How To Identify Mold In Your Home And What To Do

Vasco Sousa on Unsplash

Mold is among the most detrimental elements in today’s world. By definition, it is a fungus type that grows in clusters and only becomes visible when it starts reproducing. Most people only appreciate the effects of mold spores on the health of people with allergies, but the spores can affect even those without allergic issues. Moreover, it causes structural damage to your home when not managed in time.

All homes contain the key ingredients that support mold growth. These include darkness, warmth, oxygen and some moisture. Unfortunately, identifying mold in your home is not so easy. To ease the identification of mold so that you can promptly deal with it, here are some signs you can look for.

Visible Mold Spores

Mold spores are normally visible as green, black or white spots, somewhat like discoloration on sections of your ceilings, floors, walls and furniture. The spores are velvety, rough or fuzzy depending on the mold type and the area of growth. In some cases, the mold spores look like dripping green slime. Unfortunately, visible mold spores are often indications of a serious mold infestation because the visible sections are only the tip of the iceberg.

House Occupants Have Lingering Flu-like or Cold Symptoms

If the occupants of your home are constantly dealing with cold and flu-like symptoms whose exact cause you cannot pinpoint, mold might be the culprit. It is tough to detect the spores when mold formation has just started behind your walls or in places with leaks. Even so, if people do not have flu-like symptoms when out of the house and only get them within your walls, this should lead you to investigate your property’s mold infestation. In a few cases, people experience frequent or chronic nosebleeds when exposed to mold spores. 

Worsening Allergic Symptoms

When exposed to mold-infested interiors, people with a pre-existing allergic respiratory condition often have a flare-up of their condition. For instance, if you are asthmatic, you might deal with unexplained breathing issues when you are indoors with no clear cause. The same is true for those with conditions that compromise the capacity of their lungs, like lung cancer and emphysema.

A Damp or Musty Indoor Smell

Most mold species have distinct odors. As such, it might be difficult to pinpoint a specific smell as a pointer of your property’s infestation by the fungus. Even so, you will usually notice that your indoors have a musty earthy smell even when you have scrubbed them clean. It is advisable to investigate any musty smell in your indoors so that you can rule out mold infestation.

Itchy Skin

Most property owners know that mold spores thrive in wet areas but do not know that damp clothing also forms a good breeding ground for the fungus. If you often leave your clothes on the floor or hang your laundry on an indoor rack that does not leave them adequately dry, this could mean coming into contact with damp clothing that harbors mold spores. The spores, when in contact with the skin in susceptible individuals, cause itching that can lead to secondary infections from the skin lesions it causes.

Bubbly Walls

Mold infestation sometimes causes the formation of bubbles on your walls. The bubbling is quite evident in the sections exposed to a lot of water. Therefore, if you suspect you have mold in your home, check the walls in your basement and those around bathrooms or toilets. If you see bubbling here and there are other signs of a mold infestation in your home, this might be a pointer to the presence of the fungus.

In most cases, homeowners reach for soap, water and bleach along with other cleaning products touted as the best for getting rid of mold when they notice the signs above. Even so, mold spores are very tiny and easy to spread when disturbed. As such, DIY cleaning might worsen your home’s mold infestation because it primarily spreads spores.

Bottom Line

The best solution for getting rid of mold in your home is hiring a professional mold remediation company. The experts will come armed with the right tools for testing the presence of mold before they embark on mold damage restoration. Testing for mold helps the experts know the extent of infestation in your home and the mold type they will be handling. With this information, they can employ the right remediation measures.

Once the experts have successfully tackled your mold infestation, ensure you prevent the fungus from re-invading your property. You can do this by ensuring your rooms are adequately ventilated, cleaning spills promptly, installing dehumidifiers to lower the amount of indoor moisture and fixing drainage issues. You can also use mildew and mold-resistant paint for places that are highly prone to mold infestation like bathrooms, basements and toilets.

Spring forward with kitchen appliances blooming with color

I don’t know how your winter has been going but I’ve been looking out my living room window and seeing this for the last three months.

via GIPHY

It’s pretty I know, but I think I’ve shoveled more snow this past winter than I have ever in my life. In fact, we’ve had nearly two feet of the stuff since January.

In a month or so the scene above will be replaced by the blooms of the thousand daffodil and scilla bulbs I planted last fall. 

