Brad and the team came through when we needed them most, and they stayed until the issues resolved. It was a pleasure to interact with Brad and the team (even when I was stressed due to the situation of extensive damage to water under our wood floors). I recommend them and will call them first if we ever have any more events.
Deborah Reiman
Brad and his team did such a good job helping us out with our issue. They were reasonable, timely, respectful, professional, and eased us throughout the whole process. Highly recommend! Thanks guys!
Arin Morris
I found water had leaked into my furnished basement and needed a repair FAST. I interviewed 2 companies and chose First Call Restoration due to their thorough assessment of the affected areas and the clear outline of the needed work. All the water mitigation work has now been completed perfectly. The entire crew was knowledgeable, courteous and professional. They explained every step along the way. I highly recommended them and would choose them again if ever needed.
Beverly Hynes
As a first time homeowner, I was extremely stressed out when my basement flooded after heavy rain. The original clean up crew recommended Dan Murphy and his team and I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER! I honestly didn’t know what to expect in terms of support and communication but Dan continued to impress me with his responsiveness and qualtiy work. I don’t wish flooding on anyone, but should it happen to you, please reach out to Dan and his team to bring make your space normal again. It looks even better than I expected and I’m so thankful!
Michelle Plante
First Call was excellent! They were quick to show up, professional and finished the job in a timely manner. Would highly recommend.
Aaron Donner
Before you try to tackle a mold issue in your home, there are a few things you should know about mold overall.
The first thing to understand is that mold is a part of nature; it is a fungus, a living organism, whose purpose is to decay organic material. You can very much think of mold like a termite but on a much smaller scale. Their job is to help get rid of organic material.
Mold in various forms is everywhere. It is estimated that there are over three-hundred thousand species of mold. There are molds for every environment; whether it is hot or, cold mold will exist.
When I ask any one of the general population which mold is the most dangerous, they will invariably say black mold. The reason people say black mold is because the news media in the 1980s ran many stories about the dangers of black mold. So much so they scared the entire population into believing it was so dangerous their children would suffer brain damage and other developmental problems.
But the media never told us that everything they were reporting about black mold is that their claims have never been proven. Even to this day, in 2020, they have never been proven.
You should know the media was speaking about Stachybotrys chartarum mold. It is only found indoors, so you will not find it outdoors. Second, hundreds of mold species are black, so when you look at a black mold, it isn’t necessarily Stachybotrys.
Other molds are dangerous to the human environment. The first and most prevalent is Aspergillus fumigatus. This mold is called black mold on fruits, but it may appear greenish to pinkish cast in color and have fuzzy white fungus intermingled in other structure areas.
Aspergillus niger mold is almost everywhere in the United States, outdoors and indoors almost every day. We are used to breathing this mold without getting sick.
Aspergillus mold carries mycotoxins and left in the area to grow, can cause a lung disease called Aspergillosis. Aspergillosis sets up and grows in the bronchial and lung areas of its victim.
The difference between not contracting Aspergillosis or not first lies in your genetics. After that, it is from living or working in closed quarters with concentrated amounts of the mold. Being in close contact with more massive amounts of this mold is called a bioload. The greater the bioload and the longer the contact presents a greater chance of developing Aspergillosis.
Because Aspergillosis is not a reportable disease, it’s hard to know how many have succumbed to the disease. It is estimated worldwide that at least 3,000,000 people contract Aspergillosis each year, with a 15% mortality rate. Many of those who do not die are respiratorily compromised for the rest of their lives.
Of course, anyone who is allergic to mold(s) are at risk of many related immune problems and should be diligent about its eradication.
The format professionals will be different from a homeowner attempting to remediate the mold. This writer recommends the homeowner attempt to remediate the mold only for small areas.
In the eyes of the novice, cleaning mold should be different than remediating the mold. For the sake of this instruction, Cleaning the mold represents having minimal amounts of mold around your tub or shower, and you have a returning fungus you attempt to get rid of using bleach or some other disinfectant. It disappears for a while, then reappears later.
If this is the case, then more than likely, you have some water intrusion that needs attention.
If this is a caulked seam, you can remove the caulk from that seam, then apply your disinfectant, allow it to thoroughly dry and replace the caulk. If the mold persists or the mold is in the grout, the problem just gained importance in how it should be handled.
Although you are beginning to approach the professional level, your skill sets might allow you to proceed.
Apart from the professional’s negative air chamber with Hepa filtration, I suggest you drape the doorway with a plastic sheet. That way, when the door has opened, a barrier exists.
If the mold is in the grout, it usually means there is a water intrution behind the wall. Think about it. Grout is not cellulosic; it’s cementitious. Household mold loves dark, stale, humid, or wet air that you would find in the wall void with a water leak present. The leak could be from a roof leak or a pipe fitting.
Professionals use an inferred camera and inspection to determine how the water may be intruding. Here’s what I mean. Is there a water pipe in the area that might be our culprit? If not, then a trip into the attic might enlighten us on an area of the leak. We would look for apparent water damage in the attic, or if not that, then dark streaks on the wood structures in the wall area in question.
While you are in the attic, inspect the whole of the roof area for leaks, it may reveal extensive damage that indicates a roof replacement.
