[unable to retrieve full-text content]Car owners advised to check for damage done by recent flooding KGBT-TV
Although the flooding for many in the Río Grande Valley is now in the past, cars might have major mechanical problems down the road. Although a car owner …
source http://valleycentral.com/news/local/car-owners-advised-to-check-for-damage-done-by-recent-flooding
Dear James: We are fixing up our house to sell. There are a couple of small moldy spots on the ceiling and walls from previous leaks. They look bad, but they have caused no problems. How can we fix them ourselves? — Kyle W.
Dear Kyle: Homeowners have major concerns today about mold in houses because of the many studies done on dangerous black mold. Actually, most mold looks pretty black on a light surface, so people — especially those with children — are understandably concerned when they see any discoloration from mold.
Unless you live in the desert with extremely low humidity, a house will have mold growing somewhere in it. Even in relatively dry climates, just the normal human activities in a house create enough moisture to allow some mold to thrive. This is most common in kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms.
If the potential buyers have a qualified house inspector check your house before they sign the contract, the mold will likely be detected, so it is wise to repair the spots now. Since they are small moldy spots, you are allowed to fix them yourself. The EPA has recommended guidelines for mold abatement, and the size of the moldy area is a factor.
It helps to understand how mold thrives. Mold spores can be thought of as mold seeds. The are in the air, on your shoes, almost everywhere. They can remain dormant for a very long time and become active when they come in contact with moisture and an organic material.
Soap, dead skin cells, oils, food particles, etc. will support mold growth. The amount of these organic materials can be so minute that you cannot even see them and surfaces appear to be clean. Some molds can appear and darken a surface within just a few days.
Since you just have a couple of relatively small areas of mold, there likely were, or still are, leaks or other sources of moisture there. Removing the source of the moisture is imperative to keep the mold from reappearing. The ceiling leaks will be much easier to find than the ones in the walls.
Once you have found the sources of the moisture and eliminated them, inspect the moldy areas to determine the extent of the damage and its depth. Although it may not be a dangerous type of mold, it would be wise to wear gloves and an approved N95 breathing mask. This is the same type of mask recommended when there is an outbreak of bird flu.
Cover the floor with a plastic sheet. Cleaners for mold are available at home center stores, but a solution of 25% chlorine bleach in water is also effective. Scrub a large area of the surface around the spots to try to remove and kill the mold. The moisture probably came from behind the wall and ceiling, so the mold is likely deeper than just on the surface.
It is best to remove and replace the section of drywall. This also allows you to inspect the lumber and insulation behind it. Cut out a piece slightly larger than the moldy spot on the surface. For the easiest repair, make your cut in the drywall from the centerline of one stud or joist to the next one. When you install the new piece of drywall, it will be supported on each side.
Send your questions to Here’s How, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit http://www.dulley.com. To find out more about James Dulley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at http://www.creators.com.
source https://www.creators.com/read/heres-how/07/19/standard-and-black-mold-in-bathrooms
In Hancock County, officials said the flood damage is costing Dallas City a lot of money.
Mayor Kevin Six said the flood left substantial damage. He said a rough estimate of the damage is near 4.5 million dollars, which includes about 28 homes and two businesses.
However, that number could be near seven million dollars, as he said four sewage lift stations were also severely damaged.
He said there’s a lot of work to do.
“The mud was the main thing this year and of course the mold, because the mold will grow over anything, you know that without a doubt, and having to get rid of sandbags is another one,” Six said. “They don’t want you to throw them away, they want you to do something with them so you’ve got figure out what you can do with them.”
He said there was a lot of damage at the park where the upcoming Christian Music Festival will be.
He also said they’re working to clean before the festival next weekend.
source https://wgem.com/2019/07/11/mayor-says-flood-damage-could-cost-dallas-city-millions/
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Kearney restaurants still recovering from floods NTV
It’s been a tough week for restaurants in Kearney and it’s only the beginning as they’re trying to recover from the floods and open their doors once again to …
source https://nebraska.tv/news/local/kearney-restaurants-still-recovering-from-floods
[unable to retrieve full-text content]New wall panels aim to reduce flood damage for Bucksport homeowner wpde.com
BUCKSPORT, S.C. (WPDE) — Many people in Horry County are deciding how to prepare their homes for potential flooding as hurricane season is underway.
source http://wpde.com/news/local/new-wall-panels-aim-to-reduce-flood-damage-for-bucksport-homeowner
UPDATE: After this story aired at 4 p.m. Wednesday on CBS46, Ezekiel Castano received a call from the apartment complex. They told him they will start repairs on Thursday. When asked about a timeline for completion, they told Castano they will try to have the work done by Monday.
DULUTH, Ga. (CBS46) – A Gwinnett County family says the condition of their apartment is making them sick.
Ezekiel Castano, who moved into The Promenade at Berkeley Apartment Homes in Duluth in December, told CBS46’S Melissa Stern the apartment complex keeps brushing off requests to fix issues with leaks and mold.