Last October I decided to transform our front yard into what'll be the springtime blaze of color I’ve always wanted. In fact, what people think of as “spring colors” stems from the colors of the flowers that, around here, kick into high gear in March and April.

Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica) photo by Yoksel 🌿 Zok on Unsplash

The pale greens, blues, lavenders, yellows and pinks that usher in spring seem to exist to chase away winter boredom and unease.

Jetfire daffodil (Narcissus cyclamineus) photo by Marina Lakotka on Unsplash

There’s an appliance brand called Northstar hat incorporates this palette and other vibrant pops of color into their products – providing a much-needed break from the endless sea of stainless steel. Northstar is a brand made in North America by Elmira Stove Works.

Northstar ranges, refrigerators, microwaves, dishwashers and dishwasher panels, splash backs and range hoods come in nine not-so-standard colors along with more than 1,000 custom hues, providing tons of design flexibility.

These appliances aren’t retro kitsch. They’re very well made, high-performance, luxury appliances decked out in mid-century finery. Full of character and functionality, they work equally well in mid-century, retro, farmhouse and contemporary kitchens.

I checked out the Northstar photo gallery and found some examples of their kitchen suites used in modern settings. I have to say the effect is spectacular.

How could anyone walk into any of these kitchens every morning and not instantly feel more energetic and optimistic?

So, what do you say? Ready for a kitchen complete with cheerful, colorful appliances reminiscent of the bloom of spring?

These Northstar appliances offer a nostalgic feel but – at the same time – something altogether fresh and new. I recommend that you check them out.

Tools and Irrigation Supplies You Absolutely Need as a Gardener

Gardens. They come just like humans: in different forms, sizes, and colors. Some gardens are filled with tomato plants, whereas others are filled with green peas. Some people prefer to plant flowers, and others, believe it or not, have a garden filled with cactuses.

A garden is a very unique way to show your personality. Plants are living beings, just like pets, and in the same way, they need to be taken care of with love and lots of attention. The way a gardener takes care of their garden is a way to tell how disciplined, patient, and careful that person is.

And, believe it or not, gardeners have increased over the last years, because of the whole quarantine situation, and how people have started to look for ways to improve their mental health and share themselves with other living beings.

Surprisingly, taking care of plants and seeing them grow, also counts as a form of contact. In fact, gardening has gained a lot of popularity thanks to quarantine, according to this article. This is also the case for landscaping, just on a smaller scale.

Considering the benefits, it is to no surprise. Scientifically proven by research and studies, gardening can greatly improve someone’s mental health because it aids the body at lowering stress levels, and increases the brain’s production of dopamine and serotonin, two hormones heavily related to happiness.

The Challenges Behind the Peace

Now that we know how gardening and landscaping can help us achieve a certain level of inner peace, we have to consider something too: the challenges we have to surpass in order to achieve said benefits.

Still, most of these challenges are pieces of cake. They just become challenges because of one simple thing: lack of experience. Without the experience of gardening, and of course, without the knowledge required for it, we are pretty much set to fail during our first attempts of growing a plant.

And that is okay, it is part of the process, and failing helps us improve, and understand, the personality of the soil and plants we are trying to work with.

But some people prefer to avoid failure, and that is also a wise decision. To do so, they research and learn about different things, then, prepare themselves for the adventure.

And believe me when I say that, one of the most important parts of gardening is having the right tools. This includes things like shovels, rakes, digging tools, pruners, hoses, wheelbarrows, among many other things. For very detailed information on the matter go here: https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/must-have-garden-products/.

The Pre-Gardening Process

The right tools will help you during certain aspects of the process. The first part of the adventure is preparing the soil for planting. This will require you to clean the place from weed, rocks, and any other debris that might complicate the process.

You might also want to set up a pattern that will display the garden itself since it will work as a limitation, and as a mark for people that there’s a garden and they have to be careful around them. 

A type of fence can be helpful if you have small children or animals that might want to “play” around your garden. And we all know how that usually goes.

If you are an indoor type of person, or just someone who doesn’t have the outdoor space to go for a garden, you can pick a certain area of your house to plant an indoor garden. For that, you’ll need gardening pots and soil, then organize everything accordingly.

Choosing Plants and Designing

Some people go as far as designing their gardens even before buying the plants. This can be difficult, but very possible, and can be helpful since it will be a way to distribute the space of your garden much more efficiently.

