http://www.si-restoration.com/index.htmlWater Damage Fire Damage Mold Remediation Blood Crime Scene Clean Up News enJeffrey Cohn SI RestorationCopyright 2009 Jeffrey Cohn2010-06-22T09:29:48-04:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:39:57 -0500Jeffrey Cohn SI RestorationNone2010-06-22T09:29:48-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/6b119c3a5f2b3b6a4619c2c9c574d87f-34.php#unique-entry-id-34http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/6b119c3a5f2b3b6a4619c2c9c574d87f-34.php#unique-entry-id-34
Now the fire department didn’t upset me as much as I found out that the management company called a carpet cleaner to suck up the water and “ dry out the location”.

The carpet cleaner reassured the management company that all that was needed was to extract the water and remove the carpet. They put in one air blower for a two bedroom apartment. No other equipment was needed so the carpet cleaner told the management company.

The manager concerned about mold, called me SI Restoration ( that’s us ) and asked if I would just check to see if the work was done correctly.

When entered the room I pulled out my IICRC required moisture meters to test the carpet and walls. I also tested the humidity and temperature to get the grains per pound in the air.

I wasn’t surprised to see wet carpet and wet walls. The temperature reading over 80 alarmed that this was a great situation for mold growth.

I quickly called the property manager to get permission to bring more air fans and commercial dehumidifiers and open the walls by removing just the wall base.

I told the management company that is usually takes three days to dry .


Well let’s see what happens , and I will inform of the outcome in three days.


Meanwhile let me state that they are many carpet cleaners who are very qualified to do water damage restoration in Baltimore Maryland.

The question is do they keep up with all the latest standards and correct procedures and are they IICRC certified.

Ask for the IICRC card

]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationbaltimore Maryland, blood clean up suicide clean up, body fluids clean up2010-04-08T14:45:40-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/5b4ca8dc896f2cdcccd0993154901eae-32.php#unique-entry-id-32http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/5b4ca8dc896f2cdcccd0993154901eae-32.php#unique-entry-id-32
It seems that visitor walked to the office and asked if an employee was in. When the office staff mentioned that the employee was not in, the visitor took out a gun and shot himself in the head.

SI Restoration was called in to clean and remove any blood and body fluid from the suicide that occurred in Baltimore, Maryland.

]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationwet carpet, insurance, flooded basement, water extraction2010-03-17T07:58:24-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/1fb7abecb00ee5d0fee3747e2d1facd0-31.php#unique-entry-id-31http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/1fb7abecb00ee5d0fee3747e2d1facd0-31.php#unique-entry-id-31
There is a thought that homeowners have at least one water damage in their life time. What makes it worse is the fear that develops when a water damage happens.

Homeowners fear that the home will never be the same after a water damage, including ruined carpet, mold growth and the assumption that the insurance adjuster will not give a fair estimate on the replacement of damaged items. Let’s look at each issue.


1. Ruined Carpet- Ask any carpet salesman and he’ll tell you that when a carpet is wet , the carpet will never be the same. Sadly this is not true as was proven by the wet study down the carpet and rug institute. The carpet and rug institute found that with proper drying of carpet following IICRC s500 guidelines that carpets actually become stronger when soaked and the dried. So when a carpet salesman tells you that the carpet is no good after a water damage, tell them to read the wet study by the carpet and rug institute.

2. Mold growth- Let’s get the record straight. It takes 36 to 72 hours for mold to grow. Unless there was previous mold growth before, mold will not grow unless:

1. You have water

2. Food source (carpet and walls, etc)

3. Warm temperatures like room temperature


Ok now the question is how do you avoid mold growth after a water damages and the answer to make sure that all the moisture is removed. Just because you use your hand and use your eyes and everything looks dry , doesn’t mean it’s dry.

There maybe moisture behind walls and under flooring materials that you can’t feel with your hands.

This is where a professional water damage restoration company can come in and test with professional moisture meters. They can find moisture in hidden places that create mold issues.




