Q: Lately, I notice a musty smell whenever I go into my basement. What’s causing the odor and most how do I get rid of it?

A: That unpleasant, musty smell—some people describe it as akin to a wet dog—in is the calling card of mold and/or mildew. The spores of these ubiquitous fungi drift through the air until they find the damp, dark, and warm environment that allow them to multiply and thrive—conditions common to basements.

Although the majority of mold species found inside homes aren’t harmful to humans, some people are allergic to the spores and develop symptoms that include a stuffy or runny nose, headache, fatigue, coughing or wheezing, and itchy or runny eyes after spending time in a mildewed or moldy room. Stachybotrys chartarum, commonly called black mold, is linked to more serious symptoms, including chest tightness and difficulty breathing, a burning sensation in the nose and throat, dizziness, headache, and trouble concentrating. Luckily, however, black mold isn’t nearly as common as less toxic types.

The musty smell in your basement from unfettered mold and mildew growth also presents potential harm to your home’s structure.

These fungi feed on organic materials, which include wood, many types of fabric, paper, and even some glues. Given enough time, mold can heavily stain your walls, floors, and ceilings; decay wood studs and drywall; damage carpets; and eat away at wallpaper. Mold that’s reached this level requires the services of a professional trained in mold remediation, but you can easily deal with a simple case of funky mildew smell and mild mold staining yourself.

RELATED: 12 Big Mistakes That Lead to Mold and Mildew Growth

Simply banishing the odor won’t eliminate the issue, though; mold and mildew spores can start to multiply in as little as 24 hours if conditions are perfect, so to really conquer the stink, you must tackle the problem at the root by following these next four steps.

Look for leaks in the basement that might lead to mold and mildew growth.

Discovering the source of humidity in your basement is the key to vanquishing mold and mildew (and may alert you to other issues as well). Two common and easily handled problems are condensation dripping off an uninsulated pipe or water leaking through a basement window.

• Many basements have exposed pipes running along the ceiling or down the walls. If you spot water “sweating” off these pipes, insulate them with foam pipe wrap, available at home improvement center for less than $10. The lengths of rubbery foam are pre-cut so you can easily slip them right over pipes. However, if the pipe is actively leaking, not just sweating, call a plumber without delay to repair it.
• If your basement has windows, look for water running down the glass or puddling underneath the window when it rains. If you spot water, remove leaves and other debris that could be clogging the outside window wells. Fill the wells with gravel to help reduce the chance of clogs. Replace old weather stripping and caulk, as well, to seal any small leaks around the window frames.

If you see water coming through a crack in the basement wall or seeping up from the foundation, the problem is a serious one outside the scope of the typical homeowner’s DIY abilities. Contact a contractor who specializes in basement repairs and waterproofing.

Lower the humidity level to under 60 percent with a dehumidifier.

Due to its underground position, your basement tends to stay cooler than the upper levels of your home during the warmer months. That can be a problem, though, when warmer air from upstairs circulates into the basement. As the warmer air rapidly cools in the basement’s lower temperature, water vapor condenses into a film of moisture that settles on the basement walls, as well as any furnishings or other items stored in the space. Moisture from the soil can also seep into a basement through the foundation, increasing indoor humidity further.

The preferred level of indoor humidity for most people is between 30 and 50 percent, while mold thrives with humidity of 60 percent or higher. Test your basement’s level with a hygrometer (available at Amazon), which shows the relative humidity of a room at a glance. Then, consider purchasing a dehumidifier to make things more comfortable for you, and less hospitable to mold and mildew.

Among the several types of dehumidifiers available, a compressor dehumidifier is best suited to basements. These devices reduce air humidity by sucking the room air over chilled coils, causing the moisture to condense into a storage tank. A good choice an average-size basement is the Frigidaire 70-Pint Dehumidifier with Effortless Humidity Control (available at Amazon).

RELATED: The Best Dehumidifiers for Any Basement

Clean up all mold or mildew spores present.

Once you’ve gotten excess humidity under control, clean away the odor-producing mold and mildew.

• Start by getting rid of any moldy or soggy cardboard boxes or other papers you’ve been storing in the basement. mold thrives on paper products. Pack away salvageable holiday decorations and other items in large plastic containers with securely fitted lids.
• Wash and dry any garments on the hottest settings safe for the fabric to remove mildew and mold spores.
• Trash seriously stinky upholstered furniture, but try to save a lightly affected piece with spot treatment. First vacuum the piece (discarding the filter and bag when you’re done), then wipe it down thoroughly with a clean sponge dipped in a mixture of equal parts water and rubbing alcohol. Let it air dry completely outdoors in a sunny spot for several hours—UV rays of direct sunlight kill mold spores.
• Next, tackle any spots of mold on the walls, ceiling, or floors with bleach. Mix four parts of water to one part of household bleach and take a stiff cleaning brush to the surface. Once the mold spots are gone, wipe the surfaces with clean water on a clean sponge and then let air-dry.

