Mold growth in your home can quickly lead to significant problems, including structural damage and illness among immunocompromised residents. There is a lot you can do to stop it from developing that will keep you, your home, and your family safe. 

At Liberty Restoration, our team wants you to know what actions you can take to protect your home and prevent mold growth before it has the chance to start. 

1. Keep Your Gutters Clean

Your home’s gutters are a great home for mold, whether you like it or not. There is plenty of organic material flowing through them, coupled with regular exposure to moisture. If you want to prevent mold growth in your home, you should ensure these stay clean throughout the year. They should be cleaned at least twice a year to prevent this from happening. 

Unchecked, your gutters can quickly fill with debris and rotting leaves. As they fill the gutters, water has the opportunity to sit stagnant. Stagnant water may lead to mold growth in the gutter, or this water may get into your house. Either way, this water is a big problem for homeowners, and your dirty gutters should be addressed if you want to prevent mold growth. 

2. Dry Spills Immediately

Following a spill or leak, mold begins to grow in 24 to 48 hours, and in as few as 12 days it begins to colonize. This can create a much larger scale problem in your home. If you spill in your home, it is essential that you dry them as soon as possible. In addition, you should open windows and increase ventilation in the space to the best of your ability.

Turn on fans as well to keep dry air moving over the affected area. Also, know when to let go of items that you cannot dry out properly. Some furniture, like couches and chairs, have thick padding that cannot dry out properly before mold and mildew begins to grow. If you want to avoid this mold growth, dry spills where you can and let go of furniture you can’t.

3. Invest In Dehumidifiers

An easy way to prevent mold growth in your home without having to do too much work is by investing in a dehumidifier. These devices make the conditions in your home less welcoming to mold by removing excess moisture from the air. If you have noticed an increase in the humidity levels in your home, this may be a great investment for the space. 

To add protection, you may even consider investing in an air purifier. With the help of the dehumidifier, an air purifier’s HEPA filter can help remove mold. They trap the smallest particles in the air and use UV lights to prevent mold growth. The UV lights destroy mold spores, rendering them powerless to spread and grow. Make this easy investment, and you’ll keep your home safe from mold.

4. Check For Leaks

Leaks, especially in dark environments, can quickly lead to the development of mold and mildew. If these leaks are left untreated, the moisture can lead to damage to any surrounding furniture, structures, walls, or floors. To prevent mold growth and damage from leaks, it is important to monitor pipes in your home throughout the year. By double-checking your pipes, you can catch leaks when they are still minimal.

Not every pipe is going to leak constantly, so you need to check for the presence of moisture in other ways. There may be small puddles of water under the pipe or small bits of condensation on the surface of the pipe. Another sign of undetected leaks is an increase in your water bill. Keep a close eye on these signs to prevent mold growth from spreading through your home. 

5. Close Windows When It’s Humid

When it is especially humid outside, generally anything over 50 percent humidity, you should keep your windows closed. If they are open during this kind of humidity, you may find more moisture in the air circulating through your home. As moisture levels rise in the air in your home, you may notice mold growth beginning. 

This moisture increase may also occur if your windows are open when it is raining outside. Keep your windows closed any time humidity increases, or rain is rolling in, and you can protect your home from moisture settling on surfaces across your home, leading to mold growth. We know it’s nice to feel a breeze through your home, but it is essential to close windows during high humidity to prevent mold growth.

Prevent Mold Growth With Liberty Restoration

Sometimes you don’t catch mold until it’s already growing in your home. These problems may start small, but as we’ve already stated, mold grows incredibly quickly. If the mold growth in your home is too substantial for you to tackle on your own, you should reach out to a team of professionals for help.

At Liberty Restoration, our team is experienced and ready to remove mold safely and quickly. If you have mold growth in your home and would like to schedule mold remediation to feel safe in your home once more, reach out to us today.

Asbestos is one of those substances, like arsenic or anthrax, that have a negative reputation but which many people do not know much about. Believe us when we say that you should avoid asbestos as much as possible, and our team can help you do so. 

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral that occurs in rock and soil. Its fibers are flexible and resistant to electricity, heat, and corrosion. These properties made it a valuable material for many product and building applications, that is until its carcinogenic properties were discovered. 

There are a few different types of asbestos. They all have slightly different structures, making each initially ideal for different applications:

• Actinolite
• Amosite
• Anthophyllite
• Chrysotile
• Crocidolite
• Tremolite

In the past, asbestos was commonly mined throughout the United States. Most commercial asbestos deposits contain 5% to 6% asbestos, though some deposits are much more highly concentrated. The Coalinga deposit in California was discovered to contain more than 50% asbestos.

What Is Asbestos Used For?

Because of its capacity as a natural insulator, its heat resistance, and its fiber strength, asbestos was used in construction very consistently until the 1980s. It was a common ingredient in ceiling and floor tiles, roof shingles, and specific cement recipes. It was also used as a fire retardant and added to heat-resistant fabrics. Its strengthening abilities also caused it to be included in paper, plastic, and textiles. To produce greater friction, asbestos was commonly used in construction for automotive brakes, clutches, and transmission parts. Even packaging wasn’t safe. 

The discovery of asbestos’ carcinogenic properties has significantly kiboshed the use of it in United States industries. There is not a specific ban, but use of the material is highly regulated. Even so there are still organizations that lobby for its protection. Outside of the United States, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, India and Mexico still make frequent use of asbestos.

Though current construction in the U.S. should avoid asbestos, the risk of exposure remains, especially to blue collar workers and their families. Those who have exposure to old buildings (including homes, schools, and military installations) may be at risk of asbestos exposure. Second hand exposure occurs to family members when the material is introduced on clothes, skin, or hair. 

