Step 1: Safety First

• After receiving a warning about the threat of flooding, inform your loved ones and neighbors;
• Check with your local authorities for an evacuation plan and location of shelters. Often refugee shelters are located in schools;
• Remember the boundaries of possible flooding and elevated, infrequently flooded areas in close proximity to residences, the shortest routes of travel to them;
• Memorize storage locations for boats, rafts, and construction materials to make them.

Step 2: Be Prepared

• Prepare in advance all important documents, as well as documents proving your identity, store them in waterproof bags;
• Prepare a supply of warm clothing for all family members, as well as blankets to keep the whole family warm;
• Gather food and water for several days, as well as necessary medicines, including first aid supplies;
• Pack all of the above in advance in an emergency kit that also includes a flashlight, batteries and cash, as well as a means of communication – a mobile phone or radio.

Step 3: Prevent Flood Damage

• Board up (if necessary) windows and doors of the first floors of houses with boards or plywood;
• Turn off water, gas, electricity, put out the fire in stoves and fireplaces;
• Move valuable objects and things to the upper floors of the building (attics) or raise them off the ground;
• Install a sump pump and test it to make sure it’s working properly.

Step 4: How to Behave in a Flood

• Do not panic and have a plan;
• In the event of a flash flood, ascend as quickly as possible to the top floor of the building or the nearest elevation, taking warm clothing, shoes, blankets, food, water, and medical supplies with you. Gather anything you can use as a floatation device (tires, cameras, planks, logs, etc.).
• At the approach of rescuers calmly, without panic and fuss, with observance of precautionary measures, move to the watercraft. At the same time strictly adhere to the requirements of rescuers, do not allow overloading of floating facilities.
• Independently get out of the flooded area is recommended only in the presence of such serious reasons, as the need for medical assistance to victims, the continuing rise in water level, with the threat of flooding of the upper floors (attic). In this case it is necessary to have a reliable means of swimming and know the direction of movement. While moving out on your own, do not stop signaling distress.

Step 5: Dealing With the Consequences

If your home or property was hit by the elements, you need to get professional help as soon as possible. You will need water pumping, cleaning, mold prevention, and other services. You may need to repair walls, remove mold, and clean ventilation systems; change upholstery and carpets. This should not be delayed, because the longer you wait, the worse the damage will be to your home.

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Types Of Household Molds

Mold is a colony of a single-celled fungus that develops from spores, which in a preserved state are constantly present in the air in huge quantities. Molds grow on concrete, paint or stone. You can see them as spots or dots in black, brown, blue or green. Mold destroys building and decorating material almost to the ground, forcing more and more often to repair and sometimes rebuild buildings.

Black Mold

The color of this type of mold depends not only on its species, but also on the stage of development and the material on which it grows. As a rule, the following strains are black:

White Mold

White mold, unlike black mold, is much less disturbing to people. Most often it can be found on the ground, wood, plants, bread and cheese. In apartments, it is usually found in flower pots and quite rarely on walls. If white mold gets on the ground in a flower pot, some strains will die if watered regularly with dilute citric acid.

Bluetongue Fungus

The bluetongue fungus affects the fibers of the wood, and the surface of the wooden house is not at all a noble gray-blue color. The damage from bluetongue is not only aesthetic. It easily penetrates through the paint film. It creates pathways for water to enter, which in turn increases the moisture content of the wood. Then there is nothing to prevent the penetration and attachment in the neighborhood and mold. Pine is particularly susceptible to bluetongue.

How Mold Gets Into the House

Mold spores are everywhere, both indoors and outdoors, but they are not visible to the naked eye. Spores can get into homes:

• With the air: through open windows, doorways and ventilation systems.
• By attaching to objects and people: on clothing, shoes, and on the hair of pets.

But mold will only appear in the house if the spores get to the place where there are conditions for its growth. In particular, such as humidity and a supply of appropriate nutrients. If the environment doesn’t suit them, mold spores usually don’t develop.

Environments in which mold frequently appears include:

• Places where water leaks and flooding have occurred;
• Windows where condensation accumulates;
• Places where there is poor air circulation, such as behind a closet.

Conclusion

There are mold spores in all rooms, but they are dangerous to humans only under certain conditions. In particular, people with weakened immune systems have a higher risk of getting sick if mold and mold spores are present in their environment. This risk is especially high for those who also have problems with their respiratory system. Such, as well as allergic sensitized individuals, may feel allergic reactions. Keeping a room clean, dry, and well ventilated is the best way to prevent mold from developing. Anyone who is having problems with mold in their home, workplace, school or other facility should seek medical advice.

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What Is Skunk Spray?

So, skunk spray is something that everyone who faces the neighborhood’s problem with these animals is afraid of. The substance is far from being a “superweapon,” even on the contrary – it is a special secret produced by the protective glands of the skunk, which is very valuable for the animal. Otherwise, it is called “musk” it takes a lot of energy to produce it, and then it takes up to 10 days to fully replenish the “stock” of musk. One “charge” of such a liquid is enough for 5-6 protective shots (range up to 6 meters).