Neutralize the musty smell in the basement.

To remove any lingering musty smell, try the old-fashioned yet effective remedy of setting out a few small bowls of baking soda around the room; baking soda absorbs and neutralizes odor molecules well. Alternately, set out a few bowls of white vinegar, which also neutralize odor molecules. For more resistant smells, it’s hard to beat the moisture-and-odor-absorbing qualities of DampRid, which contains salt crystals. A four-pound tub, large enough for up to 1,000 square feet, should cost you less than $10 at Amazon.

source https://www.bobvila.com/articles/musty-smell-in-basement/

By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

The warm, wet weather of the past few months has created perfect conditions for encouraging mold.

Mold is everywhere. It is a type of fungus that grows from tiny spores that float in the air and land on surfaces.

Getting rid of surface mold is quite simple: Scrub mold from walls and wood trim with a mixture of 1 qt. water and 1/2 cup bleach. Use a soft brush and work until signs of the mold disappear. After scrubbing surfaces, simply allow the bleach solution to continue to penetrate the surfaces and dry.

Mold begins as tiny black spots in grout lines on tiled bathtubs or shower walls, and on decks and siding in damp and shady areas.

Surface mildew doesn’t damage structures if it hasn’t penetrated into the wood itself and can be removed.

High concentrations of mold cause a foul odor, such as in damp carpets, damp walls, and wet wood under floors. These require more extensive work, such as removing carpets, replacing sheetrock, sealing with protective paint, and drying the area with fans.

Contaminated material should be put in plastic bags for disposal.

In a bathroom, a mixture of ½-cup bleach, 1 quart of water, and a little detergent can be applied to scrub away the mold. It can be re-applied a second time if the first treatment doesn’t remove all the mold. Adding detergent makes it easier to rinse the mold away.

Wearing rubber gloves, goggles, and long-sleeved tops is recommended. Don’t mix ammonia with bleach because the mixture forms a poisonous gas.

Grout sealer can be applied to clean, dry surfaces to prevent mold from re-growing.

Many paints have a mildew-resistant additive to prevent return of mold to wood that has been cleaned of mold and dried.

source http://starj.com/direct/surface_mold_is_easy_to_remove+5048mold+53757266616365206d6f6c64206973206561737920746f2072656d6f7665

FORT HOOD, Texas — A military family living in Comanche Village on Ft. Hood is still without a home after the discovery of black mold inside their on-post housing. The family said the mold left them sick and without answers while living in a hotel room.

«My family has been through almost two years of deplorable living conditions,» said Jessica Scott, a military wife and mother who said the Army doesn’t seem to care.

Scott said toxic mold is inside her Comanche Village home, and all four of her kids are sick.

«They have all, since the day we moved in there, been ill,» she said. «It’s to the point the have declined in school, needed to be enrolled in special education and barely meeting grade levels.»

She also said her youngest, missed milestones because of sickness.

«My youngest, one year old, was not meeting milestones,» she said. «My 3-year-old was developing random coughs, hives, all sorts of random medical conditions were arising. It was just being swept under the rug.»

Scott said the family has taken steps to find out what’s wrong because Fort Hood Family Housing isn’t doing so. She said they took black mold samples and sent them to a Florida for analysis, and those analyses came back positive.

She said her family is undergoing extensive testing and the doctor is treating them is very concerned. 

She doesn’t understand why Ft. Hood is not.

«Chain of command has been involved and we still have not seen anything,» she told 6 News on the phone between appointments, «We’ve been in a hotel since June 25. We were out of it for three weeks inside another home on Ft. Hood that also contained mold.»

Jessica says Ft. Hood Family Housing brought in an inspector Monday who conducted testing said no mold was present.

«They had testing done yesterday and we were told there was no mold in the home, yet there’s water damage to several walls,» Scott said. «Yet there’s mold, suspected fungal growth, inside air ducts and registers and return vents»

6 News reached out to Ft. Hood Family Housing for comment about the claims made by the Scott family. They responded with the following statement:

«Fort Hood Family Housing is committed to providing outstanding communities where military families can live, work and thrive. From staffing additions to address a greater volume of work orders at a faster pace, to an enhanced customer service training curriculum designed to positively impact our day-to-day interactions with our residents, to innovative technology and tools that foster deeper levels of connection, dialogue and transparency, our dedication to an exceptional resident experience remains steadfast.

