Prevent Mold Growth During the Cold Months | SERVPRO of North and Southwest Oklahoma City

12/3/2024 (Permalink)

Prevent winter mold growth with tips from SERVPRO of North and Southwest Oklahoma City!

Oklahoma City winters bring a unique set of challenges for homeowners. With average temperatures ranging from 26°F to 48°F, and the occasional ice storm or snowfall, it’s essential to be aware of how winter weather can contribute to mold growth. Although many people assume mold is just a problem during warmer, wetter months, the cold season can be equally risky. SERVPRO of North and Southwest Oklahoma City is here to share some tips to help you protect your home from mold this winter.

3 Tips for Maintaining Your Evaporative Cooler

9/26/2019 (Permalink)

If you have a leaking swamp cooler, you are leaving your home vulnerable to all sorts of potential problems

3 Ways To Prevent a Leaking A Swamp Cooler

A leaking swamp cooler can cause all sorts of problems. The water that pools around the leak may become a breeding ground for bacteria. A leak can drive up the cost of your utility bill. It can also leave your home in Edmond, OK, susceptible to a mold problem. Here are three ways you can prevent leaks and thus the issues that generally come with them.

1. Commit to a Yearly Maintenance Schedule

Like all major appliances, your evaporative cooler occasionally needs a tuneup to work properly. A yearly inspection can help identify potential issues and fix them before they cause bigger problems such as mold growth. Professional maintenance technicians can clean your swamp cooler and make sure that any parts that need to be tightened or replaced get the attention they need.

2. Empty Drip Pans When Not in Use

When you winterize your home, add your swamp cooler to the list. A drip pan with stagnant water is just as problematic as a leaking swamp cooler. It provides the excess moisture mold needs to thrive. By emptying the pans regularly and keeping them emptied completely as winter approaches, you can minimize your fungus risk.

3. Replace Water Pads as Necessary

The parts of your swamp cooler that are particularly prone to mold growth are the water pads. They often get wet as the machine works. If they also get dirty, they become a veritable smorgasbord on which mold can feast. Mold mitigation experts recommend that water pads be replaced at the beginning of the spring as you start to use your cooler more often. Inspect them frequently and replace them as they start to show signs of wear.
If you have a leaking swamp cooler, you are leaving your home vulnerable to all sorts of potential problems. With regular maintenance and attention, however, you can increase its efficiency and minimize the chances it will cause a mold issue.

Mold Growth in HVAC Ductwork

7/24/2019 (Permalink)

Mold growth in HVAC Ductwork

Unfortunately, you may have mold growth in your Oklahoma City, OK, business without even realizing it. Because the inside of ductwork is not readily visible, black mold growing in air ducts frequently goes unnoticed.

Identifying Mold Growth

Even if you do not see the mold inside the ducts, there will usually be other signs that you have a problem. These include:

• A musty smell, especially when running the air conditioning
  
• Black dust on vents
  
• Health issues, such as coughing, headaches and nausea, that are not explained by seasonal allergies or other health conditions
  
  

Treating Mold Growth

When mold is growing in air ducts, it can be especially tricky to remediate. You may wish to contact mold remediation experts to help you get the problem under control. Although every situation varies, the general process for treating mold follows a similar pattern: identify the type and extent of mold damage, take apart and clean ducts and replace surrounding insulation if necessary. In every case, it is important to identify the cause of mold growth and address it so that the mold does not come back.

Preventing Mold Growth

Black mold, like many other molds, needs moisture and organic material to thrive. Unfortunately, air ducts provide both water and dust to nourish the mold and air flow to circulate the spores. This makes it easy for mold to grow quickly. Having ductwork regularly cleaned and maintained cuts down on the amount of dust and water available to sustain a mold colony. Routinely changing the filter in your HVAC unit is generally a simple procedure and goes a long way toward reducing dust accumulation and lowering the chances of a mold infestation. Your HVAC technician can show you how to change the filter and advise you of how frequently to do so.
Black mold in the ductwork of your Oklahoma City, OK, business is an unsettling thought. However, routine maintenance can mitigate any mold growth you may have and hopefully prevent the growth altogether.

Renter’s Insurance and Mold Damage: 3 Facts

5/29/2019 (Permalink)

Mold damage due to a leak in an Oklahoma City home

Learning the Facts of How Mold Can Affect Your Rental Space

Having rental insurance in Oklahoma City, OK, can protect your belongings against sudden damage or theft. However, there are some circumstances that may leave you without the coverage you need to recover, such as problems resulting from mold growth. Learning the facts about how fungi might affect your rented space and whether you are safeguarded against the damage it does can be important for protecting your finances and for your peace of mind while renting a property.

1. Most Internal Mold Causes Are Covered

One of the most important factors when it comes to what type of mold damage renter’s insurance covers is what caused the issue. For example, a flood caused by a burst kitchen pipe or a malfunctioning HVAC unit that in turn causes mold will likely be covered by your rental insurance. It is important to know, however, that protection against natural or sewer floods may require you to buy an additional policy to be covered completely.

2. Negligent Acts May Void Coverage

If it is found that you caused mold problems in your apartment or rented home, any coverage you might have been entitled to could be voided. This may include fridge mold, the improper cleanup of small floods that damage your belongings and poor housekeeping habits. Learning a few common causes of mold and how to prevent it can protect you from losing coverage.

3. Landlord Liability Can Be Limited

If a landlord fails to maintain your building and a leak or a flood damages your belongings, you might want to review your lease before you seek compensation, as many property owners have you sign away liability when you rent from them. Your landlord might have a mold removal and restoration service come in to resolve the issue, but depending on your lease, you might have to pay for damaged items out of pocket.

Buying rental insurance for any property you lease in Oklahoma City, OK, can protect you from a variety of different problems, including mold growth. Learning the facts about coverage may help you feel prepared in the face of flooding, fires and other events that cause fungi to grow.