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Although we rarely think of it that way, the modern plumbing system is one of the greatest inventions of all time. We all depend on having ready access to clean water in our toilets, baths, sinks, kitchens, and showers to the point where it’s impossible to imagine life without it.

Despite its many advantages, our plumbing systems can be a source of headaches as well. As anyone who has ever dealt with a leaky dishwasher or an overflowing toilet will tell you, plumbing malfunctions can really disrupt your day, damage your belongings, and even endanger your health and safety.

Calling in emergency plumbing services in San Diego is an easy and effective way to solve this problem. But how can you tell when the plumbing problem is serious enough to warrant calling in emergency plumbers? That’s what we’ll be discussing in the following article. Read on. 

How do you know if you have plumbing problems?

Plumbing issues are notoriously unpredictable, especially if you have old pipes. They often seem easy to fix, only to end up with you knee-deep in water that’s apparently coming from nowhere. 

Common signs that something isn’t quite right include:

• You’re not getting any water
• You hear knocking from the pipes
• The water heater is “sweating”
• Your sink is slow to drain
• Burst pipes
• There’s dampness in your basement
• Your shower or sink keeps dripping
• You’re not getting any hot water
• Drainage is slow
• Your toilet is gurgling up water
• Your water has an unusual color
• You don’t have any water pressure
• There’s severe backflow 

When should you call an emergency plumber?

It goes without saying that you should get a plumber involved ASAP if there’s flooding in your home, a pipe that has burst or is leaking, your toilet is overflowing, or your drain is backing up.

Here are 3 less-obvious signs you need emergency plumbing services:

1. There’s no water

If no water is coming out of your faucets or showers, or there’s only a drip, ask your neighbors if they have the same problem. If they do, it’s probably not an issue that’s limited to your house, so make sure to notify the authorities about it.

However, if only your home doesn’t have water, you should get professional help immediately. This is a huge sign that you’re dealing with severe malfunctions such as major leaks, backups, frozen pipes, water main problems, and more. 

2. Sewage odors

If your water has an unpleasant smell, that’s a sign that your septic system, sump pump, or other plumbing could be faulty. To avoid a potentially catastrophic sewage backup, call in an emergency plumber and refrain from using your sinks, showers, or toilets until the issue has been solved. 

3. Leaky water heater

If you spot a leak on your water heater, check its drip pan. If it’s empty, you can call a regular plumber. If there’s water in the drip pan, shut off the cold water line immediately, then turn off the water to your home, switch off the heater itself, and finally contact an emergency plumbing service. 

Where can I find the most reliable emergency plumbing services in San Diego?

Plumbing emergencies can result in costly repairs and serious property damage. For this reason, a reputable water remediation and restoration company such as Risk Free Serv should be called in as quickly as possible to deal with the problem. 

Our emergency plumbing specialists are available 24/7 in all areas of San Diego. They will arrive at your location in less than an hour regardless of whether you’re located in Palm City or at the very heart of Downtown San Diego. Get in touch with us today.

Discovering a mold or mildew infestation on your property is one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a home or business-owner. Unfortunately, due to how ubiquitous mold is, there’s a considerable chance you’ll have to deal with a mold problem at least a couple times in your life.

The good news is, calling in San Diego mold remediation technicians is a quick and cost-effective way to address even an advanced mold infestation and prevent it from reappearing in the future. 

But how exactly does mold remediation work? Why should you call mold removal experts instead of just removing the mold yourself? What’s included in a typical mold remediation service? Read on to learn the answers to these questions. 

Do I really need mold remediation?

If your mold problem is extremely small (eg., you’ve found a few moldy spots on your clothes, or some of the food in your fridge has turned moldy), you may be able to solve it by disposing of the moldy items or even scrubbing the moldy spots off the fabric. 

However, if the mold is already growing on your walls, furniture, or floor coverings, there’s a significant possibility that the issue is caused by a more serious problem, such as faulty plumbing, leaky roof, high humidity, and more. 

For this reason, property owners are highly advised to have their place examined by a certified mold inspector. By identifying the real cause of the mold infestation, you’ll be able to keep it from coming back and prevent further damages to your belongings. 

What is involved with mold remediation?

The goal of a mold remediation is not just to remove visible signs of mold and render any remaining spores dormant and therefore harmless, but also to find and address the source of dampness that has originally enabled the infestation to occur. 