What Is Dangerous About Asbestos?

The chief reason to avoid asbestos is because the material is carcinogenic, meaning it can cause cancer. When asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, they become trapped in the body and are not broken down. This can cause inflammation and scarring and makes the risk of lung, laryngeal, and ovarian cancer significantly increase. The risk is even greater in those who smoke. The most common cancer that results from asbestos exposure is mesothelioma. Mesothelioma develops in the lining of the abdomen or lungs.

Cancer isn’t the only reason to avoid asbestos. Exposure can also lead to other dangerous diseases and conditions:

• Asbestosis
• COPD
• Pleuritis
• Pleural effusions
• Pleural plaques
• Diffuse pleural thickening 

What Are the First Signs of Asbestos Poisoning?

The negative effects of asbestos exposure not associated with mesothelioma are generally referred to as asbestosis. The lung condition is chronic and usually only develops after prolonged exposure to the toxic material. Because of the nature of the disease, the symptoms of asbestosis may take many years to present. Those who run the risk of asbestos exposure should be mindful of the following symptoms:

• Chest pain
• A persistent and eventually wheezing cough
• Difficulty breathing that initially only follows physical exertion but becomes a constant issue
• Extreme fatigue

In very advanced cases of asbestosis, the fingertips may become swollen and clubbed. Unfortunately, asbestosis does not have a cure once it has progressed. The damage incurred in the lungs is irreversible. The best way to avoid asbestosis is to avoid exposure to the carcinogen in the first place.

Avoid Asbestos with Liberty Restoration’s Professional Removal Services

To avoid the dangers of asbestos, the safest course may be to leave the material undisturbed or even encapsulate them with a sealant. Whether you plan to leave the asbestos or remove it, leave the work to the professionals. A team of certified asbestos abatement professionals will know the best way to move forward and have the tools necessary to do so. 

At Liberty Restoration, we have everything we need to help you (and us) avoid asbestos exposure.  We are equipped with the best respirators with HEPA filters to protect our lungs during removal, and we utilize pump sprayers to keep the work area wet to minimize airborne dust. We also handle the correct disposal of all asbestos products. Do not gamble with asbestos. Let our team take it off your hands.

Lightning is one of the most powerful forces of nature. In an instant, damage can be extreme and irreversible. Strikes can cause fires, electrical surges, and other damage. The best way to protect your property and those you love from such damage is to lightning-proof your home. Make doing so a priority, before the storm clouds start rolling in. 

What Are the Odds of Lightning Hitting Your House?

Lightning never strikes the same place twice, right? Wrong actually, but whether or not lighting is a repeat offender, one strike to your home is quite enough to worry about. Fortunately, in the United States, the statistics on lightning hitting people is relatively low, about 1 in 15,300. In 2020 only 17 direct lightning strikes were verified in the U.S. 

Unfortunately, the likelihood that lightning will strike your home is significantly higher. Every year, approximately 1 in every 200 houses is struck directly by lightning and homeowners file more than 70,000 lightning damage claims. These claims total millions dollars, each claim averaging $13,000 to $30,000. The time to check your homeowners or renters insurance coverage is before lightning strikes. Even better, you can save yourself a lot of money and headache by protecting your home against lightning strikes.

How to Lightning-Proof Your Home

If you want to lightning-proof your home, it is wise to consult with the professionals to make sure you don’t miss anything. The results of inadequate precautions can be expensive and highly dangerous. The best way to protect your home from lightning strikes is by implementing redundant precautions. These four suggestions are just the tip of the iceberg, but they can go a long way to keeping your home safe. 

Install a Lightning Protection System

A lightning protection system that is fully equipped is a 99% effective way to lightning-proof your home. Such a system includes elements such as main conductors, lightning rods, grounding elements, bonds, and surge protectors. Many of these are made of aluminum and copper to conduct electricity along safe paths into the ground where it is dispersed. 

The initial installation of a lightning protection system commonly costs approximately $300 to $600. This is an easy investment in comparison to the thousands of dollars (and worse) a home lightning strike can cost. Make sure that a licensed electrician installs your lightning protection system to ensure that the job is completed correctly and that your investment is protected.

Surge Protection

A surge is a sudden increase in voltage within an electrical system. Surges can occur even when lightning is nearby; it doesn’t have to strike your home for a surge to course through your system. Surges work a bit like the release of a blood clot. They can short out appliances with a swell of electricity. Even if the surges are small, if they happen frequently enough, they can eventually wear out appliances until they fail completely.  

A good lightning protection system must include quality surge protection measures. This goes beyond simply having surge protectors within your power strips. Whole-home surge protection is essential if you want to lightning-proof your home. Ensure your system includes elements like surge protective devices (SPDs). In conjunction with a reliable electrical grounding system, such devices use metal oxide varistors to locate, block, and divert surges away from your home. When installed at the main electrical panel, surge protective devices help to protect against fires.

Install Lightning Rods

Lightning rods serve as a protected strikepoint for properties, the highest point on any building that conducts electricity from any lightning strikes through copper wires to other rods in the ground. Creating an easy path for the electricity makes strikes to the rest of the building less likely. 

Unfortunately, lightning rods are not a fail-safe way to lightning-proof your home. They must be installed correctly in order to do the job, and it is always better to use lightning rods in conjunction with other safety precautions. 

Unplug

Unplugging appliances when they are not in use is the simplest way to lightning-proof your home. This is a wise precaution any time you leave the home, but it is especially important when there is a storm warning, whether you are home or not. Unplug things like computers, TVs, gaming systems, portable appliances like toasters and coffee makers, and charging stations. Larger appliances, like the refrigerator and dryer, can prove more difficult to unplug when a storm is on the way. The best practice for these is to avoid using them when storms are raging outside.