]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationwater damage, wet carpetbaltimore Maryland2010-03-05T18:05:51-05:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/water%20damage%20baltimore.php#unique-entry-id-30http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/water%20damage%20baltimore.php#unique-entry-id-30
We were just called in for a fire damage that reminded of that kind of situation.

Homeowner heating system malfunctioned creating massive flames burning 2/3 of the house. Two very strong owners of the home just stood in shock as everything they saved and worked for burned in front of them.

Yes, the fire department came and drowned the fire out and created another major issue, water damage.

So as SI Restoration was called in to examine the situation and bring the house back to a pre loss condition.

A pre loss condition is a interesting topic.

Pre loss condition is what the house looks like before the damage occurred. The issue is how to prove what the house looks like before the damage.

One way is to record on video what the house looks like before the damage occurs. Simply taking a video of the interior of the house and slowly video the interiors gives the insurance adjuster a better understanding.

]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI RestorationSuicide clean Up, crime scene clean up, blood clean up2010-01-14T09:43:23-05:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/17e0dc76b1bae288f48cc8a2cc06a0a6-29.php#unique-entry-id-29http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/17e0dc76b1bae288f48cc8a2cc06a0a6-29.php#unique-entry-id-29
Yes she was embarrassed and ashamed, but leaving her kids without a mother is the worse crime she committed.

We cleaned up blood and body fluid last year from a family suicide ( father killed family then himself). I feel bad for everyone including the small community that they lived one.

Everyone is effected when this happens.

I remember talking to the brother of the murdered family. He not only had to deal with the loss of his family, but the blood, body parts and body fluids that were on the mattresses, walls, carpet, etc.

We actually cleaned it up pro-bono ( free ) through the ABRA organization, due to the deep emotional issue that it brought.

The brother and the remaining family could have cleaned it themselves, but the concept and cleaning up his family’s blood and body fluid is emotional too much. Think about it!

Also there is a safety issue as well.]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI RestorationBlog2009-12-05T20:21:16-05:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/c5d27642453560892b8b182b8dcf56ba-28.php#unique-entry-id-28http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/c5d27642453560892b8b182b8dcf56ba-28.php#unique-entry-id-28

Whether you are dealing with a murder, suicide, or any situation with blood on mattress, you have a difficult situation on your hands.

In the old days you could grab the mattresses and throw it out with the trash, or do your best to clean it, dealing with the blood stain mattresses.

These days have made these options more difficult. Besides the major concern of HIV and other life threatening diseases, the government has also made the ease of just throwing out the blood stained mattresses more difficult.

OSHA has a blood bourne pathegon rule other wise known as 29cfr1910.1030 which sates that employees can not be involved with any blood or body fluid situations without proper and full training. By the time an organization trains the employee ( forget employee turnover ), you might as well hire a certified ABRA company.

But lets get back to the blood stain mattress issue.

The question is how does someone remove and dispose of a blood stained mattress ?

Well if you pick up and carry out the mattress here are some of the issues you will face:

1. Mattresses is large and heavy- Forget blood stained mattresses, just regular mattrreses are cumbersome to remove from a room. Now think about removing the mattresses with blood and body fluid and the blood getting all over the room and in your eyes and face. It only takes a second to get a little blood fluid into your body and if the blood is effected your in big trouble. Even if you have protective clothing and face mask, if the big mattresses smacks your gear off slightly your in trouble.

2. Disposal- Each state or any government agency has major issues with dumping and transporting blood and body fluids. Get caught and your looking a major fines and even jail time.


Now you can go to a professional bio hazard company to perform the blood stained mattresses and have the paper work to protect you from government fines.


if you have questions just go to www.si-restoration.com and click on crime scene clean up or bio hazard clean up.


]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationcrime scene clean up2009-11-10T10:35:15-05:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/ea1daa2f100cb24a75031872d4e5c575-27.php#unique-entry-id-27http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/ea1daa2f100cb24a75031872d4e5c575-27.php#unique-entry-id-27

“ Suggestions for trauma scene effected homeowners to relieve the horrible incident they have experienced.