Castano said the issues started in March, and despite his complaints, have been ongoing ever since.
“They come in, they take a look, I show them and explain to them what’s occurred, and it remains the same,” Castano said.
For months, Castano sent countless emails and made numerous phone calls to management to no avail.
“Ever since then, I think this has occurred anywhere from 7 to 10 times,” added Castano.
After a huge leak in May, he went through the maintenance request process and was able to get the ceiling in the bathroom replaced.
But, other issues remain.
“In the HVAC closet, it’s just water dripping down, I guess from the unit above,” Castano said.
He said water is constantly dripping in various parts of his apartment. Stains now line the ceiling from water damage.
Castano had an inspector come out to run some tests and they came back positive for mold. He said he and his family are constantly sick and he’s had to take days off work.
“My son has been in and out of the hospital,” Castano said. “I have trouble breathing sometimes because of this issue.”
According to Castano, his neighbors are suffering, too.
“I spoke to them, visited their apartment, saw the water damage there, they even mentioned to me…is this something that happens here all the time? And I said, yeah, you better get used to it, but I don’t think it’s something we should have to get used to,” Castano said.
Bridge Property Management sent the following statement to CBS46:
Thank you for reaching out to us regarding Mr. Castano. We have been communicating with him regarding the problems that he has been having in his apartment. The leaks he is referring to are a result of three separate events that have taken place and is not one leak that has been ongoing since March. The leak that happened in March due to an AC and was repaired immediately and the dry wall repairs were take care of within a few days.
His most recent leak occurred last night because of a dishwasher and we already have someone scheduled to repair it at 4pm today as that is the earliest time he has given us permission to access his home.
We take leaks in our residents’ homes very seriously and would never allow a leak to go unrepaired for multiple months.
Mr. Castano has a very tight schedule and only wants us to be in his home while he is there so there have been some restrictions on how quickly some of the previous repairs have been done. I have copies of all of the community’s email correspondence with him so I can assure you that his requests and concerns have not gone unanswered.
Thank you again for reaching out and please let me know if you have any additional questions.
GERMANTOWN, Tenn. — The heat is unbearable for people who are still cleaning up after flash flooding damaged their homes in Germantown.
A Germantown widow has nowhere else to stay and is stuck with only one working air conditioner.
Helala Hamud has diabetes, high-blood pressure and asthma…a bad combination for someone living inside a home filled with mold.
She said the flood damaged several of her air conditioners, leaving her with only one functioning unit.
“They start cutting the walls, you can see here the mold,” Hamud said.
For a month, she has tried to live in her house—filled with mold.
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Hamud has no other place to stay since her husband passed away a year ago.
She is left juggling electricity bills, the mortgage and now flooding damage.
“There is a leak here and you can see a leak here,” Hamud said.
What makes it worse—she only has air conditioning downstairs.
Hamud can’t even sleep in her own room.
“Oh my God. It’s hot here and it’s like you’re living outside,” she said.
The couch she rests on downstairs isn’t much better—with mold just feet away.
When three feet of water flooded Hamud’s home month, it added to her stress.
“The water was above the steps here and it was a lot of mud,” she said.
She has received help with ripping out sheet rock from volunteers with the Germantown HELPS group…but she needs more assistance.
“We don’t have a stove. We don’t have the sink,” Hamud said.
She is left wondering what will happen next as she deals with health conditions while living in a home filled with mold and sheet rock and no AC.
“I’m so depressed. It’s beem a month. We don’t have no help and we don’t know what to do,” Hamud said.
If you would like to help, contact the Germantown HELPS group on Facebook.
© 2019 Cox Media Group.
West said although they’ve made progress, the school district is waiting for insurance claims to clear before starting more heavy lifting. This includes roofing for all the buildings, fencing, lighting for sports fields, scoreboards, bleachers, installation of water, gas, sewer and electricity for the new portable buildings.
Ripping out carpet and drywall, inspecting for mold, cleaning up — dealing with the aftermath of a flood is a fulltime job.
