Water damage in commercial building & black & green mold?

09/25/2009 By admin 1 Comment

This is a two-part question and hopefully an engineer or water damage/restoration person will answer. I will try to give brief to-the-point facts.

One month ago, the building where I work had a valve on a pipe (not in ceiling, but mid-wall angled at floor) break on the weekend when no one was there.

60,000 sq ft
water coming out at 100 psi

Someone happened to come in late Sun afternoon and there was 2 inches of standing water in the entire building.

Question 1: How long had this water been running out of the pipe?

Professional cleaners brought in dehumidifiers and fans (some are still going). Carpet was wet/damp for at least 4-5 days. Windows do not open anywhere in this building. Two weeks ago, service people pulled a baseboard back and it was covered with black and green mold. They have drilled holes in some walls (not all) to try to dry the sheet rock out. The moisture level in 90% of offices (including mine) is 100% as of last week. Building owner refuses to replace carpet or sheet rock. Numerous people have been sick, including me. They have refused to shut the building down for repairs. I am very concerned for the health of all of us who work there.

Question #2: At this point, what should be done to restore this building to a healthy environment?

I wasn’t really sure what category to put this into; it could probably fit into several.

Thank you!
Yes, this is a one-story building on a concrete slab. Very nice looking building (there are several) and building owner is not hurting for money. Bldg manager has bucked up on removing carpet, etc. Our company insisted on air samples (which bldg manager did not want to do), but finally did after persistence. However, these samples were taken by their people. We do not have the results back yet, but I am not so sure that they will give us accurate results. I think that they are flying by the seat of their pants and have not had a “plan” from the beginning to clean up this mess. They continue to do one silly thing after another thinking it is going to solve the problem. I think that the building should have been shut down immediately and cleaned up, but that didn’t happen. I am sick this week (for the 2nd time) and all symptoms are related to mold exposure.

while i’m not a engineer, i think you’re in trouble. there are some “black molds” that are toxic. maybe you should look to working in a different building. if i had to guess, eventually someone will call the EPA, or CDC, or someone, and it will be determined that the building, as it is, is not habitable. drilling holes will not dry out sheetrock in a reasonable time frame. Not taking up carpets was probably a bad decision, and might be a sign that the owner of the building does not have the money to fix the problem as it should be. that would mean that there’ll be a law suit and the owner will just declare bankruptcy and you’re all on your own after that. Sorry.

to fix the problem, you’d have to remove all the carpet, and any flooring that was wet, and replace it. you’d probably have to remove the sheet rock and replace the wall studs that are still wet. keep in mind, there are many different types of building construction. some are far more prone to absorbing water than others. i presume that it’s only 1 story, but you didn’t say that. that means that i’m just guessing.

good luck.

Filed Under Water Damage Restoration Tagged With water damage commerical

Kilims and Rugs – How to Care for and Prevent Water Damage

09/25/2009 By admin Leave a Comment

There is nothing worse than seeing your prized possession with a spot or a mark on it and you do not know how it got there or what to do. This article will help you by giving you tips, suggestions and good ideas to take care of this beloved object.

To start with, your hand made Oriental rug or your kilim can survive for decades depending on a number of factors. One determining factor is the quality of the rug you have, if it is a good quality one and you treat it with care, it will surely last a lot more than if your rug or kilim is of an inferior quality. Moreover, there is large number of damages which typically affect rugs, by learning about them and taking the necessary measures to prevent them from happening you will ensure a long lasting life for your treasured rug.

The most common damages are the following ones:
Water damage: It is one of the most frequent. People usually place potted plants over rugs. Once the plant is watered the pot leaks and the rug under the pot remains constantly wet. In a few weeks the foundation of the rug weakens in such a way that it can be easily broken into pieces. So, if you are going to place a potted plant avoid putting it directly over the rug, you can use a stool or some kind of support so as to keep the humidity of the plant away from the rug. Just in case the advice comes too late and you notice that the rug is already wet you should remove it as soon as possible, clean it and allow it to dry completely to avoid damages in the foundation. Another problem related to water is triggered by damp floors (often if the floor is made of cement). Maybe the floor seems to be dry, but just a bit of moisture can produce the proliferation of micro-organisms which can spoil the foundation of the rug.

Moth damage: These insects do not eat rugs, but their larvae consume the fibers and even the knots of the rugs. They prefer to live in areas under furniture, where it is not always vacuumed or in areas with little traffic. In order to avert this, vacuum the surface once a week and several times a year vacuum the back side, the pad and the floor. For areas which are difficult to reach with the vacuum cleaner spray a proper household insecticide for moths. Besides, do not rely on moth crystals, balls or flakes since they are not effective to kill moths, they just repel them.
Dogs and cats damage: Puppies usually chew rugs. To avoid this sprinkle some moth flakes under the rug. Likewise, cats love sharpening their claws on rugs. Though it sounds a bit absurd, the best prevention is to try to control the cats’ activities.
Sun damage: The light of the sun can affect and diminish the colors of the rug. If this is your case, try to avoid direct exposure to sunlight or rotate the rug so as to make the color equal in its entire surface.
Vacuum cleaner damage: Cleaning your rug using a vacuum cleaner is a positive practice but be cautious if your cleaner is equipped with a power brush since a raking effect can be caused on the surface. It is better to use just the plain vacuum nozzle.
Chemical damage: Sometimes rug cleaners bleach the fringe before delivering it. Although the fringe looks nice after that, the process and the substance used weakens the fibers destroying them little by little. If you still want to have white fringes you could dilute the solution used for bleaching.
Storage: If you are about to store your rug, make sure you clean it, spray it with some insecticide and wrap it in plastic before doing it. Most kinds of damages are not difficult to repair, but prevention is better (cheaper and easier) than restoration. If you follow these hints as well as inspecting your rug often and cleaning it only when it is needed your rug will be part of your house for ages.