The Danger of Skunk Spray for Humans and Animals

The good news: the protective secret that skunks secrete is not poison, and there are no toxins that can irritate when it hits a person or animal’s skin.

The bad news: this does not apply to mucous membranes, so beware of getting musk in the eyes. Otherwise, this oily liquid will surely cause burning and perhaps even temporary loss of vision for 10-15 minutes. So dirty clothes and stinky dogs’ coats are not the worst cases. Just in case we warn you: if you noticed that the skunk began to lift his tail and waved warningly – slowly and carefully leave.

Skunk Odour Removal

This smell is very persistent: you can disguise it for a while (such as vinegar or kerosene), but soon the sharp smell will return. It is quite difficult to definitively eliminate this stench if you don’t know how to do it properly. Especially when it comes to removing the smell from pet hair, this process can take months! There are many rumors about folk liquidators of this smell, but we do not believe in rumors and prefer to learn the opinions of scientists.

As you can see, it is real and quite affordable to bring out the unpleasant smell of musk. The main thing is to use proven products, not waste time bathing your property in tomato juice, hoping to eliminate the smell of skunk! It’s also important to know how to scare away skunks – it will save you from seeing this pest again, and you won’t have to puzzle over how to eliminate the stinking smell of his secret.

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Reasons And Places Of Occurrence Of Mold

With the elimination of root causes should begin to fight fungi and mold. If you have any suspicions that mold has appeared in your house, you should pay attention to those places where mold is most often found. This parasite is very fond of wet and dark places, and they should be investigated first of all.

What To Do With The Wall Affected By Mold And Fungus

After eliminating the cause of fungus and mold, you can begin to give your walls the appropriate appearance. You should be aware that the mold may be present not only on the wall surface but also deeper. This situation occurs when the base is wetted for a long time. The right method depends on how deeply the mold penetrates. 

Surface Damage by Mold

If the mold is superficial, you can cope with it on your own using specialized chemicals – fungicides.

Specialized preparations are used to fight fungus and mold. The fungicide penetrates deep into the base into all corners and pores of the wall, so it fights not only with hearths on the surface but also in the depths of the wall. It can be applied to different surfaces. An antifungal agent is applied to the wall with a brush or roller. See the manufacturer’s instructions for more detailed use.

Deep Damage From Mold

1. The mold is removed with a spatula or a hard brush to the maximum depth. Where the mold has entered the building material, it is desirable to remove a layer of plaster. The loose plaster is removed completely.
2. To check the adhesion of the plaster to the wall, tap the wall surface with a hammer. If this makes a deaf sound, the plaster has moved away from the wall and is unusable.
3. Before removing the old plaster, wet it with water, otherwise, the mold spores will spread throughout the room. Removed fragments of plaster should be burned.
4. Wallpaper in an infected area should also be removed. Thoroughly clean all contaminated areas with sandpaper, grinding the surface.
5. The next step is to treat the area of the wall with a chemical agent. The process should be larger than the area of the lesion, in case there are spores of mold. The additional area is about 1 m.
6. The product is applied to the wall according to the instructions with a brush, sponge, spray gun, and left to dry for 5-6 hours. It is recommended to treat the chemical composition several times (5-6). In this case, the result will be more noticeable.
7. When processing, use rubber gloves and gauze bandage, and when working with the ceiling – safety glasses. You can start using the room no sooner than two days after the treatment.

Use only quality materials and well-known manufacturers when repairing, they are not much more expensive than poor quality, but the result of their use is incomparably better.

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Mold is a fungus that destroys different surfaces, in particular, corrodes the carpet fibers. It emits a stale odor, and it is usually bad for your health – especially if you have allergies, asthma, or immune system disorders.

Reasons for Mold in Carpet

Of course, high humidity can provoke fungus and mold. That is why it is easier to prevent it than to deal with the consequences later.

Most often, the carpet gets moldy in the following places:

• bathrooms and toilets;entrance hall (this is where rain and meltwater from the street often comes in);
• the first floors of multi-story buildings (due to dampness from the basement);
• corner rooms (especially not insulated and not waterproofed from the outside);
• places under furniture, in corners, and near walls, because the sun penetrates here worse and the air circulation is worse.

How to Fight Against Mold in the Carpet

The chemical industry produces a lot of liquids and powders for fungus control. Fungicide sprays are the most popular. They are easy to apply and can be used on any surface. In addition, they are affected by black, gray, green mold, and most types of rotten bacteria.

However, the store with fungicides is not always around, and not everyone wants to use chemicals in the house, especially when it comes to the carpet on which children play.

Of course, if the mold has spread deep on the surface of the carpet, the home methods can be ineffective. In this case, the help of Guru Restoration specialists will help, thanks to which the carpet dry cleaning at home will give the maximum effect. As a result, the product will be clean, fresh, and disinfected.