Suppose no visible damage is discovered in the attic or suspect pipe in the area. In that case, you must conclude that the water intrusion is from water going through the tiled wall; you must open up the wall to inspect, revealing water damage indicating the source. If water is seeping through the tile and onto the wall, the wallboard will be wet and will likely crumble easily with little pressure. Before getting aggressive with the wall’s demolition in a question, apply hand pressure to the wall area where you see the mold. Is the wall spongy or stout?
If it’s spongy, then you found the issue. It’s time to complete the demolition and proceed with the rebuild.
If your problem was a roof leak, have the roof fixed.
If it was a pipe leaking, have it repaired,
If it was a wall, our suggestion is to build it back using the concrete board or green rock and use a liquid waterproofing membrane to be applied like paint on the wall before retiling the surround. A membrane will thoroughly protect the wall in case there is water intruding any time in the future.
If this seems more daunting a task than you’re up to, then give us a call. First Call Restoration of Kansas City, 913-909-0142 KS, for Missouri call, 816-804-0154.
We will come to your location for a free inspection and quote.
Are you strapped for CASH? Don,t worry. We have you covered with Low payment options.
By Don M. McNulty
This year 2020 has brought our society a pandemic that had us all sequestered in place, made us afraid to go out to shop, visit friends and family, work, and have caused many businesses to be hurt or, worse yet, closed. Also, the allergy season was rough for those who suffer those maladies. But here in the Greater Kansas City Area, we missed out on certain weather events. Although our rainfall has been average for the most part, we didn’t have many thunderstorms or severe weather.
Consequently, for as much as we could, we’ve spent time outdoors in our yards, many people started gardening again with many for the first time. Several of us kept close to family, and small groups of people we knew were taking precautions as we were practicing.
Now, as I’m writing this piece, it is the first day of fall. Here in the KC area, the weather has already moderated, and we have had cool nights with warm, moderate days. To me, at least, weather-wise, it’s a perfect entrance into fall, so far.
As the weather progresses toward winter and the coming cold forces us indoors, you may discover or suspect you have mold brewing in your home or business.
If that is the case, First Call Restoration of Kansas City can help provide a FREE MOLD INSPECTION. If you are like me, I don’t like not knowing if I suspect a problem developing; I like to know.
The only way to know is to have those areas inspected. With mold, the adage applies, the sooner this problem is found, the less expensive the repair.
If you suspect mold being present in your living or work environment, don’t put off the inspection. It’s a straightforward and painless call to First Call Restoration 816-804-0154 in Missouri or 913-909-0142 in Kansas. You may find our website at www.firstcallrestorationkc.com
We cover the entire metro-plex from Harrisonville, MO to Oskaloosa, KS and Lawrence, KS to Odessa, MO.
Please don’t put it off; give us a call today.
Have you ever slipped, tripped or fallen at work? Perhaps you have watched a television show where a slip, trip and fall was the punch line for a joke. Slips, trips and falls are no joke however, and rank among the most frequent types of accidents, second only to motor-vehicle accidents as a cause of death. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “26% of the 8982,730 nonfatal work injuries resulting in days away from work in 2017 were related to slips, trips, and falls. With 44% of Society Insurance claims are related to slips and falls (general liability and workers compensation), businesses can’t afford to not take additional precautions when it comes to cleaning up spills in the workplace.
Before attempting to clean up spills, take the size into consideration. Large spills should be cleaned up slightly differently than a small spill. For example, you wouldn’t attempt to clean up a gallon of spilled liquid with paper towels. Whatever the size of the spill, clean up spills with the appropriate equipment and correct chemicals.
The more you know the better you can assess and effectively clean up spills in the workplace. Sweet substances like soda, syrups, and high sugar items will likely leave a very sticky residue on the floor. The cleaning chemical used to clean up this type of spill will be different from what you would use on water or more soluble spills.
You may want to strongly consider developing a slip-resistant shoe program, especially if your business is a restaurant or auto service venture. Make slip-resistant shoes a part of the uniform and assure that managers follow up with team members regularly.
Read, ‘Slip-Resistant Shoes for Employees.’
A floor audit or walkway audit is a risk control service designed to reduce the risk of slip and fall injuries. Completing a floor audit and developing a plan to improve floor traction will help to prevent costly customer and employee slip and fall claims in your restaurant, bar, or workplace.
More than a million people suffer from a slip, trip or fall injury each year; over 17,000 die as a result of a slip and fall alone. Between 20% to 30% of people experience an injury after falling, with an estimated 8.9 million visits to the emergency room every year. The long-term effect of these incidents can increase insurance rates, which leads to an increase in insurance premiums. They not only have a financial impact, but also a personal cost with the temporary or permanent loss of a valued member of the community.
Slips, trips and falls can be a significant problem for a business. However, recommended controls can assist management in avoiding these costly, disruptive and painful occurrences. Customers and employees alike will appreciate the increased effort to improve safety.
Download White Paper: Mitigating Slip & Fall Risks
In this whitepaper we discuss:
If you’re interested in learning more about how to clean up spills in the workplace, browse our Slips, Trips and Falls blog series.