You can never completely assist clients that have been effected with a crime scene. But there are suggestions on how how trauma scene effected clients can make it easier.

1. Change the room: Try painting the room or changing the size of the room. Even changing the furniture helps the home inhabitants “ move on” from the incident.

2. Victims Assistance: Many cities and towns have victims of murder crimes organizations which help you mentally and financially. Just go the web and search under victims assistance in your city. Also there is victims of murdered children organizations as well.


If you need more information, just contact me at jeff.cohn@si-restoration.com

]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationwater damage, wet carpet, building water damage2009-10-09T08:36:49-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/afee455642f4f5cf4db1bc449a6ca898-26.php#unique-entry-id-26http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/afee455642f4f5cf4db1bc449a6ca898-26.php#unique-entry-id-26
With all due respect ( they really do have a tough job), I ask them to go over exactly how they dry out wet carpet. If you didn’t know wet carpet ( or most things that get wet ) can in many ways lead to mold growth.

So they begin.....

Here is the main answer:

“ Well first we get out the extractor to extract the wet carpet after a water damage. Then we spray the carpet with a deodorizer to prevent mold growth. Then we put down a fan and then when it’s dry we clean the carpet.”

Trying not to be smart sounding, I ask some questions

“ How do you know when the carpet is dry after the water damage?”

Their answer is, “ we touch carpet”

I ask “ well what happens if the carpet is still wet underneath the carpet which is a great place for mold to grow”

Answer: “ We don’t know”

So in fact I say usually then you still have a possible mold issue and you didn’t even address the walls that may have gotten wet.

At that point I get blank stares and questions on what I do in that situation.

Instead of selling our services which most restoration companies would do, I suggest learning the correct way to dry out wet carpet and walls your selves.

Although I don’t recommend handling water damages over 5 square feet your selves, I do recommend smaller damages be done by staff. Why waste a restoration companies time and your money, when the process in a small water damage situation can be handled inside.

If your interested in my free instructions on how to handle water damages by building management staff, please email me at jeff.cohn@si-restoration.com

]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationmold removalmold remediation 2009-09-21T09:21:54-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/458afe015527540ab89d34da6246eea0-25.php#unique-entry-id-25http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/458afe015527540ab89d34da6246eea0-25.php#unique-entry-id-25
It seems that house bill 1309 the Maryland Mold Remediation Bill has been passed. If you go to my web site www.si-restoration.com and go to important resources you will see the bill linked.

It is my understanding after reading the bill ( I called the Home Improvement Commission as well as the delegate who wrote the bill ) and have not gotten an official answer that anyone removing more than 10 square feet of mold that posses as a mold re-mediator must licensed. You do not have to hire a licensed mold remediator, just if you hire one they must be licensed by the state.

If anyone has questions about the bill ( law ) , just call me at 410-458-5371.

The law will not be official until June 2010.


]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI RestorationBlog2009-07-07T13:19:11-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/a79d8f5c76cb1dc88c50788ef5ebfdfa-24.php#unique-entry-id-24http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/a79d8f5c76cb1dc88c50788ef5ebfdfa-24.php#unique-entry-id-24
In todays blog I will be reviewing the article, “ Assesment, cleaning and Restoration of HVAC Systems.

In this article it refers to Standard 200x which establishes from the cleanliness of the HVAC system to cross contamination of the indoor environment.

The 200x standard also covers

1. Project safety

2. Pre project safety

3. Level of cleanliness

4. Contract warrantee and guarantee

5.Written work plan

6. Containment practices

7. Maintenance Restoration Procedures

8. Pre- project cleanliness

9. Restoration and Maintenance Verification

10. Manadatory Documentation


In my next blog I will explain each item and it’s relevance to our industry

]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI RestorationBlog2009-06-06T10:25:11-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/a5771f96643aabdd8c188967cf58b66d-23.php#unique-entry-id-23http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/a5771f96643aabdd8c188967cf58b66d-23.php#unique-entry-id-23
We get calls from all types of property management companies and the water damage calls from homeowners are usually from flooded basements.