Here’s how professional mold removal experts usually do it:

• Step #1: Handle the water problem. Pinpoint and deal with the source of moisture (for example, water damage after a flood), therefore preventing the mold from regrowing in the same area.
• Step #2: Cordon off the affected area. The moldy room or rooms have to be sealed off from the rest of the property to prevent cross-contamination.
• Step #3: Mist the infested area to minimize the amount of dust and mold spores present.
• Step #4: Gather wet or mold-damaged materials, put them in heavy plastic bags, tie the bags closed, and dispose of them.
• Step #5: Cleanup. All moldy surfaces are scrubbed clean using an antimicrobial solution. To keep from damaging them, wooden surfaces and non-porous materials should be scrubbed down with a wire brush and then wiped clean using disposable wipes.
• Step #6: Visually check the cleaned rooms to ensure there are no signs of contamination or debris.
• Step #7: Thoroughly dry the area to remove any lingering moisture. Fans, dehumidifiers, and increased indoor air temperature can all be used to speed up the process.
• Step #8: Replace any items and materials that had to be thrown out. 

Where can I book a truly in-depth San Diego mold remediation service?

Whether you’re looking to purchase an office in Harborview, or you suspect you may have a mold problem in your San Diego home, having the right experts in your corner is essential in order to safeguard your health and protect your investment.

That’s where Risk Free Serv comes in. As the top provider of mold, fire, smoke, and water remediation and restoration services, we’re ideally positioned to make sure your property is 100% mold-free. Give us a call and request your free inspection and estimate today.

Did you know that we’re all constantly surrounded by mold? That’s because mold spores can be found everywhere where there is organic matter. This isn’t nearly as scary as it might sound: most molds are harmless to people and actually provide huge environmental benefits. 

However, there are a few kinds of mold and mildew that can endanger both our health and our belongings if allowed to spread through our homes unchecked. Mold infestations are such a serious problem that they can even reduce the real estate value of your property.

So what’s the best way to deal with a mold problem? Can you solve it yourself, or do you have to hire professionals who specialize in mold remediation in San Diego? What can mold remediation experts do that you can’t do yourself? Read on. 

Can you clean up mold yourself?

Unless you’re a mold remediation expert who has access to professional-grade tools, the only times you should attempt to address a mold problem yourself is if it’s a minor one and the mold can easily be prevented from infesting other surfaces.

Examples of less-serious mold problems include:

Moldy fabrics

Clothes, bedsheets, towels, and other fabric items can become moldy if they stay damp for a prolonged period of time. If these items get very moldy, it’s best to replace them. 

However, if there are only a few mold stains, you may be able to remove them by washing the fabric on the hottest washer setting that won’t damage it. If the fabric allows it, add a few drops of bleach to the detergent. Afterwards, leave the items to dry out completely in the sun. 

Moldy food

Food can start to get moldy if it’s past its expiry date, if it’s kept in damp environments, or if it’s in the proximity of other moldy items. If this happens, you should immediately dispose of the moldy edibles to keep them from infesting your other food.

If this occurs inside your fridge, you should thoroughly clean both the exterior and the interior of the fridge to prevent the mold from spreading. If this is a recurring problem or if the fridge is letting out unpleasant odors, you should call in mold removal technicians.

Do you need a professional to remove black mold?

Unless the mold problem is extremely minor, or the moldy item or surface can be readily replaced without affecting the rest of your property, you’re almost always better off leaving mold remediation to the professionals. 

The truth is that identifying the full extent and cause of a mold infestation can be extremely tricky. For instance, using a humidifier can increase the moisture inside a room and cause it to develop some mold on the walls. However, these same moldy spots can also be a sign of faulty insulation or leaky pipes. 

Mold removal experts know which signs to look for to determine the true cause of a mold infestation. Furthermore, they have the tools and the expertise necessary to ensure total mold removal that significantly reduces the chance of mold reappearing. 

Where can I book an extensive mold remediation in San Diego?

Let’s say you’re planning to buy a new home in Kensington. No matter how great your property of choice may look, there’s always a risk that damaged plumbing, increased humidity, or a past flood have turned it into a fertile environment for all sorts of unhealthy molds.

Having the place examined by a registered mold tester is a crucial step in ensuring you make a good investment. As the top team of mold, water, fire, and smoke remediation experts in San Diego, Risk Free Serv can help you do just that. Contact us today.

Molds are fungi that grow both indoors and outdoors. Outside, their hardiness, efficient reproductive system, and ability to break apart animal and plant matter gives them an important ecological role. Unfortunately, these same traits are what makes mold so problematic when encountered indoors.