The safety, health, well-being and satisfaction of our military personnel and their families is our top priority and we look forward to continuing our commitment to service excellence.»

Scott said two years is far too long and she doesn’t believe the situation should have been allowed to get to this point..

«There is numerous situations that shouldn’t be happening to anyone, let alone a military family.» she said. «My husband is suppose to deploy in October, and they still tell me he’s deployable even though we have no home to live in.»

She said the mold has continued to take its toll on them as they remain in a hotel, making her family sensitive and sick. She said her youngest child was vomiting so badly they needed to switch hotel rooms Monday.

«My son last night was sick, projectile vomiting. My 1-year-old, due to the mold we had to be exposed to for two hours yesterday for them to do testing,» she said. «The person doing it wasn’t even certified to do the water intrusion testing.»

Scott called the circumstances appalling.

«I am just appalled by the whole situation,» Scott said. «I think it is absolutely unacceptable that our military, our government, just everyone involved is allowing these situations to happen, especially to children.»

MORE FROM MILITARY MATTERS: 

source https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/black-mold-leaves-family-without-home-family-sick/500-58409836-8bff-40d4-b3bc-2814684f7300

source https://www.journalnow.com/news/local/flood-damage-temporarily-closes-salvation-army-of-high-point-offices/article_f115c0ae-b7a6-50d4-a7af-1b583d1b4d84.html

(Newswire.net — August 22, 2019) — Alameda, CA — Alameda, California company Home Services USA launched an updated range of mold remediation services for clients in Fremont and the surrounding areas.

Home Services USA, a restoration company based in Alameda, California, announced an updated range of mold removal services for residential and commercial clients in Fremont and the surrounding areas. The company works with licensed and certified mold removal and remediation experts to provide prompt and reliable solutions for all types of mold issues.

More details can be found at https://homeservicesusa.co/mold-removal

Some small amount of mold spores will naturally exist in any indoor environment within levels that are perfectly safe for the health of the residents. However, higher levels of humidity will lead to larger mold growth, an issue which can cause a variety of health issues and potential structural problems.

Home Services USA provides a multi-step home remediation solution designed to bring mold levels back to natural levels and address the root cause of any mold issue.

The company’s service begins with a detailed assessment of the mold-damaged area to identify the type of mold and the extent of the damage.

The Fremont mold remediation experts then address the originating source of moisture to prevent new mold growth, then treat the affected areas to eliminate excessive mold. Depending on the type of mold issue and the structures affected, certain materials such as drywall or carpeting may need to be replaced.

Finally, the experts clean and sanitize the area, and provide additional restoration services, if necessary.

The Fremont company is available 24/7 for any type of mold or water damage emergency.

With the latest update, Home Services USA continues to expand its range of high-quality restoration services.

A satisfied client said: “We had the unfortunate experience of dealing water damage in our home. Home Services USA did their best to help us get the damage cleaned, they did a great job cleaning the carpets, and duct work as well. They were willing to work around our schedule as well. We would definitely recommend their services.”

Interested parties can find more information by visiting the above-mentioned website.

source https://newswire.net/newsroom/pr/00112120-https-homeservicesusa-co.html

By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

The warm, wet weather of the past few months has created perfect conditions for encouraging mold.

Mold is everywhere. It is a type of fungus that grows from tiny spores that float in the air and land on surfaces.

Getting rid of surface mold is quite simple: Scrub mold from walls and wood trim with a mixture of 1 qt. water and 1/2 cup bleach. Use a soft brush and work until signs of the mold disappear. After scrubbing surfaces, simply allow the bleach solution to continue to penetrate the surfaces and dry.

Mold begins as tiny black spots in grout lines on tiled bathtubs or shower walls, and on decks and siding in damp and shady areas.

Surface mildew doesn’t damage structures if it hasn’t penetrated into the wood itself and can be removed.

High concentrations of mold cause a foul odor, such as in damp carpets, damp walls, and wet wood under floors. These require more extensive work, such as removing carpets, replacing sheetrock, sealing with protective paint, and drying the area with fans.

Contaminated material should be put in plastic bags for disposal.

In a bathroom, a mixture of ½-cup bleach, 1 quart of water, and a little detergent can be applied to scrub away the mold. It can be re-applied a second time if the first treatment doesn’t remove all the mold. Adding detergent makes it easier to rinse the mold away.

Wearing rubber gloves, goggles, and long-sleeved tops is recommended. Don’t mix ammonia with bleach because the mixture forms a poisonous gas.