Now, picking plants comes up next. This is, possibly, the most important part of the process, since you’ll have to pick plants that physically attract you, and also, that can be maintained by your current level of skill.

There are plants that are great for beginners because of their simplicity, and if you are a newcomer, they should be your priority. Afterward, you can try more complicated plants. The main idea of this is to adapt yourself to the activity and improve as time goes on.

The Maintenance and Watering

After you’ve properly set up your plants, now is time for probably the second most important part of the process: maintenance and watering. You see, plants require water and sunlight to nourish themselves and grow healthy and strong.

With that said, too much sunlight can dry some plants, and too much water can drown and rot their roots. That is why, before picking a certain plant, you should accurately research them to understand their properties and water them accordingly.

Depending on the size of your garden, you can depend on a watering can, or go for an irrigation system. The latter option works wonders if you don’t have the time to water your plant at specific times of the day (usually in the early morning or during the night) since they can do the job for you and other irrigation supplies can make the process much easier, like water pumps and hoses.

Depending on the type of garden you have, some irrigations system can go as far as watering the plants based on the amount of water they need, and some can be set up to water different plants with different levels of water, at different times, and even set up timers for you to check out the whole process. These are called smart irrigation systems, but you also have the option of having much simpler systems, based on what you like. 

Take in mind that this option is very common among outside gardeners, since maintenance is probably the most common problem among beginners since they tend to forget to water and maintain the plants at certain specific times. 

How to Find Kitchen Appliance Repair Contractors In New York City

If you have a faulty kitchen appliance, you must be wondering where you can find a company with the ability to fix it properly. This may not be an easy task, but with these few tips, we guarantee that you will get the best repair contractor.

Don’t Try To Rush It

This is one of the most important steps you need to follow. You may really need your appliance to be fixed quickly, but choosing a contractor hastily could really cost you. Being inconvenienced a bit is better than getting your appliance damaged because of a hasty decision.

Ask about their Experience

Each company has different levels of experience so make sure to ask them about it. If you don’t know what to ask you could question them about the following: 

How long has the business been running? Always look for a contractor who has been in the business for over a year. A company that has a long track record like Fuse HVAC & Appliance Repair of New York is more likely to have experienced workers. There is still a chance that a new company might be able to provide great services, but it is still a lot safer to pick a company that has been in business for a while. 

Ask For References

Can the contractor you picked give you references? Many reputable contractors out there can assist you in finding people’s reviews about their services or give you references. You could find references and reviews from…

1. Their current customers. Ask your contractor for some references from either their previous or existing customers. 
2. Communities on social media. A Facebook group could give you recommendations or reviews from people living around you. They may also have a comments section you can drop your questions in.    

Find Out If They Have Licensing and Insurance

You need to make sure that any contractor you are thinking of hiring is licensed and insured. If you see that they are not treading carefully. This is because it happens, and they might end up damaging your appliance. And the thing is that you will be the one to bear that cost unless they are properly insured. Most repair companies will readily show you the license numbers so don’t forget to ask. Visit https://www.icnj.com/blog/how-to-make-sure-your-contractors-are-properly-licensed-and-insured/ to find out how to check if your contractor is properly licensed and insured. 

Find Out Whether They Are Factory Authorized

It is always important to find out about this. Being factory authorized means that whatever professionals working for that company have gone for background checks. It also means that a certified trainer has trained them on that appliance they are repairing. Interestingly, any factory-authorized company will be happy to discuss this. 

Find Out Whether They Carry Out 24 Hour Services 

Let us say your refrigerator broke down in the evening but you just restocked it. If you don’t fix it immediately the food in it might go bad. Some companies close by around nine in the evening so they won’t be able to address the problem at that time. Hiring a 24-hour repair company will ensure that your emergencies are taken care of even late in the evening. 

Look at the Way They Respond to Any Bad Reviews

It is not really possible for a company to be able to satisfy all their customers. If you see that a company has many good reviews with just a few bad reviews, they may be good. The important thing here is how that company responds to the bad reviews. If a company responds rudely to the review, it shows that they do not care about their customers. But if they apologize and offer to fix the issue, it means that they are willing to please their customers. Click here to see what research revealed about reviews. 

Ask How Much Their Services Will Cost

This is the last question you should ask if you have followed all the previous steps. If you have multiple companies you are thinking of hiring, this final step can help you determine which to pick. 