As with all issues in life, the best way to prevent a mold infestation in your house is by identifying the problem early on. This way, you can deal with it before it can endanger your health and result in serious mold damage in San Diego. 

But how do you detect a mold infestation before it can really get out of hand? What are the top 3 telltale signs of indoor mold? Who can you call if you need professional-grade mold remediation? Read on to find out. 

How do you detect mold in a house?

Mold always starts out as a small spot, but grows quickly from there. Unless it’s in an out-of-the-way location (such as in HVAC vents or insulation), it should be readily visible to the naked eye. The best time to check your home for mold is while carrying out your spring home maintenance, as this will give you ample opportunity to get into the nooks and crannies of your property.

Molds vary widely when it comes to their color, and they can look cottony, velvety, or powdery. In some cases, they may resemble old stains or splotches of dirt. Luckily, there are easy ways to figure out if these stains are really stains, or if they’re actually “camouflaged” mold. 

If any of these are the case, it’s probably mold:

• It has an earthy, musty odor
• There’s a source of moisture nearby, and not a lot of light
• The material the mold is growing on is cracking, peeling, or warping
• A drop of bleach causes its color to lighten after 1-2 minutes
• Unlike dirt and old stains, mold grows over time

Molds often appear in places that we either can’t see or don’t visit often, such as in the attic, basement, inside walls, under area rugs, and so on. If this is the case, you may not be able to catch it before it can damage your property and potentially harm your health. 

What are the signs of a mold infestation?

Here are 3 biggest signs you’re dealing with a mold infestation:

1. Strange smells are coming out of your HVAC system

Standalone AC units located in heated closets or basements are often a fertile environment for mold. Excess moisture can also cause mold to take root inside the HVAC vents themselves. This not only makes nasty odors come out of your heating and cooling system, it also enables mold spores to get into other parts of your home.

2. Wallpaper is peeling

If your wallpaper is cracking, bubbling, peeling, or suffering other surface abnormalities, there’s a chance the walls are moldy. Furthermore, if any parts of the wall look warped or feel damp, you should definitely have your house checked for mold.

3. You’re not feeling well

High amounts of mold spores in the air can make you feel constantly tired or like you have a cold. They can also aggravate respiratory conditions such as asthma and allergies. To make matters worse, children who live in moldy homes are at an increased risk of developing asthma later in life.

What should I do if my house has suffered extensive mold damage in San Diego?

Mold can appear in any home or office regardless of whether it’s located on Shelter Island or in Downtown San Diego. If not dealt with immediately, a mold infestation can cause property damages, severely reduce indoor air quality, and negatively impact the occupants’ health. 

This is where Risk Free Serv comes in. We’re a locally owned and operated remediation company that specializes in mold, water, fire, and smoke restoration and remediation. Call us today and take full advantage of our high-performance equipment and our fair and ethical pricing system.

Mold is a kind of fungus that grows anywhere where there is moisture and organic matter it can break down. If allowed to thrive in a house or an apartment in San Diego, it can cause long-term mold damage, reduce the value of your property, and even pose a severe health hazard. 

Keep reading to learn how mold spreads, how it can make you sick, and how to handle a mold infestation and perform effective cleanup and remediation.

What damage can mold cause?

A mold infestation can hurt both your health and your wallet. For example, carpet mold can ruin expensive floor coverings and even damage the floor beneath them. Moldy walls not only look gross, they can also cause you to experience various respiratory issues. 

According to CDC, the 5 most common types of household mold are:

• Stachybotrys chartarum (black mold)
• Penicillium
• Alternaria
• Aspergillus
• Cladosporium

Mold infestations are an especially big deal on the real estate market. Home buyers should have any property they’re thinking of purchasing professionally checked for mold. Likewise, property sellers should make sure there isn’t a mold problem before listing the home on the real estate market in order to avoid losing potential buyers or having to renegotiate the price. 

Can mold in your house make you sick?

Small amounts of mold shouldn’t be harmful to your health unless you’re highly allergic to it. However, if mold is allowed to thrive in your home to the point where it becomes an infestation, the large amount of airborne spores it releases can cause you and the other members of your household to suffer various unpleasant and even dangerous health problems. 

Mold frequently aggravates existing respiratory conditions such as asthma and allergies. Furthermore, it can cause you to feel perpetually tired and even mess with your vision. Consuming food or beverages that contain mold can cause vomiting and nausea. 

