Owning a home is an amazing experience. Not only do you feel incredibly accomplished, but you finally have a place that you can truly make your own. Many people already know the benefits of owning your own home. You get to make any additions or subtractions that you’d like, you have complete freedom to design it as you wish, and you can finally do things like outdoor parties in your very own backyard. While owning a home definitely has its advantages, there are a few things that no one tells you about when buying a home. In today’s blog, Seitz Environmental, the best mold removal company in the Lehigh Valley, will go over some of the uncommon things you should know about owning your own home.
The Dangers of Mold
Mold, which is a fungus, is a naturally occurring substance that usually grows on old, decaying objects, including food, plants, and building materials. Mold can be found all over the world, and usually grows in wetter environments or on old materials that are beginning to break down. While a lot of molds can be harmless to humans and animals, some can be harmful if breathed in or accidentally ingested. These harmful molds are usually rare, but they can pop up frequently if you have an older home or live next to decaying materials. Mold can also grow when water makes its way into your home.
What most new homeowners don’t know is that mold can grow in hard to see and hard to reach places. Mold reproduces by releasing spores that drift through the air similar to pollen. This of course can cause many health issues for everyone in your home if the mold problem isn’t dealt with quickly and efficiently. While household cleaners can get rid of the problem at hand, they may not be enough to completely get rid of your mold problem. Some molds can only grow in damp conditions, which would mean there has to be water present in your home in order for it to grow. Without shutting off the source of the water, that specific mold can continue to grow throughout your home.
What is Asbestos?
We’ve all heard the news stories about asbestos and how dangerous it can be if we don’t get rid of it quickly. But what exactly is asbestos? Asbestos is actually a natural mineral that can be pulled apart to create fibers that can be turned into things like cloth, paper, cement, and even plastic. Because asbestos is soft and flexible, as well as being resistant to things like heat, electricity, and corrosion, it was used in many homes as a form of insulation. While asbestos was believed to be a safe and reliable form of insulation, it has a large drawback that can be incredibly deadly to both humans and animals.
Because asbestos is a mineral, it gives off dust just like any other rock or mineral when it breaks down. While most mineral dust won’t do much to affect your overall health, asbestos can cause numerous health issues, including a rare form of cancer called mesothelioma. The dust from asbestos is actually microscopic fibers from the minerals, and when these fibers get into our lungs, certain health issues can occur. Asbestos can become trapped in the lungs forever, causing major health problems for life. Many new homeowners may not know what asbestos is or why it’s harmful. While most new homes are made without asbestos insulation, some older homes may still have asbestos insulation that requires quick and efficient clean up in order for the home to be safe to live in.
Radon Can Be Deadly
Radon is a natural gas that is made in the Earth. It is part of the noble gas family, similar to neon, argon, xenon, and more. Radon is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making it an incredibly hard gas to try and locate. While the other noble gases are relatively safe, radon is unfortunately radioactive, making it an incredibly dangerous gas to have in your home or business. Radon comes up from the Earth, meaning that basements or bottom floors are usually the first places to be affected by radon. Because radon is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, it can be almost impossible to locate until health issues begin to occur.
Because radon is radioactive, it can cause numerous health problems. Radon poisoning can take a long time to be discovered, as radon poisoning is symptomless at first until the radioactive gas affects the cells in your body. Because radon is a gas, it usually affects the lungs when someone becomes exposed. Things like chest pain, breathing difficulty, and coughing up blood can be an indication that someone may have radon poisoning. Radon is one of the densest gases, so it will usually accumulate in things like basements and crawl spaces if it’s present in your home.
The Importance of Waterproofing
Here in the northeast, we get quite a bit of precipitation per year. Whether it’s in the form of rain in the spring and summer, or snow in the winter, a lot of water moves through Pennsylvania each and every year. While water is essential to all life here on Earth, it can cause numerous problems for homeowners when a lot of it is introduced to a single area very quickly. When rain falls or snow melts, the water either moves into lakes, rivers, and streams, is pushed towards man-made aqueducts, or is absorbed into the Earth. With too much water at once, basements and underground crawl spaces can become flooded if they aren’t properly insulated or protected.
Water in your basement or crawl space can cause numerous problems for homeowners. Water damage can ruin prized possessions or property. Mold can form where water sneaks into your home, which can cause health issues and bad smelling odors. What you might not know is that waterproofing your basement or crawl space can stop water from entering your home and causing large amounts of damage. New homes and old homes can both benefit from the added protection of waterproofing. Waterproofing can also be a great way to increase the overall value of your home, and paired with other home improvement investments, like kitchen remodeling or bathroom renovations, you can build lots of equity in your house.
Here at Seitz Environmental, we offer some of the best radon remediation, asbestos removal, mold cleaning, and basement waterproofing services in the Lehigh Valley area. Our experts have years of experience and can help make your home safe and secure once again. When you need local mold remediation, or any of the other dangerous material removed, be sure to partner with the best at Seitz Environmental. Learn more about our mold removal company, view our online mold removal gallery, or contact us to set up an inspection today.
