisture, the spores start growing within periods as short as 48 hours. So fast reaction is necessary if your property floods or if you detect leaks in the plumbing systems. If you inform SERVPRO immediately, our technicians can start remediation procedures such as drying excess moisture fast enough to prevent widespread growth.

In most cases, the areas affected are usually just a small part of a bigger problem. Areas such as wall cavities, attics, and other hidden sections provide the best environment for the spores to flourish. If the remediation steps do not touch these areas, problems like bad odor and damage to the structure persist. When our SERVPRO team handles the process, we check all the hidden spaces. We dry your property and remove any porous materials in the affected areas.

If you have a reason to suspect mold infestation, call SERVPRO of North Kenner, Harahan & Lakeview at (540) 468-3046.

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Taking the Right Actions after a Mold Damage Experience in New Orleans

7/19/2018 (Permalink)

Our SERVPRO team can inspect and assess the mold damage and come up with a plan to quickly remediate the damage.

What Are The Correct Steps To Take When You Find Mold Damage in Your Home?

Indoor accumulation of water may lead to mold damage, a situation which can damage your property or lead to health effects. It is possible to prevent or minimize indoor mold growth. However, that is possible if you actively maintain, inspect, and correct your structure for water intrusion challenges. Since not everyone has the skills and tools to do such procedures, you can work with professionals to immediately dry and manage your water-damaged contents in New Orleans.

Our SERVPRO technicians use the right PPE when dealing with mold damage incidents in New Orleans. For instance, when the area with the contamination is so large - over 100 square feet - we have to follow the OSHA respiratory protection standards. We wear appropriate eye protection, gloves, half-face elastomeric respirators fitted with P-100 filters, and body coveralls with foot and head coverings.

During the remediation process, we avoid the use of work practices which are likely to generate excessive dust and use dust suppression methods. For instance, we can use a vacuum fitted with a HEPA filter during dust generation or use HEPA vacuum-shrouded tools. Before removing the mold spores, we can gently mist the surface using a detergent solution.

Our SERVPRO team cleans materials that have the mold contamination using detergents with anti-microbial abilities. If we come across permanently damaged items, we put them in sealed plastic bags and clean the outside of the bags using a damp cloth dipped in a detergent solution. We can also HEPA-vacuum the bags within the work area before taking them out.

Regardless of the level of mold contamination, our SERVPRO technicians always communicate with the occupants of the affects buildings. Communication presents us an opportunity of letting them know about our remediation measures and the duration the process is likely to take. We readily provide copies of all inspection reports upon request and perform group meetings before and after the work to disclose plans and results.

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

SERVPRO of North Kenner, Harahan & Lakeview is Faster To Any Size Disaster whether it is related to water, fire, mold damage. Call us at (504) 468-3046 and work with a trusted industry leader during this stressing time.

For more on New Orleans, click here.

Why Hire Professionals To Remediate Mold Damage In New Orleans

6/8/2018 (Permalink)

Contact SERVPRO if you find any signs of mold damage in your home for proper remediation.

Our crews have the tools to remediate mold damage in your home

The warm and humid climate of New Orleans provides a welcoming environment for mold spores to grow. Homeowners must be vigilant to control the circumstances that encourage mold damage. If your best efforts fall short and fungal growth results, engaging our highly-qualified mold remediation team is the smart move.

During a New Orleans summer excessive moisture often increases inside, fueling mold damage as spores settle on an organic surface, absorb available water in liquid or vapor form, and begin to multiply. Mold does not require light to grow, so if the conditions are right colonies can develop between walls, under floors, in cabinets, and above ceilings. Our technicians are well-trained in mold damage scenarios, educated in Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protocols. We trace the sources and locations of mold outbreaks using this research-based coursework and our extensive experience with microbial problems.

SERVPRO designs a mold remediation plan that keeps your home’s residents and our crew safe from the effects spores and the mycotoxins produced by some strains of mold may have on susceptible individuals. We contain the affected area, employing physical barriers such as heavy plastic sheeting and advanced technologies like negative pressure air scrubbers. The goal is to create work and clean zones during remediation, avoiding the transfer of moldy materials into areas of your home that show no mold growth or damage. Managing this complex system appropriately without qualified teams of remediators is highly improbable.

The zones created also permit us to be very deliberate about the removal of mold and debris, space by space. SERVPRO uses industry best practices, scraping the mold off surfaces and adding more aggressive yet non-destructive methods like soda blasting to ensure removal of all particles of the outbreak. HEPA filtered vacuums suction away moldy residues and our technicians apply EPA registered antimicrobials to inhibit future fungal growth. Let our professionals remediate and advise on controlling the moisture that underlies a mold challenge.

When your home shows signs of mold damage, including visible colonies and the unmistakable musty smell that signals a problem, SERVPRO of North Kenner, Harahan & Lakeview has the crews, equipment, and products to abate an infestation. Call (504) 468-3046 to schedule an evaluation as soon as you suspect mold growth.

Learn more about New Orleans here.

Technicians In New Orelans Discuss Mold Damage

5/8/2018 (Permalink)

No matter the severity of the mold damage, our SERVPRO crew can clean and remediate the issue.

Our SERVPRO Team Can Remediate Mold in New Orleans Properties 

If moisture stays inside a building in New Orleans for too long, fungi can develop. Mold can cause health effects with some people, making remediation a necessity. Once a fungus forms, spores coming from it can spread throughout the structure, affecting other regions of the home.