Our property management customers have actually been calling for busted pipes and toilet over flows, very strange for this time of year.

For those who have had a water damage here are some tips.

1. Don’t put down newspaper on the carpet to soak up the water. News paper will stain the carpet and you will be reading last weeks news for many years.
2. You can rent fans your self to dry the carpet, but many consumers and property managers do not own a moisture sensor, The moisture sensor detects moisture in areas you would not think to look or assume by touch were dry.

3. Your residential dehumidifier is great for controlling the comfort of your basement but is not designed to take the amount of moisture that the water damage has brought in, Yes eventually your dehumidifier will take out the moisture, but the time it does, you will have possible mold growth.]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationcommercial AIr Duct Cleaning 2009-05-20T14:31:54-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/2ade945277d7acfd435d04a9e83b7b25-22.php#unique-entry-id-22http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/2ade945277d7acfd435d04a9e83b7b25-22.php#unique-entry-id-22
Let’s start off by talking about customer needs. Cleaning the air ducts in a building is a nice maintenance idea , but the expense sometimes does not match the budget needs of other expenses.

That brings us to why air duct cleaning is performed in buildings. AIr duct cleaning is requested usually due to a health issue in the building. Someone either sees debris falling from the vents ( heating and air conditioning registers ) or an occupant is complaining about the air quality.

Many building managers will turn to the air ducts as a possible source of the air quality issue. If you are a building manager professional, please let me be so bold as to stop you when you ready to call an air duct cleaner.

Although the air ducts can be a cause of the air quality issue ( or a pipe line of another cause ), cleaning the ducts may not solve the issue you have. To start your investigation, try these options:


1. Try finding the source of the issue. If you think it’s the ducts or air handler, have SI Restoration www.si-restoration.com perform a video inspection of your duct system to see of any issues. You may realize that it may not be the duct system.

2. Hire an Industrial Hygienist, who will test and evaluate what the issue is. If you need a list for the Maryland area go to www.si-restoration.com. Find our resource page.

As always you can call me at 410-458-5371 Jeff Cohn anytime

]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI RestorationBlog2009-05-14T08:15:47-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/4f93b218e4fd9a003e8027fadc55b3b9-20.php#unique-entry-id-20http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/4f93b218e4fd9a003e8027fadc55b3b9-20.php#unique-entry-id-20
Ok, now what happened. Well Shawn and I spent 5 days in actual hands on class and certification class for advanced water damage clean up and drying techniques.

Needless to say after 20 years in the water damage restoration and water damage service clean up biz, I learned many things.

I was shocked that water damage restoration companies can according to the IICRC, can dry insulated ( batt only ) walls without taking out drywall and repainting. With new moisture and drying techniques, this is now possible.

Also we have learned that we can dry out hotels and commercial buildings without having to worry about occupants turning off the equipment, everyday.

For those who don’t know, a major expense to building management during water damage clean up is the fact that we, water damage restoration companies have to leave the equipment in longer, because occupants keeping turning off the equipment.

The remaining subjects that we taught we knew, we just needed to take a test to prove that we now publicly know the information.

For those who have questions on wood floor, plaster and other hard to dry materials call me on my cell 410-458-5371]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI RestorationBlog2009-05-04T17:10:42-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/966d7ee8ccccf3f7f65595f8991340a2-19.php#unique-entry-id-19http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/966d7ee8ccccf3f7f65595f8991340a2-19.php#unique-entry-id-19
As I write this blog, we are in the car traveling to the Hydro lab in Indiana. Don’t worry I’m not driving. I’m in the car with Shaun Hernandez . Shaun is one of our foreman at SI Restoration and is joining me at the hydrolab..

For those who don’t what a hydrolab is, let me explain.

Hydrolab is one of the schools for the water damage restoration industry. I have to tell you that out of all the schools, I have attended for water damage repair and water damage clean up, hydrolab is the best.

At the school which is actually in Indianapolis Indiana they teach all types of water damage classes. From beginning certifications to the advance classes.