Conclusion

These are the few steps you need to follow to find the right appliance repair contractor. They may be very easy steps, but they will have a big impact on the kind of contractor you get. Just try them and see how they work out.

When choosing between natural stone and quartz composites, Vadara makes that choice a breeze

I have natural stone floors and counters in my kitchen and yes, they’re beautiful. But man oh man are they a chore to keep looking clean. My travertine floors somehow manage to hide dirt and be dirty at the same time and so we sweep them every day and mop them two or three times a week. As a bonus, last year we paid several thousand dollars to have them “refreshed.” That involved having all of the accumulated divots and cracks filled then then the whole floor was sanded and sealed.

My stone counters can’t just be wiped off when something spills. No, they have to be washed and then dried lest a dingy film develop that in turn attracts more dirt to itself. So every couple of days I wash them with soapy water, rinse them and then buff them dry.

When we settled on this house, it had a kitchen in it already that the previous owners had renovated at huge expense and it had all of the mandatories expected in a larger home in a leafy suburban neighborhood. It had a Sub-Zero, grasscloth wallpaper, oak floors, a marble fireplace and most importantly, natural stone on the floors and counters in the kitchen.

When I was a designer, I specified all of those things countless times for homes just like this one. But it wasn’t until this house that I had to live with those specs and I have to say that given the choice, I wouldn’t pick natural stone again.

I’ve always fancied myself to be a purist. I’d always dreamed of the sorts of natural stone surfaces I curse every day now. Years ago, when quartz surfaces started to show up in showrooms I scoffed at first, and I dismissed their claims of easy maintenance. “Quartz composites look fake” I used to tell myself and “I could never live with fake stuff because after all, I am a purist.” After seven years of living with the real stuff, I’m ready to start all over.

Not really, but that’ll be something for the next person who buys this house can deal with. In the meantime, I’ll keep cleaning, cursing and dreaming about some new quartz surfaces I just learned about.

KBIS, the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, was a virtual event this year but despite the lack of in-person interactions, players in the Kitchen and Bath Industry still used the event to showcase their new offerings.

One of those players, Vadara Quartz Surfaces, rolled out six new patterns of their quartz composite surfaces and each of them is worth real consideration for people looking at natural marble. Marble is a classic surface but it’s notoriously difficult to live with. All it takes is a dripping bottle of olive oil left in place overnight to leave a marble counter with a permanent stain. And I mean permanent.

Vadara’s new patterns don’t have that problem because they’re quartz composites and by definition, they are impervious surfaces. As impervious surfaces and in contrast to real marble, they’re a snap to clean and to keep looking clean.

Vadara’s new colors and patterns follow. Anybody who doesn’t know better, and even people like me who do know better, would be hard pressed to tell that these colors and patterns weren’t dug out of a marble quarry in Tuscany.

• Bella Dolce – a luminous bright white background with delicate brown and grey veining
  
  
  
• Calacatta Fresco – a dimensional off-white and grey background with dynamic grey veining
  
  
  
• Calacatta Oro – a dimensional off-white and grey background with dynamic brown and grey veining
  
  
  
• Cascada Perla – a dimensional off-white and grey background with dynamic grey and white veining
  
  
  
• Solano Bella – a dimensional off-white and grey background with delicate grey veining
  
  
  
• Varenna – a luminous white background with delicate grey veining
  

It used to be that opting for quartz composite counters meant settling for a material that looked like a combination of terrazzo and concrete but these new patterns from Vadara put that entire conversation to rest for good.

These six patterns are nearly identical to real marble and in all candor, I’d put any of them in my home. What really knocked me off my horse is their Calacatta Oro.

Calacatta marble has always been a favorite of mine. Calacatta is a white marble that has veins of grey and varying shades of brown and gold. 

Here’s a close up of Vadara’s Calacatta Oro: 

That slab looks so much like the real thing that I want to forget about the real thing.

But as a reminder, here’s real Calacatta:

That’s nothing short of amazing.

Vadara’s full collection consists of 32 colors and each takes its inspiration from a natural stone. This material is sold as slabs and comes in two thicknesses, 2cm and 3cm. It’s cut on the same equipment and sold by the same fabricators as natural stone.

If you’re looking at natural stone for your home, you owe it to yourself to look into Vadara.