Q. We had some water damage about 4 weeks ago. Our insurance company had an adjustor come in and estimate the cost of repairs. We got the check from them and are in the process of re doing it. Today the dry wall company found mold in all of the rooms and this was not taken into account when we got the estimate. Should insurance cover the cost of mold removal?

A. It's highly unlikely. The very few insurance companies that have policies that DO cover mold remediation, limit coverage to $1,000 or $5,000. Then, they require you to have it done, or they cancel you. Mold remediation can easily cost $30,000, or even more. Worse, because mold is NORMAL, and part of the world, any time your moisture levels go up, the mold comes back. MOST mold is not that 'toxic mold' that worries everyone so much, so if you haven't had the mold tested, you should pay to do that first. This company could just be trying to drum up a lot of business.

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Q. I would greatly appreciate recommendations for the carpet cleaning & air duct cleaning service providers in Naperville? How much should I expect to pay for cleaning of a 4 bedroom house? (4 bedrooms, family, living, dining, recreation & 2 hallways + 3 half stairs) Thanks!

A. Cost shouldn't always be a factor when deciding to choose a carpet cleaner. Many places have hidden costs and fees that you aren' told about. Here are some things to ask when you call around for prices: Price - do they charge by the square foot or room. (cleaners that charge by the room will charge for sqaure footage that isn;t even being cleaned, for ex. under a bed) What do they provide for that price? - some cleaners will do all vacuuming, basic spot removal, and the moving of furniture for their normal fee, some charge outrageous fees for these things. Dry time? - mold and mildew can start to grow after about 4 hours of moisture so you want something that will dry in less that 3 hours. Cleaning chemicals? - stay away from soap, it is a dirt attractant and will only make the carpets get dirty faster. Carbonation is your best bet (ChemDry) history of customers - ask them how long they've bneen in business, any special public voted awards or acheivements? What is their percent of repeat customers? Name? - Have they changed their name alot. this is usually a sign that their business sticks and they have to change their name to dup customers into using them again. Insured? - make sure they are insured and bonded in case something would go wring, ex. something would get broke or damaged, while that isnt ideal it does happen. accidents do occur, you want to know that they will fix whatever is broken.

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Q. I just moved into a new home that had never had the ducts cleaned. The house is a ranch with gas forced air heat on one zone with about 9 vents. I found this company on a coupon for $45 which included unlimited vents and a couple access holes. When the company began their work they found mold and the price skyrocketed from $45 to $1400. Does this sound like a screw job or is that price accurate for mold removal and duct cleaning?

A. Mold removal/remediation is entirely different from air duct cleaning. However, it is not uncommon to find mold in your air ducts. That is why we recommend the Electro Breeze Duct Mount UV kit at http://www.allergy-relief-air-purifier.com/air-conditioning-filters.html. This unit will eliminate mold and bacteria from your indoor air and keep your air conditioning coils clean from mold. You must consider that to remove the mold from your air ducts, the air duct cleaning company is entering into a potentially dangerous situation for their employees. This requires expensive equipment and a person with the skills to do the remediation properly. Now that they have knocked the mold loose, you will need the high efficiency filtration and ultra-violet light of the Electro Breeze DMUV kit to kill and capture the mold spores in your indoor air. I hope this helps.