Well this week Shaun and I will be attending a ASD or Applied Structural Drying certification class. This class certifies Shaun and I on drying all difficult materials such as plaster, triple thick drywall walls,wood floors,gypsum floors marble and ceramic floors after water damage homes and water damage basements.

We will learn all the techniques associated with drying these materials.

Now don’t get us wrong we know how to dry these materials now, we just haven’t been certified.

When I say we, I’m talking about Shaun and I . Actually SI Restoration has 4 ASD certified employees and we’ll make 6.

Ok well the car is getting bumpy, so I need to sign off. We ‘re only 100 miles from Indiana.

Ok I’ll let you know what’s happening through each day.

]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationcrime scene clean up2009-04-29T20:16:51-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/4811f7d1aad5207e6b9dbbef0b28d63e-18.php#unique-entry-id-18http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/4811f7d1aad5207e6b9dbbef0b28d63e-18.php#unique-entry-id-18
SI Restoration was the company that was asked to clean up after the sad occurrence that happened. Although we clean up after many crime scene clean up situations, biohazards, death scenes, the murder of children always seems to have an affect on all our employees.

As the owner of SI Restoration I was informed that the project was performed professionally and with empathy.

I would like to thank the SI Restoration employees that assisted on the crime scene clean up situation and thank them as well. ]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI RestorationBlog2009-04-20T21:12:23-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/9f32148e71270b4c94b15270b144a23d-17.php#unique-entry-id-17http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/9f32148e71270b4c94b15270b144a23d-17.php#unique-entry-id-17
I love this question as this is the biggest money maker for air duct cleaners especially in Baltimore Maryland who charge the extra low sale prices.

You know the ones that charge $ 69.00 or $ 99.00.

If you want to know more about these types of companies look at my past blogs and additional articles on the air duct cleaning page www.si-restoration.com .

Let’s talk about sanitizing air ducts. Sanitizing air ducts is a waste of money and effort honestly unless you have actual signs of some bio growth in your ducts.

The best way to assure that you won’t have mold growth or growth in your air duct system is to clean it every 5-7 years.

Remove the dirt and film ( food source for bacteria, etc. ) and your chances of getting bio hazard issues decreases dramatically.

Now that’s not to say that it’s guaranteed that you won’t have bio growth ( mold , bacteria ), but with no food source ( dirt, dirt film etc. ) it’s a lot more difficult.

Now if you want to sanitize your duct regardless, please don’t let me stop you from calling our company SI Restoration duct cleaning.

if you have question please call our office 1-800-356-0484 or call my cell 410-458-5371. ]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationwater damage, wet carpet2009-04-19T11:33:56-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/06ec6e62fd58b399383cf94346231f47-16.php#unique-entry-id-16http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/06ec6e62fd58b399383cf94346231f47-16.php#unique-entry-id-16
Don’t worry as I have been in the water damage removal and drying of carpet business since 1989.

I’m going to give you some options to help you , but if you need additional assistance go to www.si-restoration.com and there you will see many articles on different water damage situations.

Ok now for the options for what to do:

1. Always as you know extract as much water as possible ( if you need assistance in Maryland or = ]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI RestorationBlog2009-04-16T18:11:30-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/c0af0ccf1f6beed282a1b2e4317f0c4f-15.php#unique-entry-id-15http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/c0af0ccf1f6beed282a1b2e4317f0c4f-15.php#unique-entry-id-15
Everybody is welcome to read along but I wanted to make special conversation with my customers now and future water damage repair customers.

I am the owner of SI Restoration a water damage mold damage fire and smoke damage company in the Baltimore Maryland area and Washington DC metro area.

It is our belief that every customer whether they have had a water damage, flooded basement, fire damage that they are taken care as if I had taken care of them myself.

We expect our employees to behave professionally and with deep respect to you and your home.

We have trained our employees to act as myself and my brother Mike Cohn the other owner.

When a business or homeowner has a water damage repair issue ( wet carpet , wet walls, etc. ), it is prudent to have a IICRC trained company out to your house ASAP.

If you wait 36 to 72 hours after the water damage event, you will have the possibility of mold growth start to materialize.