If you do get a spot or an area that is spilled upon here is what you can do:
Blot, never scrub spots on a rug. Scrubbing can damage the nap on a carpet. Test all spotting products in an inconspicuous area first and look for color change. If the color bleeds or you are unsure how to proceed consult a professional. Remove as much of the spill as possible before adding spotting products. Work from the outer edges of a spot to the center. Never saturate a spotting area with a liquid. Only spot with small amounts of cleaning products. Drying small areas can be accomplished with a hair dryer with the heat setting off.

Spotting Guide
Beer – Use mild detergent followed by rinsing with vinegar solution, rinse with water
Blood – Blot with ammonia solution followed by vinegar solution, rinse with water
Candle wax – scrape excess off, cover are with paper and iron on low setting, then spot with dry solvent.
Chocolate – spot with dry cleaning solvent and let dry, apply mild detergent, rise with water.
Coffee – Blot with mild detergent and rinse with water.
Egg – Spot with mild detergent, rinse with water
Fingernail polish – Blot with dry cleaning solvent

Fruit juices, jam & jelly – Blot with mild detergent, rinse with water
Grease – Spot with dry cleaning solvent, spot with mild detergent, rinse with water
Gum – Scrape off excess and apply dry cleaning solvent, apply mild detergent if needed and rinse with water.
Ink – Spot with dry cleaning solvent, spot with mild detergent, rinse with water
Milk – Spot with mild detergent rinse with vinegar solution, rinse with water, spot with dry cleaning solvent if needed
Paint – Apply dry cleaning solvent followed by mild detergent, rinse with water
Soft drinks – Spot with mild detergent, rinse with water
Soot – Spot with mild detergent, rinse with water, if not removed, spot with dry cleaning fluid
Tea – Spot with mild detergent, rinse with water
Urine – Spot with mild detergent, rinse with vinegar solution, and rinse with water, repeat process if needed
Vomit – Spot with mild detergent, vinegar solution, rinse with water
Wine – Fresh wine spills use white wine to spot followed by mild detergent and rinse with water.

If in doubt,consult your local rug professional.they can clean it for you.

Take care of you rug!

Bill Kernodle

http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/kilims-and-rugshow-to-care-for-and-prevent-damage-66636.html

Filed Under Water Damage Restoration Tagged With prevent water damage

Illinois Rebounds From Water Damage Cleanup

09/25/2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Illinois has its share of people whose homes are damaged due to flood or water repair. It’s not easy to sit there and see a lot of moisture trying to damage your property. However, water restoration cleanup is Illinois can help people get back on their feet again. Restoration SOS can handle the task of water damage restoration. They work to remove water damage and mold as a result from one of the following: Flood clean up Fire Leaky pipe Clogged sewage Other natural disasters Their methods for removing the above include drying, deodorizing and disinfecting the contaminated areas. In addition to that, they work on restoring your property to its natural state. The technicians make it a priority in being successful to having the property restored to normal. Technicians realize that natural disasters can strike at any time. Therefore, they are waiting and prepared to assist in time of need. It is important that water damage is removed from the area as soon as possible. If this is not done, mold, mildew or corrosion can set in. Your home or other property can experience discoloration or splitting of the framework. With increased moisture, people can be prone to health issues such as chronic lung diseases. The company uses an array of equipment to get the job done. Some of that includes: A infrared camera to use to investigate moisture Dehumidifiers to bring down humidity levels Dehumidifiers to produce dry air Agents that are used to thoroughly sanitize affected areas Anti-Microbial solution to rid of bacteria Pumps that use gas to remove waters System that effectively dries hardwood flooring Machines that extract water Air movers that use high velocity to produce air flow Sensors Moisture meters With water damage cleanup in Illinois, air drying is one of the methods used to dry out the affected areas. You don’t have to spend a lot of money doing this, but there is more time involved. This can be done by leaving windows open. However, the area can also be dried using industrial fans. Doing it this way would speed up the process and would provide circulation at a faster pace. The company offers emergency service at a moment’s notice. They are available 24 hours a day everyday. They are able to handle any issue regarding water loss or water damage. Their equipment and resources are second to none and they do their best to make sure that the customer is satisfied.

Josh Allen

http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/how-illinois-rebounds-from-water-damage-cleanup-514790.html

Filed Under Water Damage Restoration Tagged With Water Damage