Whenever mitigating fungal issues, extra measures get taken to keep spores from spreading to other areas of the home. Mold damage projects in New Orleans begin with a containment chamber getting set up around the affected region. Thick plastic is used to keep dust created by the restoration process from becoming airborne.

Once the plastic containment is set up, a hole gets cut in the side, and an air scrubber gets placed at the hole. The air scrubber provides negative air pressure inside the chamber to suck up any spores or dust coming from the affected area. Any particles that enter the scrubber pass through a HEPA filter before the air gets exhausted out.

In the affected region, our SERVPRO technicians work on removing materials contaminated with mold. Some fungi get easily wiped away with a dry sponge. If the dry sponge does not remove the contamination, it can be scraped off if the hyphae have not grown deep down into the material.

If the hyphae created by the mold have gone deep into the affected material, then other methods must get taken to remove the fungi. One technique often used to remove contamination from surfaces is soda blasting. Soda blasting is similar to sandblasting but uses sodium bicarbonate to remove mold from surfaces. In other scenarios, a fungus gets sanded off of the affected materials.

During the restoration process, anti-microbial chemicals get sprayed throughout the region that helps suppress the spread of spores. After the mold is scraped or sanded off the affected material, a HEPA vacuum gets used to suck up the dust and spores created by the removal process. After the dust gets removed, all material gets sprayed with an anti-microbial sealant paint to prevent future growth.

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

All material removed inside the containment chamber gets put into sealed plastic bags and disposed of properly. For help removing a fungus, call SERVPRO of North Kenner, Harahan & Lakeview at (504) 468-3046 any day of the week.

For more on New Orleans, click here. 

Why You Need Professional Mold Remediation for Your Elmwood Residence

4/22/2018 (Permalink)

When you see or smell mold, it is time to contact SERVPRO to investigate the extent of the damage and remediate.

Team SERVPRO Investigates and Remediates a Mold Infestation in Your Home

Many Elmwood homeowners do not fully understand the simplicity with which mold can grow in their homes, so it does not allow for any urgency with preventing it from happening. With the annual warmer temperatures you expect to experience, combined with the humidity, the only thing that spores in the environment lack to seat and thrive into colonies are organic surfaces (like wood and drywall).
 
Mold damages to your Elmwood home might not seem alarming to several homeowners, but there is cause for concern. The primary concern you should have are the direct links between potential health effects and the exposure to mold growing in a home. Secondly, these colonies can erode away and ruin structural components of your home to the point of requiring replacement throughout the remediation process.
 
Many are firmly in the camp that DIY methods and conventional cleaning approaches offer the same kind of result as professional remediation services you might find with SERVPRO. This belief is not the truth. As the organism grows, it seats deeper and deeper into the surface it is growing on. Your cleaning methods are only going to take off surface mold, without removing the entire hyphae, allowing for reoccurrence after a short period.
 
Even with our equipment and experience, there are many instances where the mold damage is too ingrained and widespread to remove and remediate. Instead, these structural components and construction materials must get removed for new materials to get installed in their place.
 
Identifying the source of the moisture can help our SERVPRO professionals repair any water sources to the affected area, or encourage the continued use of dehumidification equipment to keep moisture from collecting in the environment. While we work to remove the mold present in the area and dry out the food source which allows it to thrive, failure to maintain dryness only allows the problem to return.
 
Mold in your home does not have to be something that you have to deal with on your own. Trust in the IICRC certified mold remediation specialists at SERVPRO of North Kenner, Harahan & Lakeview. You can reach our team 24/7 just by calling (504) 468-3046.
 
Click here for more information on the city of Elmwood.

How to Deal with Mold Damage in Your Kenner Home

4/6/2018 (Permalink)

Mold damage should be remediated by professionals to prevent spreading to uncontaminated areas of your home.

Trust SERVPRO Professionals to Remove Mold Damage and Prevent Future Growth

There are many misconceptions about mold, and it seems that most of the Kenner area homeowners believe that fungal growth is something that is unlikely or improbable for their house. In all actuality, it is a straightforward process for mold to grow in your home, as it only really requires two elements to start colonizing: moisture and organic material.

However, even with the ease of which mold damage can occur to your Kenner home, many homeowners are still misled to believe fungal growth is not a serious concern. In actuality, mold growth in your house is linked with potential health effects for you and your family when you are exposed, so correcting the issue when you see it should be a priority. Moreover, this is a concern that should get dealt with by certified mold remediation specialists, as they can safely remove the colonies from your home and help you to prevent recurrences in the future.

From the moment that our SERVPRO IICRC certified remediation professionals enter your home, an assessment begins to isolate the area where mold currently is growing as well as the source of the moisture that has been feeding the colonies to this point. Through isolating the affected area with negative air chambers and air scrubbers with HEPA filters, our technicians can successfully prevent the spread of spores to new areas of your home while we work to remove the colonies.

Locating the source of the moisture that feeds this mold growth in your home is a critical component of the remediation process. Otherwise, the mold damage is likely to return again and again. In areas like your basement, which is a common location for fungal growth in homes, the culprit is often cracks or vulnerable points in the block construction of the foundation walls that have weakened over time.

Drying the area removes the food source for mold spores, and this process gets accomplished with dehumidification equipment and large air movers.

Finding mold damage in your home is not something that you should take lightly. Trust SERVPRO of North Kenner, Harahan & Lakeview team of certified mold remediation specialists to help you through the intricate process of removing the presence of mold and fungus from your residence. Give us a call today at (504) 468-3046.

Click here for more information on the city of Kenner.