Grout sealer can be applied to clean, dry surfaces to prevent mold from re-growing.

Many paints have a mildew-resistant additive to prevent return of mold to wood that has been cleaned of mold and dried.

source http://marionrecord.com/direct/surface_mold_is_easy_to_remove+5048mold+53757266616365206d6f6c64206973206561737920746f2072656d6f7665

source https://www.greensboro.com/news/local_news/flood-damage-temporarily-closes-the-salvation-army-of-high-point/article_aa8f2745-e2d6-542a-953a-ae7fa72bd01d.html

BOSTON, Aug. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The IDTechEx Research report, In-Mold Electronics 2019-2029: Technology, Market Forecasts, Players, suggests that in-mold electronics (IME) can become a market larger than $750m by 2028. The market take-off will, however, occur only around 2023 or 2024, if not later. This is despite the fact that the technology has been in the making for many years. Indeed, the first near-success in the automotive sector came as early as 2013/2014.

This article discusses some of the challenges on the way towards production of a successful IME product. It will also outline some of the key progress made which paves the way towards future adoption. To learn more please visit www.IDTechEx.com/IME. It provides a detailed assessment of the materials, processes, products and prototypes, applications and markets for IME and multiple rival technologies such as molded interconnect devices (MID) or aerosol deposition. Furthermore, this report provides application-segmented ten-year market forecasts and overviews of the key companies across this emerging value chain.

The successful development of an IME product requires a steep learning curve. This is despite the fact that the individual processes used in IME are fairly standard. Indeed, a somewhat similar process, IMD or in-mold decoration, is already commercial. IDTechEx seeks to highlight challenges by contrasting IME with IMD in parts of this article.

Challenges: The chart attached shows the process steps involved in an IME production. In this article, IDTechEx considers the differences between a conventional IMD and an IME process to highlight development challenges.

Printing on flat sheets: the material set is different between IME and IMD. In a conventional IMD, graphic inks are printed and the color quality is carefully controlled. In IME, functional inks, or stacks of functional materials, will need to be printed. This will require learning as the printing and drying conditions are different. The procedures might also be different depending on the specific set of materials used in the stack and the order in which the materials are arranged in the stack. The curing conditions, especially drying times and rates, are also different and require process as well as equipment adjustment. The printing will also require careful control of thickness so that the designed electrical properties are retained after the forming step. This step of deposition and curing functional materials on a flat sheet can reduce yield, e.g., 2% loss or so.

Pick-and-place: in IME, electronic devices will need to be placed. This will require a pick-and-place machine. It will also likely require the use of special dispensed conductive adhesives for surface mounting. In most cases, the SMDs are placed whilst the film is flat. This makes the pick-and-place easier. It will, however, require the development of design guidelines for part placement so that the subsequent 3D forming steps do not cause damage. Some have proposed doing the pick-and-place on an already-3D-shaped film. This will require special dispensing and pick-and-place machines able to maneuver in 3D spaces and will slow down the throughput. As such, this approach is not very attractive. The dispensed adhesives will also need to be cured without affecting the properties of previous layers.

Today there is some work to develop ultra-low-temperature solders compatible even with heat-stabilized PET substrates. The benefit of solder over conductive adhesives would be that (a) it would simplify part placement control due to their intrinsic orientational correction characteristics, and (b) it would provide a roadmap for supporting more complex ICs with higher I/O counts. For now, however, conductive adhesives dominate. Finally, note that the IC package is important. Since the conductive lines are screen printed, the linewidths will be wide. As such, only packages with wide pin pads and pin spacings will be compatible with the process. This already points towards a further future evolution towards narrow metallization techniques. That would, however, require the development of appropriate ink sets compatible with IME processes and narrow linewidth printing techniques.

3D Forming: the next step is 3D forming, e.g., thermoforming. The equipment set is similar to that used in IMD. However, process optimization will be required. This is because the thermoforming must respect the formability limitations of the functional materials and stacks thereof. Design know-how will play a key role here because, by design, the circuit patterns and the placed parts can be in locations which experience the least change in dimension. Note that enabling this step in IME has required extensive material innovation. This is because the printed functional inks will need to be stretched. The conductors will be required to give a predictable behavior and the insulators/cross-overs will need to remain pin-free and insulating on the substrate of interest (PC or PET or even on graphite inks). This has required the development of special inks with the right resins, the right particle distribution/morphology, and so on. The limitations of the materials dictate many design and process restrictions. As such, intimate knowledge of their workings, characteristics, and performance limits is essential. Finally, note that the thermoforming step will have an elevated temperature (150-170C). The impact of this will need to be considered in performance of previously cured or partially cured materials.