You may be dealing with a mold infestation if you have the following symptoms:

• Congestion of the sinuses and the nasal cavity
• Sore throat
• Skin rashes
• Frequent coughing
• Eye irritation
• Vision issues (blurred sight)

What should you do if your house has mold?

Unless you have a background in mold remediation, by far the most effective way to get rid of mold is to call in the professionals. Do-it-yourself removal methods almost invariably fail to eradicate all of the mold, or end up damaging the surrounding property in the process.

When it comes to dealing with indoor mold, prevention really is the way to go. You want to make it as difficult for mold to thrive inside your home as possible. This can be accomplished with a little foresight and some careful maintenance.

Here’s how to prevent a mold infestation:

• Maintain indoor humidity levels at 50% or less
• Leaky roofs, plumbing, and walls should be fixed ASAP
• Use mold-killing products when cleaning bathrooms and basements
• If soaked carpets or upholstery can’t be dried quickly, replace them
• Call in water damage remediation experts immediately after a flood
• Regularly air your home and make sure there’s good airflow
• Use mold-inhibiting paints and products when painting your house

Where can I find the top San Diego mold damage remediation experts? 

Have you recently had a flood at your home, and now your place smells musty and you have a runny nose all the time? Or perhaps you’re thinking of purchasing a home in Marston Hills, and you want to make sure it doesn’t contain mold before you proceed with the deal? 

Whatever your needs may be, don’t hesitate to call Risk Free Serv. As the premium provider of remediation services in San Diego County, we’re uniquely positioned to deal with all your mold, fire, water, and smoke damage-related problems. Contact us today.

Most Americans these days are trying to keep their houses free of COVID-19. While this is generally a good thing, it also makes it easy to forget that coronavirus isn’t the only pathogen we have to worry about. 

In previous articles, we listed the cleaning and disinfection techniques your coronavirus disinfecting service in San Diego uses to keep COVID-19 out of your home. Now we’ll give you some pointers on how to deal with another major source of household disease: sewage overflow. Read on to learn more. 

How do you clean up carpet after sewer backup?

Dealing with the aftermath of a sewage overflow is not only unpleasant, it can also expose you to dangerous bacteria and lead to a mold infestation in your home. For this reason, it’s best to leave your sewage cleanup to the experts. 

Here’s how to clean a carpet after sewage backup:

Step #1: Stay safe

Always wear a face mask, disposable gloves, and eye protection while dealing with sewage. Refrain from touching your face during the cleaning. Thoroughly wash your hands and clothes after you’re done. 

Step #2: Take care of any solid waste

Grab a scoop or a shovel and use it to move solid waste from the sewage water into a plastic bag. Once the bag is full, take it outside and put it in a dumpster.

Step #3: Remove damaged building materials

Sewage overflow is considered as a category 3 water. And based on the IICRC guidelines all affected porous building materials need to be removed after being in contact with category 3 water. For example, if you have carpet flooring both the carpet and pad will have to be removed and disposed of in plastic bags.

Step #4: Clean the floor

Thoroughly scrub and sanitize the floor using either a commercial cleaning product or a homemade solution that’s 1 part bleach and 10 part water. Don’t lay down new flooring until the floor is 100% dry.

Step #5: Restoration

After making sure all the affected building materials have been removed/dried you can start the restoration/repair process. 

Can you get sick from sewage backup?

Yes. Sewage is primarily contaminated water that contains one or more types of waste that may come from both industrial and household sources. Microbes, parasites, toxins, and other harmful substances can all be found in sewer water in varying amounts. 

In addition to physical contaminants, sewer backup can also emit airborne pathogens and toxins. Spending any amount of time near raw sewage can result in a wide variety of health problems, including gastroenteritis, encephalitis, and even hepatitis A. 

How do you get sewer smell out of the house after backup?

The only way to truly remove the smell after a sewer backup is to destroy the bacteria that are causing the unpleasant odors, and that means using powerful disinfectants. 

Unless you’re a seasoned remediation technician with access to specialized equipment, the recommended course of action in case of a sewage backup (or other forms of flooding) is to get expert assistance ASAP. 

Where can I book a dependable coronavirus disinfecting service in San Diego?

As the leading remediation and restoration company in San Diego, Risk Free Serv is uniquely positioned to provide you with the full range of mold, fire, smoke, and water remediation services. 

Our emergency response hotline is available 24/7, so don’t hesitate to give us a call at any hour. Our technicians will promptly show up at your place regardless of whether you’re located in the suburbs or right next to the Balboa Park. Give us a call today.