Well Water Sanitation

There are thousands of people in the United States that have to rely on well water instead of a city water system for the water that they both bathe and drink in. While there are some filters that you can have installed onto your well to rid the water supply of rust, soil, or other particle debris, there are not really any filters currently that disinfect your water and rid it of bacteria that may be growing in it, such as E. coli. Cleaning the water yourself manually, though, is always an option by simply using unscented chlorine bleach.

Most people chlorinate their well water to disinfect it after some kind of repair has been done, after the well has not been utilized in a long time (like with a summer or winter home), to get rid of bacteria living in it, or to remove hydrogen sulfide buildup.

Before you start the process of cleaning your well water, you need to get enough water put back in jugs or buckets in your house to last the occupants of it for at least the next 24 hours. The water system in your home should not be used during this 24 hours period at all.

You need to use an unscented bleach for this job. This will have around 3 to 5 percent of sodium chlorite. You will need to use a different amount in your well depending on how deep and how wide your well is. If the well is under 50 feet in depth and about 6 inches in diameter, you will need to use between 3 and 4 liters of bleach.

Your water supply should not smell like chlorine after the 24 hours is up. If it does, you will need to wait longer for the chlorine to be flushed from the system. You should not drink the water until it no longer smells like bleach.

If you notice a significant change for the better in the quality of your water supply after you finish this process, but the issue returns in the next couple of weeks or longer, the process will need to be repeated and you should probably add a bit more bleach to the water. Repeat the process until the results last or seek help from a professional. It will be worth it in the long run when you do not have to worry about the safety of your home’s water supply.

Dror Klar is a writer and promoter of
Water Removal and
Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.

Child Mold Allergy Problems

Allergies are an inconvenience for everyone who has them and there are billions of people in the world who suffer from them every day. Whether it is an allergy to pollen, grass, pet dander, or mold, the symptoms are usually about the same. They can be anything from a runny nose and a pair of itchy eyes all the way to swelling of the face and neck or even the entire body. Most allergy symptoms are only prevalent from the spring to fall, but allergies that are caused by things like pet dander and mold show themselves the whole year because they are not related to the outdoor growing season.

Mold living in your home does not freeze and lie dormant like it does in the outdoor environment and can pose a serious health risk for anyone, not just those members of your household that have allergies. People that have allergies, however, are more likely to feel the affects of mold exposure sooner than the rest of us. Mold exposure tends to aggravate allergies and respiratory conditions that already exist, like emphysema or asthma. You need to be particularly careful if you have an infant or a small child in your house when there is mold, since their immune systems are currently still very much in development. Disturbing this natural development process can damage the child’s immune system irreparably, so removing your child from this situation until the mold is removed is the best thing to do.

Infants exposed to mold have been known to develop a disease known as hemorrhagic pneumonia (bleeding in the lungs) and many times this ends in death.

Those who have allergies and are exposed to mold growth in the home or elsewhere will usually show an intolerance to certain foods that contain fungi, such as yeast, mushrooms, or mold. Cheeses such as blue cheese or Roquefort, bread, beer, mushrooms, and etcetera will typically make the normal allergy symptoms of the person even worse.

Note if the symptoms lessen or go away completely if you leave the home. This will be a sign that there is a problem in the home that is causing the symptoms to become worse and you may need to call a professional mold inspector if there is no visible mold issue.

Coming into direct skin contact with the mold will often leave rashes on even those who are not allergic. Take a good look around your house, especially in areas that are inherently moist like the bathroom, kitchen, basement, or laundry room. These are the areas that are most likely to harbor mold growth in your home.

Dror Klar is a writer and promoter of
Manhattan Water Damage Repair
and
Elizabeth NJ Wet Basement Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.

Home Contractors, Mold, and Water Damage

The worst thing that you can find in your newly built home is mold, but it is something that is built into homes these days by careless contractors bent on getting the job done with as little effort as possible on their part. As the employer of the contractor, it is your responsibility and in your best interests to be at the job site on a regular basis to ensure that the building materials that your contractor purchased to build your home with are both up to your standards and that they are handled correctly.

Your contractor should have purchased only the materials that you outlined in your contract with him or her to purchase. They should have purchased nothing more and nothing less. None of these materials, especially drywall, should be stored directly upon the ground where it comes into contact with the soil. They should be stored on tarps or raised up off the ground in some way. This will help ensure that mold does not start to grow on them before they are used in the construction of the house.

The building site should also be covered with tarps before it rains until the roof and walls are put up to protect the interior of the structure.

Before you hired your contractor, you should have obtained references from him or her to determine the quality of their craftsmanship. This is something that you should do when hiring anyone to do almost anything for you concerning an investment such as this. You should ask the references whether they have had any problems with mold or water damage since their home was built and if it was due to bad construction or not. As long as your contractor is known for good building practices, you should have no problem with the way that he treats the building materials for your house.

It is unfortunate that you cannot be at the site of your home’s new construction all the time, but the more you are able to check on the progress of your home’s construction, the better. You should have a mold inspector come and inspect the property at least twice, once during the middle of the construction and again once it is completed to determine that there is no mold growing in the home.

Jim Gaykern is a writer and promoter of quality
Trumbull, Darien, Greenwich CT Mold Remediation services and
flood and water damage cleanup companies across the united states.

First Steps To Take If Your Home Is Water Damaged

Having a home that is located close to the ocean or close to a fresh water source can be a nice and aesthetically pleasing experience, but what do you do if it happens to flood? A flood can be a nightmare for any homeowner, whether the home is newly built or 30 years old and a lot of people do not know how to deal with this situation, simply because most have not ever had to.

If your home does become a victim of flooding and water damage either due to rain, a levy breaking, or hurricane, there are a few things that you can do to help minimize the damage once the water has receded. It is best to tend to the home as soon as possible after the waters have receded back away from your home.

When you do finally get the opportunity to re-enter your home, you must be absolutely certain that the electricity to your entire home is cut off. There is a serious risk of electrocution if you step into your home without making sure of this first and foremost. There are also some serious biological risks that you will be taking when you re-enter a home that has been flooded simply because of all the different chemicals, trash, sewage, and even dead bodies that could be floating around in it.

If you can afford to purchase some protective gear before trying to dry out your home, please do so. Wash your hands extremely well before you eat anything to avoid infecting yourself with anything that may be in the water.

Before you do anything at all to try and repair the damage to your home, you need to use a video camera to record the damage. Tape every section of your home that has suffered significant damage and point out everything that you notice that will have to be repaired. This will offer you irreplaceable help when you try to file an insurance claim on the home.

Remove any insulation in the attic that has gotten wet. It is no longer effective and has become very heavy. It will weigh your ceiling down and eventually cause it to collapse in sections.

You should also remove anything else that is wet and set it outside to dry in the sun, although some items should be let to dry in the shade to keep the sun from bleaching them. If the water was contaminated do not try to clean the carpeting, it is a total loss and can be hazerdous to your health.

Do not use artificial heat sources to dry hardwood floors. This will cause what is called cupping or can cause the floor to buckle. Open the windows and let air circulate through the home.


Jim Gaykern is a writer and promoter of quality
Manhattan, NY water damage restoration contractors and other states and cities such as
Trumbull, Darien, Bridgeport CT mold remediation and water damage restoration companies across the united states.