Kenny Vollmer, 64, talks on Monday, July 8, 2019, to Code Enforcement Officer Connie Faherty in the house he grew up in about the height of flood waters. Vollmer and his wife, Kathy live in the South Shore subdivision of St. Charles County. The home is a couple of blocks from the Mississippi River. Faherty was inspecting flood damaged houses and putting signs on the houses noting if they could be lived in. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
Kenny Vollmer, 64, talks on Monday, July 8, 2019, to Code Enforcement Officer Connie Faherty in the house he grew up in. Vollmer and his wife, Kathy live in the South Shore subdivision of St. Charles County. The home is a couple of blocks from the Mississippi River. Faherty was inspecting flood damaged houses and marking if they could be lived in. Vollmer’s home is full of black mold. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
Leena Varvera, a review appraiser with the St. Charles County Assessors office, documents on Monday, July 8, 2019, the height of the flood waters on a machine shed owned by Kenny and Kathy Vollmer in the South Shore subdivision of St. Charles County. Varvera and Code Enforcement Officer Connie Faherty were inspecting flood damaged houses. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
Leena Varvera, a review appraiser with the St. Charles County Assessors office, photographs on Monday, July 8, 2019, a sign that Code Enforcement Officer Connie Faherty placed on a home owned by Kenny and Kathy Vollmer in the South Shore subdivision of St. Charles County. The home is a couple of blocks from the Mississippi River. The officials were inspecting flood damaged houses. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
Code Enforcement Officer Connie Faherty photographs the inside of a home owned by Kenny Vollmer and his wife Kathy in the South Shore subdivision of St. Charles County on Monday, July 8, 2019. The home is a couple of blocks from the Mississippi River. Faherty was inspecting flood damaged houses. The house was full of black mold. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
Kenny Vollmer, 64, shows on Monday, July 8, 2019, some of the flood damage to Code Enforcement Officer Connie Faherty in the house where he grew up. Vollmer and his wife, Kathy live in the South Shore subdivision of St. Charles County. The home is a couple of blocks from the Mississippi River. Faherty was inspecting flood damaged houses. The house was full of black mold. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
Leena Varvera, at left, a review appraiser with the St. Charles County Assessors office, photographs Code Enforcement Officer Connie Faherty marking the height of the flood waters on a home on Monday, July 8, 2019. The building in the South Shore subdivision of St. Charles County is owned by Kenny and Kathy Vollmer. The home is a couple of blocks from the Mississippi River. The officials were inspecting flood damaged houses. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
Black mold grows on the walls of a home owned by Kenny Vollmer on Monday, July 8, 2019. Vollmer and his wife, Kathy live in the South Shore subdivision of St. Charles County. The home is a couple of blocks from the Mississippi River. Vollmer’s son had been living in the house until it started flooding. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
The problem — when we pump cold air through our home’s ducts — combined with warm, humid air on the outside — we create condensation and moisture that can lead to mold.
So what can you do to keep your home cool while at the same time fight off moisture and mold that can make you and your family sick?
The local mold experts at AdvantaClean, the leading national franchise of indoor air quality, can come to your newsroom with visual props and discuss how to protect their homes against mold and hazardous conditions during the humid season.
They have created a moisture and mold battle plan to share with your viewers — five tips to fight mold and humidity.
5 tips to fight mold and humidity
Monitor the humidity monitor: An indoor digital humidity monitor can give a quick and accurate measurement of the humidity within a home. For greatest comfort and to best reduce the bacteria and odors, humidity levels in the home should be kept between 40 and 55 percent. A humidity monitor can be purchased for less than $15.
Beware of your air: Run air conditioning systems running from May through the end of October and keep the fan setting on “Auto”. Leaving the fan setting on “On” runs the system continuously and can cause moisture condensed on the air conditioner coil to be blown back into the home.
Rein in rain: Add gutters to the roof of the house and downspouts at the base to redirect rainwater away from the house’s foundation.
Build a barrier: If your house has a crawlspace, make sure the floor has a vapor barrier, which is a plastic covering that lays on top of the dirt surface. This prevents moisture from the dirt floor from evaporating and seeping through into the air beneath the home. This also protects against problems caused by excess moisture like mold, odors, insects and wood rot.
Cover your crawlspace: Crawlspaces can be professionally encapsulated by sealing the walls and floor with a thick, plastic wrapping and installing a dehumidifier to set the appropriate humidity levels. The relative humidity in a house should not exceed 50 percent.
Move on mold: In many cases you can see or smell mold. It is most often green or black in color and has a “musty” or “earthy” smell, somewhat like the forest floor deep in the woods. In that case use an antimicrobial mixture made up of household items such as hydrogen peroxide, vinegar or baking soda to kill or prevent the growth of mold. Spray the mixture onto the mold area and remove with a scrub brush or disposable rag while wearing protective covering such as face masks, gloves and shoe covers.
Mold — The frightening fast facts
Mold grows quickly: It only takes 24 to 48 hours to grow and spread in wet, warm conditions.
Undetectable: Excessive moisture behind walls, under floors, or in cabinets or closets are perfect breeding grounds for mold. This is mold that you often can’t see or smell but it can make you and your family very sick.
Bleach can’t kill it: Applying bleach can actually promote more mold growth on porous surfaces. A more effective treatment is an antimicrobial mixture made up of household items such as hydrogen peroxide, vinegar or baking soda.
Mold claims: Damage can cost as much as $10,000, and most insurance carriers will not cover the cost of mold removal.
Symptoms of mold exposure: Severe body aches, joint pain, nausea, chronic and sometimes serious respiratory issues. These symptoms can develop quickly, or over time.
People at risk: The very young, the very old, people with compromised immune systems. Mold can be deadly among these groups of people.
Damage Mold 