Precautionary Measures

• Protect yourself from healthy spores that you may come into contact with while cleaning the carpet: wear a mask, goggles, and gloves, if it is possible to get protective clothing, use it too.
• Then take the carpet outside, and if this is not possible: open the windows and close the doors to another room so that the spores do not spread.
• Take a hard brush and walk through the places with mold on the carpet, both on the inside and on the front side.
• Use an antifungal agent. Apply the product to the front and back of the carpet, waiting until the liquid penetrates deep into the structure of the product. Do not forget to clean the floor and all surfaces in the room (pedestals, shelves, tables, etc.), also clean the equipment that you used.
• After that, you should wash the carpet well on both sides and dry it. Make sure that the carpet has dried completely on all sides and there is no trace of mold.
• You will need to ventilate the room for a few more days.

Prevention of Mold in Carpets and Indoors

To avoid unpleasant consequences, it is necessary first of all:

• make sure that there are no leaks or pipe breaks;
• to ensure a good circulation of warm air, if necessary, it is worth using an air dehumidifier;
• put flowerpots at a safe distance;
• bath mats to dry daily after taking all the procedures, for disinfection is worth several times a month to wash them with vinegar.

In conclusion, it may be noted that the emergence of mold in carpets and rugs – an unpleasant event in every home and if it happened, it is necessary to get rid of it as soon as possible. To prevent the emergence of mold, watch for moisture in your home, periodically conduct a thorough cleaning of all rooms and their disinfection to avoid the appearance of fungus, and in case of serious soaking of the carpet, as soon as possible, take care of its drying (until the complete drying of all products, including the base).

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If you or one of your family members have asthma or allergies, identifying the mold in your home helps to maintain health and, in some cases, even save someone’s life.

Signs That Mold Has Appeared In Your House

Experienced specialists can confirm or deny mold presence indoors or outdoors. If necessary, they will examine the air inside the apartment or house, and check the walls and other surfaces for mold growth. Mold that is out of sight, as a rule, is the most serious health threat. 

How health is affected by living in a room where mold is growing:

• the increase in respiratory diseases;
• skin inflammations;
• permanent irritation of mucous membranes;
• tiredness, nausea, general malaise;
• mental disorders;
• immune suppression;
• allergic reactions;
• headache, dizziness, and coordination disorders;
• memory impairment and ability to concentrate;
• feverish states;
• autoimmune disorders;
• irritability, anxiety, and depression.

Causes Of Mold On Walls

The causes of mold on the walls are the following very serious malfunctions in the functioning of your home.

How To Detect Mold In The Walls Of Your Home

To identify mold, there are a number of measures that you can take yourself to identify unwanted elements in your home:

• visual mold inspection;
• physical mold examination;
• internal mold inspection.

Visual mold inspection

Visual inspection is usually the easiest and best way to find out if there is mold in your walls. First of all, check out the utility rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens.

Check for wet areas and watermarks

Examine the entire wall for cracks or peeling, bulges, discoloration, or strange stains. Usually, the mold looks like blurred stains, and on walls and furniture, it may look like distinct stains, black-green, brown, or white. These are the usual places near the bottom of the walls (due to gravity). 

Check the areas of the walls near the sanitary ware, as these places are usually leaks.

If you have a leaking roof, then carefully inspect the joints between the ceiling and the walls in all rooms. If the wallpaper is behind in these places, check also behind the wallpaper.

Room smell

If you smell mildew and must, this is an indicator of mold growth. The stronger the smell, the higher the growth rate. Sometimes it may be the only indicator of mold. If the odor is only present when the air conditioner or oven is on, the mold may be in the ducts or in the installations themselves.

Physical mold examination

Physical examination will require you to move your hands along the wall. You can press a little if you see wet areas or watermarks.

Try to find any moisture by walking your hand along the wall. Mildew needs moisture for growth, so if moisture accumulates in the wall, but no discoloration is visible, it can only mean that the mildew is formed inside the wall. However, after a while, the mold on the inside of the wall will try to break through to the outside.

Internal mold inspection

The last step to discover the mold inside your walls is to look inside. To avoid damaging the wall, I recommend using existing holes in the wall (e.g. a socket) or making a small test cut that will allow you to use the boring.

If you are using an opening from a socket, take precautions not to electrocute yourself.

You can also use a boroscope. You can also use a boroscope to check the space between walls. Drill a small hole in the wall where it was wet recently, gently insert the end of the fiber optic cable into the hole. The monitor will show a picture of the space between the walls, slip the cable into the hole, and see if there are any signs of mold.

But, as mentioned earlier, it is mold professionals who will be able to identify it accurately. 

Our professionals are equipped with a number of special devices, which you do not have access to, to accurately identify the affected areas, as well as to recognize a particular type of mold (white mold or black mold).

In conclusion, I would like to note that monitoring the occurrence of mold inside and outside your walls is not a complicated process, but it works for the long term and will help to avoid problems with your home and the health of your family in the future.

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