If you live in an area that is prone to wildfires, such as certain areas of California, you should do what you can to protect your home from them. While it may seem pretty hopeless once a wildfire is on a path that will go straight through your home, there are some things that you can do to try and minimize the damage.
The first thing that you can do if you own your home is to outfit it with fire resistant materials. The roof is perhaps the most important surface that you should take care of, since it is the largest surface of the home that is exposed to sparks of fire that have become airborne. If there is a wildfire near your house, you should take your water hose and keep the roof wet as much as possible to stop this threat. Fire-resistant roofing materials are large in number and include tile, metal, and fiberglass. Any oil-based roofing material should be replaced and wooden shingles are a disaster waiting to happen.
Fire-resistant materials should also be used to build the walls and windows of the house, since this can impede the spreading of the fire to the interior. Stone, metal, and brick offer a decent amount of protection, but vinyl siding and wood provide extremely little. The windows are important because heat will radiate inside the house and possibly set drapes on fire, so having smaller windows in homes that are at risk is a good idea.
Another thing that you can do to your lawn if a wildfire is nearby is wetting it with the water hose. This can also slow the fire’s spread to your house some. Do not allow dead leaves and other debris to build up in the yard during wildfire season and try to get rid of any tree branches that are hanging over your house. You can even go as far as to have these trees that are close to your home removed, but that is a personal preference. It will help, but some people may not want to sacrifice them.
If you have to evacuate, realize that you cannot take everything with you. Take only the most important valuables and get out as soon as you can. If you have time and are leaving voluntarily, take the opportunity to wet your yard, roof, and the exterior of your house again. This is pretty much all you can do at this point and the rest is in the hands of nature.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
mold removal in Atlanta Georgia and
Water Damage Restoration companies.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Mold Remediation Respirators
When you are working on killing or removing the mold from a building, the equipment that you will need to safely do this job can vary just a bit, depending on the size of the area you are trying to treat. You might just need some cloths, mold killing chemicals, rubber gloves, and a light respirator if it is just a surface infection like on a countertop or on a vinyl floor. But, if you are planning on tearing out any drywall and getting to an infection that exists inside your walls or ceiling, then you will need some protection equipment that is just a bit more extensive. There are different levels of protection equipment just as there are different levels of mold infestations and there are a few things that you need to know about respirators.
No matter what level mold infestation you are dealing with getting rid of, you will need an N-95 type respirator. This is about the minimum level of protection that you can use and the next level down would be using none at all; this is, of course not advised. When you are cleaning, mold spores are stirred up into the air, especially if you are taking out drywall or removing contaminated wallpaper, so even if you have been living in a contaminated household for a while, the risk you are taking by not using a respirator when you are getting rid of it is considerable. You can find this kind of respirator in most hardware and even some department stores.
Air purifying respirators are the next step up in protection and these always have HEPA filters in them. These filter out almost all particles that you are breathing in while you are working. This kind of respirator does not protect your eyes and are available in half face and full face kinds. The best thing about this kind of respirator is not only the HEPA filter, but also the fact that using this kind does not require any training. The next step in protection does.
The highest level of breathing protection will come from a powered air purifying respirator. These also come equipped with HEPA filters, but require electricity and some training in order to be able to use them. OSHA guidelines must also be followed to the letter if you are planning on using these respirators in a commercial setting.
All respirators must be approved for usage by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Miami and
water damage restoration in atlanta companies.
No matter what level mold infestation you are dealing with getting rid of, you will need an N-95 type respirator. This is about the minimum level of protection that you can use and the next level down would be using none at all; this is, of course not advised. When you are cleaning, mold spores are stirred up into the air, especially if you are taking out drywall or removing contaminated wallpaper, so even if you have been living in a contaminated household for a while, the risk you are taking by not using a respirator when you are getting rid of it is considerable. You can find this kind of respirator in most hardware and even some department stores.
Air purifying respirators are the next step up in protection and these always have HEPA filters in them. These filter out almost all particles that you are breathing in while you are working. This kind of respirator does not protect your eyes and are available in half face and full face kinds. The best thing about this kind of respirator is not only the HEPA filter, but also the fact that using this kind does not require any training. The next step in protection does.
The highest level of breathing protection will come from a powered air purifying respirator. These also come equipped with HEPA filters, but require electricity and some training in order to be able to use them. OSHA guidelines must also be followed to the letter if you are planning on using these respirators in a commercial setting.
All respirators must be approved for usage by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Miami and
water damage restoration in atlanta companies.
Personal Protective Equipment for Mold Repair Jobs
When you are needing to kill and remove mold from your household, you will want and need equipment that will both make the job easier and help protect you from the dangers of mold exposure. You might feel as though you have been exposed to the mold living in your home for quite a while now and that it probably will not do you much more damage to just go through the remediation without any safety equipment, but you will be wrong about that. The mold spores in your home have not been stirred up nearly as much as they are about to be and if you are planning on performing any invasive procedures in order to get rid of the mold in your walls or in your ceiling, then the mold spore levels in your home’s air will absolutely skyrocket.
One of the first things you are going to want to purchase is a respirator of some kind. There are about three different general types that you can purchase and the respirator is the most important piece of equipment that you can buy for a mold remediation job. This is because the mold spores are in the very air that you breathe and even though gloves and protective clothing are also important, you have a fair amount of control of whether or not the mold comes into direct contact with your skin. Unless you have an allergy to the mold and require that it not get on your skin, the respirator is most important. However, if you have an allergy to mold, you should not be doing this job yourself in the first place.
An N-95 respirator is the basic respirator you will want if you are not planning on tearing apart any drywall or contaminated wallpaper. This will block about 95 percent of mold spores, dirt, and etcetera from entering your respiratory system.
If you want an extra level of protection, consider getting a half or even full-faced air purifying respirator. The good thing about these is that they do not require any training like the next level of respirator will.
Powered air purifying respirators require training and must be used following the regulations of OSHA.
Protective clothing should also be worn during the job. This can include a protective body suit, rubber gloves, and shoe coverings will be necessary, preferably made of a breathable material such as TYVEK. You should purchase a roll of tape, such as masking or duct tape, and wrap it around your wrists and ankles where there are gaps in your protective suit.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Los Angeles water damage and restoration services and Denver water damage restoration companies.
One of the first things you are going to want to purchase is a respirator of some kind. There are about three different general types that you can purchase and the respirator is the most important piece of equipment that you can buy for a mold remediation job. This is because the mold spores are in the very air that you breathe and even though gloves and protective clothing are also important, you have a fair amount of control of whether or not the mold comes into direct contact with your skin. Unless you have an allergy to the mold and require that it not get on your skin, the respirator is most important. However, if you have an allergy to mold, you should not be doing this job yourself in the first place.
An N-95 respirator is the basic respirator you will want if you are not planning on tearing apart any drywall or contaminated wallpaper. This will block about 95 percent of mold spores, dirt, and etcetera from entering your respiratory system.
If you want an extra level of protection, consider getting a half or even full-faced air purifying respirator. The good thing about these is that they do not require any training like the next level of respirator will.
Powered air purifying respirators require training and must be used following the regulations of OSHA.
Protective clothing should also be worn during the job. This can include a protective body suit, rubber gloves, and shoe coverings will be necessary, preferably made of a breathable material such as TYVEK. You should purchase a roll of tape, such as masking or duct tape, and wrap it around your wrists and ankles where there are gaps in your protective suit.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Los Angeles water damage and restoration services and Denver water damage restoration companies.
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