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Q. Men and materiael had arrived- taking up strips around heavy items that had been left in place. After carpet up, straight hoe was used to remove old pieces of pad stuck to the floor and staples left in floor. As this was going on , I noticed MANY places where pad had turned black / green "melted " to the wood floor and not all coming loose. Of course , much "dust" flying ! I asked what was going to be used to mop the floor with before laying new pad and carpet. " Mop ??" I was told - " Lady we do not mop- we sweep/vacuum up the pieces ,lay the new pad and carpet period" A halt was immediate - these floors were nasty and gummy in places and lots of UNK materiael along floor where baseboards had been. I requested the owner be called when crew refused to mop . He informed me any thing left on the floor would be "covered up " by pad and carpet and not to worry about it. He said his crew did not mop. I said no go until floor vacuumed extremely well and mopped with at least a Lysol with bleach or Mr. Clean product. Best of what was available here I thought -20 mile to a Commercial Supplier He agreed to give me time- 30 minutes -clock still running for crew - to find some one to do so. Luckily, I was able to find a local handy man who would come right now , bought mops xx buckets,scrubbers and supplies, . Note- my cousin, 83 already had persistent dry cough and SOB problems, yet undiagoisned at that time, There had been a fire in the house and all repainted and central ducts cleaned also along with new flooring in all uncarpeted areas. Plan made all could tolerate- that vacuum emptied many times and also so much swept from cracks and along base board. The mop water was filthy immediately , changed out xxx and mops too, Rinsed in mild bleach water. Some of the materiael stuck to floor was gooey black, smelled nasty and took a lot of work to remove! My questions are.... was that mold from old pad falling apart down thru time or a fungus or ? did we do enough ? what may have been stirred up from carpet and pad removal ? would it have been better if I had just let them cover it all back up without major sweeping/ mopping and getting so much into the air ? We know now she has Pulmonary Fibrosis and on Oxygene-3% surface appearance of carpet was not bad in any of the 5 carpeted rooms meticilous house keeper vacuumed twice a week and shampooed twice a year at least Please tell me if correct thing done and what problems if any may come along from under that carpet that would affect her breathing ? Just could not see leaving the filth plus what ever had settled in because of the house being smoked so bad! I did not mean to imply in any way her Pulmonary Fibrosis was caused by the removing of the old carpet . Her Pulmonologist stated she has had it for many years and is just progressing faster now. The men were very well paid indeed. Had no objection to that.

A. You went extremely overboard with your request to vacuum and mop the floor. What was left on the floor was old sticky pieces of carpet pad and glue, but after talking to my brother (he's laid carpet for over 20 years), you should never have wasted your time and especially not theirs. Your cousin is not sick from that old carpet being removed. Besides, you were the one that stirred up all the dust by doing what you did. You should have just left well enough alone. That has nothing to do with that. It was all going to get covered by brand new pad and carpet anyway. Those people probably thougth you were completely off your rocker and don't be surprised if you get a bill for their time that you wasted.

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Q. Please read carefully as I am including lots of details that I can't find in other questions pertaining to mold. Our basement is completely finished. Our dishwasher leaked about 6 weeks ago under our hardwood laminate flooring in the kitchen. We cleaned it up, let the flooring dry in our garage for 4 weeks, and laid the flooring back down. Cleaned up water in unfinished part of basement below dishwasher. No more problems as dishwasher is disconnected. 3 weeks ago, we noticed visible green mold on certain parts of the ceiling in finished part of basement. The mold is not everywhere but seems to have be a pick and choose pattern where we see it. For example, not on painted walls, but on painted ceiling, but not all of it. Not at all on any part of the room the leak occur in, with exception of exposed studs. Our insurance will cover $10,000, which is great but it will cost $11,198 in cost to JUST clean up and remediation. This does NOT include any coverage to replace the carpet, drywall, etc. or items such as family pictures. I had another estimate out today and will hear the quote tomorrow but, we are at the point where we want to know, if we can clean it ourselves? My husband is a contractor and we have the respirators. How doable is this? Has anyone had a personnaly experience with cleaning mold in a finished basement? How do we clean the carpet, which we are being quoted $2500.00 just to remove and dispose of. Do we have to rent a special dumpster for the drywall etc, or will the county dump take it? Fosters 40/80 is mentioned several times as a solvent used on studs, etc. Can we get this or do you need a license for it? I would appreciate answers from others who have dealt with this type of situation personally.

A. As long as you are careful and thorough you can clean up the Mold yourself. Answering how takes longer than your very long question -- so I've given you a few links to review below on how to clean up. As to removal of materials; you do not need a special dumpster, however, you might be better off with two different dumpsters depending on your local landfill charges. Call us at 1-888-423-8867 and we can talk over you project with you. You might be better off with a C&D dumpster for the construction type debris like the Sheetrock and a 2nd dumpster for MSW (trash/garbage). These items could be charged different tipping fees (landfill disposal charges). I have had to clean up mold several times myself and I will caution that if you do not get it all then you wind up starting all over again. Also, keep the area very dry by running a dehumidifier. If you can hook up the dehumidifier so that directly drains (say into a utility tub or through a drainage line) then you never have to worry about emptying it. good luck and be super safe with the bleaching and other chemicals...

