We all know water is to be avoided at all costs when it comes to home maintenance. Water and moisture can do immense amounts of damage to all types of building materials over time, with wood being particularly susceptible to its damaging effects.As a property owner, you should be aware of three common sources of water intrusion harmful to your property.
Water can penetrate your home during storms with wind-driven rain.
Floods from local water sources and rapid rainfall.
Internal plumbing leaks and burst pipes.
Each of these three sources has its own playbook for dealing with them.Rain is inevitable, and you’re going to have to deal with water coming down onto your roof, trying to get in through the ceiling and coming in through the windows and siding via wind. After a storm, do a check of ceilings and walls near the ceiling, door and window for water leaks. If you get a lot of rain in a short period of time, it can cause localized “flooding” on your property. Make sure the ground is properly graded to give run-off water somewhere to go away from your home. If your property is perfectly flat or the grade runs towards your house, water will pool around your foundation, eventually leading to problems. If you own a home in an area highly prone to flooding, make sure you have a flood plan and all the appropriate insurance information you need in the event of a flood. It’s hard to mitigate and prepare for a flood of the Russian River, so make sure you pay attention to local codes and regulations, which are usually crafted to help residents deal with such issues.Do an annual check-up each year on the plumbing throughout your home. Pay close attention to connections and junctions and look for evidence of slow leaks – like mineral trails or buildups that may or may not also be wet. Evidence of slow drip patterns can also provide hints to a slow-growing problem. It’s always a good idea to make friends with a plumber you can trust.In the event water does manage to make it into your home, we are here and ready to help. Whether you’re looking at minor or extensive damage, RCS Cares specialize in water damage recovery and can help you get your property back to normal as soon as possible. Contact us at 707-570-0555 to talk about your project today.
If your home has a crawl space in it, you might be wondering about the proper maintenance and care of that area of your home. The answer is different depending on your crawl space, your property, and your home. Understanding how to care for your crawl space begins with understanding why it’s there to begin with.
Popularity of the basement crawl space underneath homes begins around the time industrialization also occurs, around the 1950s. Homes built around this time often have crawl spaces if they don’t have a full-blown basement space. They are also used when a full basement would be too expensive or impractical given the geographic area. Many of the original crawl spaces were between three and five feet tall, had open-air access, and were often used as mini versions of a basement.
We now know, however, that humid air tends to build up in crawlspaces. This humidity and the damp earth create an environment ripe for all sorts of potential problems for a home and its residents. It’s important to maintain and keep this area clear and clean for the health and safety of the home’s residents.
As with any type of basement, moisture can become a problem and seep into the crawl space via the soil. And as with any type of water problem, the best way to avoid crawl space moisture issues is to focus on the source. If you have a dirt crawl space encapsulation is likely your best option. For a bigger space, or a bigger crawl space, you might want a different solution. If you do encapsulate, don’t do so without a fully sealable space – it won’t fully work if there are large air gaps. Also be sure to account for drainage.
Encapsulating your crawlspace provides a moisture and vapor barrier between your home and the earth. The area in and around your crawl space is critically important to the structural integrity of your home. Ensuring a proper level of moisture in the space is key. This is also a good time to determine if you need to insulate the upper level of your crawl space and provide some added energy efficiency benefits to your home.
If you decide to encapsulate your crawl space, be sure to get in touch with a professionals at RCS in Santa Rosa to help you.
Decorating your home with pumpkins and gourds is a great way to welcome in the fall season.
While these autumn fruits are a staple in fall decorating, they also present an opportunity to introduce mold into your home.
Find out what you can do to prevent a mold problem from ruining your fall decorating displays.
How Fall Decorating is a Mold Threat
As you bring those fall fruits into your home, they will begin to rot.
Pumpkins and gourds rot quickly because they are exposed to all the outdoor moisture, bacteria and dirt needed for them to grow. Additionally, trace amounts of mold are already on the pumpkins and gourds out there in the field.
Without some kind of treatment, the fresh fruits will decay and when that happens, it gives mold an opportunity to grow. Your fruit may no longer be ripe, but the conditions for mold are.
The problem with active mold is that it contains and releases tiny particles known as mycotoxins and spores, which easily become airborne and spread throughout your home.
The best course of defense against decay and mold growth in this situation is to remove as much of that dirt, bacteria, and moisture as possible from the fruit before decorating.
Preventing Seasonal Mold
Before carving those jack-o-lanterns or putting pumpkins or gourds on display, treat them with a simple solution to delay rotting and mold.
Treating fall fruit is easy and you probably already have all of the ingredients for the cleaning mixture at home.
Cleaning Mixture for Treating Fall Fruits
The mixture is a combination of one gallon water, two tablespoons of bleach and a drop of liquid dish soap. Mix together in the kitchen sink or a bucket.
Soak gourds and pumpkins in the mixture for 30 minutes. Note that pumpkins and gourds don’t need to be completely soaked and submerged, just thoroughly cleaned, including the stem.
Periodically roll pumpkins around to evenly coat the fruit.
After cleaning, rinse the gourds and pumpkins well and dry completely.
For an extra layer of protection, lightly spray with a clear protective sealant and let dry completely.
Eliminating Mold from Fall Decorating
The best way to combat mold is to try to prevent it. If it’s too late for that, treat the mold with vinegar or a mixture of bleach and water.
While bleach is typically the go to mold killer and disinfectant, vinegar usually works better to clean mold from porous surfaces such as tables, shelves, or countertops.
Bleach
Combine 1 cup of bleach with 1 cup of water. Mix well, pour into a spray bottle. Saturate mold with mixture, let soak for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry well. Repeat as needed.
Vinegar
Use undiluted white distilled vinegar in a spray bottle and saturate moldy areas. Let soak, rinse thoroughly and let air dry.
Always protect yourself with gloves and a mask when treating mold.
If areas affected by mold exceed 10 square feet, call a mold remediation company to safely treat and eliminate the mold.
Conclusion
While decorating is fun and gets you into the autumn spirit, it also comes with risks for mold contamination.
In Sonoma County, call the go-to mold remediation specialists at RCS. No matter how it makes its way into your home, RCS is here to resolve all of your mold issues.