Trimming/cutting: the next step is to trim the film. Here, some die-cut process using part-specific tooling is carried out. One then proceeds to the connector assembly step. The connectors provide the connection to the outside world. The connectors are mounted, probably using an anisotropic conductive adhesive or film. This will require additional tools for applying the appropriate heat and pressure profile.

Injection molding: the film will be vacuum or mechanically held in place to allow injection-molding to take place. Depending on the application, the injection volume can be very large. The process also requires optimization, e.g., no air bubbles. This step takes place at a high temperature. As such, the printed circuitry and the formed material stacks will need to retain functionality after experiencing high temperatures and after coming into contact with the molding resin chemicals. Note that the temperature will depend on the resin. For example, PC, PMMA, and TPU will require 260-340c, 240-280C, and 190-210C, respectively.

The molding process can also impact the commercial electronic packages used on the formed film. The high pressure (100MPa or so) can compress any gas trapped inside the package, thus deforming the package. The shear forces in the molding process can cause the component to detach. This risk is most acute when the polymer flow front arrives at the component site during the injection molding process. The change in temperature can also create stress via CTE mismatches, potentially deforming or detaching the SMEs. The selection, or development of, suitable packages can help here. Note that some firms are already responding to this market need.

Note that the products must remain functional in the field after deployment. This is particularly important given the industry’s past experiences and given the irrepairability of the structurally-embedded electronics. The reliability is closely linked to how the materials change their property as they experience heat, humidity, etc. It is also closely linked to the design and the material stack, and how that impacts and is impacted by moisture ingress.

In this article, IDTechEx mainly discussed the technical challenges, showing that, for example, an IMD maker can not overnight become an IME maker, and that it requires learning and significant adaptations. The process can be accelerated with the aid of strong technology and knowhow transfer. It should be noted that there are also many market challenges. IDTechEx, however, postpones the discussion of these to another article.

The IDTechEx Research report, In-Mold Electronics 2019-2029: Technology, Market Forecasts, Players, suggests that many prototypes and products are emerging in consumer goods, home appliances, and even interior and exterior of vehicles. The market will substantially grow in the coming years, exceeding $750m by 2028. The ability to design, produce, or integrate IME-made parts will become a strategic know-how and competency for many firms worldwide. Many have already started actively building up competency. Others will need to follow suit if they don’t want to fall behind.

To learn more about the technical as well as commercial aspects of this emerging opportunity, refer to the IDTechEx Research report In-Mold Electronics 2019-2029: Technology, Market Forecasts, Players or contact research@IDTechEx.com. This report provides segmented market forecasts, assessment of key technical challenges and the latest application developments, and overviews of the key players in the value chain. It covers IME but also competing technologies such as aerosol or molded-interconnect-devices (MIDs).

To find out more about Printed Electronics research available from IDTechEx, visit www.IDTechEx.com/research/PE or to connect with others on this topic, IDTechEx Events is hosting: Printed Electronics USA, the World’s Largest Event on Printed & Flexible Electronics, Nov. 20-21 2019, Santa Clara, USA. www.IDTechEx.com/PEUSA

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Consultancy and Event products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information on IDTechEx Research and Consultancy contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.

Media Contact:

Jessica Abineri

Marketing Assistant
press@IDTechEx.com

+44(0)1223 812300

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To learn more about the technical as well as commercial aspects of this emerging opportunity refer to the IDTechEx Research report In-Mold Electronics 2019-2029: Technology, Market Forecasts, Players.

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source https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/idtechex-research-asks-in-mold-electronics-challenges-in-every-step-300905298.html

source https://www.3newsnow.com/news/community/vista-semanal/local/nebraska-moves-all-girls-out-of-facility-for-troubled-youth

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The Salvation Army’s Center of Hope in High Point temporarily closed from water damage caused by last night’s storms.

More than four inches of rain flooded several of the rooms in the building overnight.

Director Antoine Dalton says disaster emergency services spent most of the night and part of today trying to get the water out.

They drilled holes into the walls to prevent mold and mildew.

Despite all the work, more than 30 people staying there now need a place to go.

«We’re trying to relocate the families by contacting the family members and see if they are able to house them temporarily. The ones who do not have family in this area will be staying at the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club for the next few days until the building can dry out,» Dalton said.

Dalton says they hope to have the entire building cleaned up and ready to open next week.

source https://myfox8.com/2019/08/20/salvation-armys-center-of-hope-in-high-point-temporarily-closed-because-of-storm-damage/