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Q. My brother is paying for siding on my home! (he is a wonderful brother ,by the way) He told me to get estimates. for windows also. I dont know what to ask for! I need the old siding removed,and i want to keep the price down, since he is paying for it! Please Help! Thank you! The first answer that i recieved from John was fantastic! Thank you So Much! This is an old house at least 50 yrs. old. My dad and mom built it! They had no experience building! It is a plain ranch type home with wood siding .the wood is really moldy and is roten. Ineed to know what type siding to go with? there are many types! I not able to wrap the house myself. ( i wish i could,I'd like to !) But physically i am not able! That is the main reason why we are hiring someone! I am checking around the neighborhood,to see if good work was done! It is not easy finding someone you can trust! I will consider all advice given to me! And thank you so much! I would like to get it done during the summer, I have heard that the windows are put in first! So i know that will take time! Thank a 3rd time!!!! WoW JOHN! You are great! After all that imformation,NOW COME AND DO THE WORK! LOL Take care! All OF YOU will sleep well tonight ! Knowing you helped this unexperienced woman!! Sorry thats inexperienced!

A. Read below for choosing contractors. Do more research on siding and removal through google/yahoo searches. If you do have the siding removed, have the contractor give you an estimate on installing house wrap to the exterior under the new siding. House Wrap: When you go out in bad weather, you wear a jacket to protect yourself from rain, wind and other elements. A home should be protected in the same fashion. Without a protective barrier, the home can get wet, which can lead to wood rot and mold growth. Is there a better way to protect a home from these elements? Using a house wrap during the framing stage of construction will prevent moisture from entering the home. This will protect the house from rotting and from developing mold or fungus. Additionally, air infiltration through the framed walls will be blocked. The "best practice" for protecting your home from wind and water while allowing it to "breathe" is to install a layer of "house wrap" made of a thin layer of spun-bonded polyethylene. Here's how to do it: Start at a corner, but make sure you have 2 to 3 feet of house wrap to overlap the corner. Wrap it around the corner and continue nailing or stapling as you move. Wrap the entire building, including door and window openings. Use button nails or minimum 1-inch staples to fasten the house wrap every 12 to 18 inches along the vertical studs. Make an inverted "y" cut, or "martini glass cut," over the window openings. Fold the flaps in through the opening of the two sides and the sill and fasten them inside. Many builders do not install a drainage plane at all. The builders who do often install "building paper," a sheet of asphalt-impregnated felt paper, to protect the house from exterior water penetration. Unlike house wrap, however, building paper doesn't effectively reduce air infiltration because it has many seams, while house wrap is a continuous sheet with minimal overlaps. House wrap produces a breathable, weather-resistant barrier that will reduce energy costs and prevent wind-driven rain from entering the walls of a home. =============================================== Windows: If you are actually going to have the windows replaced, the best way to do this is replace the whole window including the frames. Have the windows removed to the rough opening. Many contractors will tell you this is not necessary. If the house is quite old, the space between the rough oping and the window frame is likely not insulated and sealed properly. Leaving the existing window frames in will not eliminate drafts properly. Also, it allows you to see if there is may moisture damage to the structure that has to be repaired. Here is an excerpt from this link: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/retrofit How Do I Decide Between Retrofit or New Construction Windows? (By: Bill & Kevin Burnett) Q: What are the disadvantages to retrofit windows as opposed to the advantages of new-construction windows? I've been shopping for new windows for my home and have found that labor and materials for retrofit windows is about one-half the cost of new-construction windows. I understand that with retrofit windows the old window is removed and the new window is installed into the old window frame, which certainly cuts down on labor. However, is there a quality issue? Can there be more of a chance of leakage around the window with retrofitted windows? Retrofit installers swear by their product. My contractor said he won't install retrofit windows. What's a homeowner to do? A: Retrofit windows are installed into existing window frames. New-construction windows are secured to the frame of the house by nailing flanges. The cost difference is related to removal and repair of existing window trim and siding. The major advantage of flanged windows is that they are one integral unit that is easy for the contractor or homeowner to install plumb and square within a framed opening. Retrofit windows are installed into existing frames, and if those frames are not plumb or square, there may be problems. To install flanged windows the old windows must be completely removed. Exterior trim (and often interior trim) will have to be removed, exposing the framing so the new windows can be nailed or screwed to it. Siding will also need to be cut back so that the edge of the framing is exposed. If you have a stucco exterior, installation will require some stucco to be chipped or cut away, then patched after the new windows are installed. Trim must be reinstalled. Finally everything must be repainted. Sounds like a pretty big job, doesn't it? It is. Retrofit windows, on the other hand, use the existing frame as the opening in which to install the new windows. No trim removal, no stucco or siding to repair. A seemingly much simpler and cleaner job. It can be. So what to do? From our perspective it depends on the type of existing windows you have and the exterior trim and siding involved. Most of our experience has been with the double-hung wooden windows that are common in old homes. To install retrofits in this type of frame, the old sash is removed, stops are installed if necessary and the new unit is attached to the old wood frames with shims and screws. A little caulking around the joints and you're done. This type of installation, if done properly, will provide an airtight seal. If your existing windows are the steel casement windows used in the 1950s or the aluminum windows commonly used in the 1960s, '70s and '80s, we'd suggest you do some serious digging into the possibility of using retrofits. If we were in the market to retrofit these windows, we'd undertake major research, look at some existing installations and satisfy ourselves with the looks, method of installation and quality of these products. All this being said, we don't think we'd be happy with existing steel or aluminum frames with new window inserts unless we were convinced that the frames were covered and the installation was airtight. Tip: We've always found it better to install flanged windows with screws rather than nails. If minor adjustments have to be made to properly fit the window into the opening, it's much easier to remove a screw or two rather than pull a nail with a cat's paw. Use stainless steel or zinc-coated screws. =============================================== Selecting contractors: 1/ Look up local contractors first. work out form the closest to your location. If some you trust has had work done similar to yours, ask them about the contractor they used. If they were completely satisfied with their contractor(s), ask for their telephone number. 2/ Select at least 5 your are interested 3/ Do a google/yahoo search on each of the contractors you are interested in; look for praises (check who is writing the praises to see if they have any connection to the contractor google/yahoo search the people giving the praise or references) 4/ When you are satisfied with at least 3 contractors per job, have the give you written estimates with details of work to be done, terms, guarantee(s), cost of extras (how much do they charge if they find something not covered by the contract), paymant schedules if necessary and whatever else you can think of to protect yourself. 5/ If the contractor tries to pressure you into signing the contract immediately with a high deposit (more than 15%) reject that contractor. Be careful, high pressure can be someone who sounds very convincing, but has many reasons why you should sign on the dotted line NOW. 6/ It is always good to have another adult with you when a contractor inspects the work to be done. 7/ If you do not get at least 3 written estimates signed by the contractor - not you (do not sign yet) , go back to 1. repeat until you get written estimates signed by the contractor - not you (do not sign yet). Read the estimates over with some who has some knowledge of the work that has to be done. This may take longer than you thought; do not rush into it. Research, resaerch research, helps. When you are ready choose by being informed. Good Luck