Mold has been a major issue these days , and even homeowners have to worry about other visitors getting ill.

Mold growth usually takes place ( but not always ) after a water intrusion and especially after a water damage.

Insurance companies have finally realized that getting contractors out after a water damage immediately is not a choice but a necessity

]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI RestorationBlog2009-04-14T15:33:56-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/5d45da8ebc5c3d5281d2857618c11b3d-14.php#unique-entry-id-14http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/5d45da8ebc5c3d5281d2857618c11b3d-14.php#unique-entry-id-14
Luckily there is an organization for victims called The National Center for Victims Of Crimes.

As a crime scene clean up company in Baltimore Maryland that cleans up after body fluid and blood from crime, it is important for our staff to remember that were are dealing with people and humans, not stories on TV and on the news.

Please go to www.si-restoration.com and look for the biohazard cleaning page. At the bottom you will see a page on victims of crime and the issues they face.]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI RestorationBlog2009-04-13T13:55:29-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/dac761f8a8f76698b9f59e905f30604d-13.php#unique-entry-id-13http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/dac761f8a8f76698b9f59e905f30604d-13.php#unique-entry-id-13
It’s nice and if you can email me what you think. jeff.cohn@si-restoration.com.

Today I’m going to talk about fire damage restoration or cleaning up after fire damages.

Yesterday our company SI Restoration was called in by a property management company due to a kitchen fire. I haven’t gotten the whole details, but I believe someone left a pot on the stove.

The person who did this doesn’t have to be embarrassed as many fire have started this way.

Although we all have to be careful, it does happen. It reminds me of a fire damage we were called many years ago when a person left steak in a pot on the stove , then left the house.

Smoke was strong and it was pouring out of the house.

When we arrived in the house, the only item that was burnt was the pot ( the steak I’m sorry disappeared).

The customer first thought that she escaped from any problems , only to discover a tinge on the walls, ceiling and other areas of a faint yellow color.

The color was sticky to the touch which of course as I explained came from a protein ( meat, chicken, etc ) source that when burns displays a sticky residue on surfaces.

Cleaning this residue sounds easy then it sounds. Fire damage restoration companies are trained ( well hopefully they are www.iicrc.org trained ), to remove these protein stains.

If you are going to tackle these types of fire damages ( or any fire damages ), let me give you some advice.

Odor comes from smoke particles. They can be as small a .004 microns ( that’s small ). These particles can get everywhere even inside crevices that most people can’t get into to clean. They can also get into wall cavities as well.

So if you’re going to tackle your own fore damage clean up, just remember that if the smell is still there deodorizers won’t remove the odor for good.

Any questions just call me 410-458-5371 jeff Cohn

]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationwater damage, wet carpet, building water damage2009-04-01T13:55:41-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/b96831830afd58cc63fdc86da66cb165-9.php#unique-entry-id-9http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/b96831830afd58cc63fdc86da66cb165-9.php#unique-entry-id-9se
By the way if you are reading this please email me at jeff.cohn@si-restoration.com, so at least you saw this and I won't be so lonely LOL.

I'm actually excited about this page, because the issue of mold growth and mold remediation ( mold removal ) is so full of rip off artists , that I wanted to at least straighten out some of the confusion.

When you read the page www.si-restoration.com ( go to the mold section ), you will see that they are many options when removing mold.

Contents of the page are:

Mold Dog ( yes a real live dog )

Mold re-mediators that test as well ( not a good idea )

Industrial Hygienist

and more......



]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationcommercial AIr Duct Cleaning 2009-03-26T19:51:20-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/2c2712cea306fad67ae0f65a97122ffb-8.php#unique-entry-id-8http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/2c2712cea306fad67ae0f65a97122ffb-8.php#unique-entry-id-8Hi Everyone it's Jeff Cohn owner of SI Restoration and today I want to share some tips on how to handle a water damage.

So I have 11.5 tips and here we go............