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Q.

A. Hey, There are many companies out there that offer quick and professional response but cant deliver when the time comes. SOS water damage provided the services Water Damage Removal Carpet Cleaning Tile and Grout Cleaning Mold Remediation for more further information view source

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Q. Areas of mold (black and some gray) in a basement that flooded three times this spring. We're working to fix the water problem. We're planning to remodel anyway, so the old paneling isn't a big loss, but I don't want to release tons of mold spores into the air if they're toxic. My inclination is to hire an independent testing lab, find out what type of mold we have, then use their remediation plan to hire a contractor to deal with it. Are we likely to have to clean it up first and THEN remove the damaged areas? Or is removal itself a viable means of solving the problem? Can a regular contractor do this? How much should I expect the testing to cost? If we're not suffering from any clearly related physical problems now (it's been there for months, I'd guess), will we need to vacate the house while remediation takes place? My husband wants to just hire a regular demolition crew to pull the paneling out, but I'm not comfortable going that route. Informed opinions appreciated.

A. We bought a home in which mold was detected - actually, the sellers kept something in front of a gaping, oozing black hole! the mold tested to be the most deadly black mold. i would not do a lowe's test - given the dangers, I agree with you that you need a mold remediation company to test and make a proposal. Our cost was 1100 for testing and remediation, including cleaning of all the house ducts and not including replacing drywall. i have to say the mold remediation folks who tore out the drywall didn't even use masks. I don't know if this is a lack of respect for their workers or because even the deadly black mold is not a huge problem. I will say our regular contractor - who fixed the drywall - would have nothing to do with removing the moldy wall. We did not clean the wall before it was removed.

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