11.5 WATER DAMAGE CLEAN UP TIPS WHEN YOU HAVE WATER DAMAGE IN YOU HOME OR BUSINESS!


Imagine you have a water damage in your home or business. It may be as small as a water stain on your wall (in till in causes mold damage) or as large as a whole room, basement, whole house or a couple of floors in a building. The following tips will assist you in what to do when you have water damage. Please remember that these tips are just guidelines and good judgment should be used when trying to restore water damage. If you feel you need help contact your local IICRC certified water damage Restoration Company or contact the author of this article.

Here are the following 11.5 major important tips when water damage occurs:

1. Wear puncture resistant boots and puncture resistant gloves. This will protect you from electric shock and sharp objects( you will see later what I mean)
2. As soon as possible extract as much water from the area as possible( I know this is obvious but I needed to state this.)
3. Lift all furniture from the floors on to wood blocks. Professionals use Styrofoam blocks but most readers don’t have Styrofoam available. Go to a hardware store and ask for scraps. 2 x 4 are the best to use. There may be furniture to heavy to pick up and that may be a time to contact an IICRC water damage professional ( SI Restoration is a IICRC company ).
4. Pick up any loose items on the floor (clothes, toys, etc).
5. Lift the carpet off the tacks strips very carefully. The tacks strips that hold the carpet down have sharp nails and can cut you easily (listen to the guy who has experienced this first hand). Also the tack strips have been down in many cases for years and are rusted. Rust nails can mean tetanus. Now you see what a mean by using puncture resistance gloves. Also if you take the carpet up incorrectly you may (actually most of the time) also tear the bottom of the carpet. Tearing the bottom of the carpet means you can’t reinstall the carpet later, which means you just bought new carpet.
6. After you have lifted the carpet remove the wet padding (just the wet padding and dispose of it). Why remove the padding? Because it will take days longer to dry possibly ruining the carpet and creating mold.
7. When the padding has been removed spray an antimicrobial to slow down the growth of mold and mildew microbes. Remember I said slow down microbial growth not prevent it or remove it. Antimicrobials are designed to slow the possibility of growth, but in a short period of time those microbes and mold spores will grow again.
8. So to prevent microbial growth from growing or more important mold growth you need to completely dry out the wet effected area. Now you may think that the carpet is the only thing that is wet, but inside the drywall and behind the wall base may also be wet. Just touching the wall and the base is not enough. Your wall that looks “bone” dry may be wet behind the paint or drywall. You’ll need moisture detection equipment to see if it is wet. To do this you’ll need to purchase moisture detection equipment (quickly you only have 48 hours from the start of the water damage or mold will grow) or you’ll need to contact a IICRC water damage Restoration Company.
9. Once you have determined that the areas are wet (walls and carpet), you’ll need to bring in special designed carpet air movers and commercial dehumidifiers. Now please understand that a home residential dehumidifier and a regular house fan will not do the same. I have experimented with using these products and have found out that they do not come close to what the other machines do. The air fans are then placed under the carpet and placed to the wall (wall base removed and holes drilled under the wall base line). The commercial dehumidifier is placed in the room. Again an IICRC certified water damage Restoration Contractor has these equipments.
10. It is customary to leave the equipment for at least 3 days and then check the moisture with moisture detection equipment. You can check daily, but it usually takes three days on average to dry.
11. When everything is dry replace the wall base and reinstall the carpet. Unless you are very handy and have the right tools (and coordinated) I would suggest having a carpet installer reinstall the carpet with new padding.


]]>Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationcommercial AIr Duct Cleaning 2009-03-20T13:13:10-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/ff028dfc23a9be9e8b6a230a4e91f418-7.php#unique-entry-id-7http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/ff028dfc23a9be9e8b6a230a4e91f418-7.php#unique-entry-id-7Jeffrey Cohn SI Restorationcommercial AIr Duct Cleaning 2009-03-18T16:20:58-04:00http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/95394599e6c4e28fc98ceb7a8406e585-3.php#unique-entry-id-3http://www.si-restoration.com/blog/files/95394599e6c4e28fc98ceb7a8406e585-3.php#unique-entry-id-3