Basement Waterproofing and Crawl Space Repair in SC

Moreland Neighborhood Association Mold Remediation Project

Mon, 17 May 2010 11:22:33 -0400

"I got tired of going through Clorox bottles only to have the mold return," stated Jerry Johnson, President of the Moreland Neighborhood Association. "So I called in the professionals." Mold, and its effects when left untreated, was the topic when Disaster Plus and Crawlspacesplus.com accepted the invitation to speak to the Moreland Neighborhood Association members on April 20th. The welcomed invitation came as a direct result of successfully completing a mold remediation project at Mr. Johnson’s home in Charleston, South Carolina. The floor was opened up for questions; many pointing to high humidity issues in the home and crawlspace. A list of helpful home tips in avoiding mold and water disasters was made available.

Following are a few tips we supplied:

Change your washing machine hoses at least once every three years. Broken washing machine hoses account for a large number of home water disasters!
Seasonally change the direction of your ceiling fans. Fans should run counter clockwise in summer (drawing cool air upwards) and clockwise in winter (pushing warmer air to the floor) to keep your home most comfortable.
Install gutters and/or extend downspouts to route the water away from the foundation.
Rainwater from your roof collecting under your home contributes to an environment for rot, mold, and moisture loving insects.

If you think you have a moisture problem or are seeing mold, it’s time to call a professional to be sure to minimize any long term damage.

Contact us for crawl space moisture problem in Greater Charleston, SC. Crawlspaces PLUS.COM 'Disaster Plus' can help with your concrete, dirt, damp or musty crawl space in Southern South Carolina.

Source: Posted in Disaster Plus blog

Prevent four letter mold in South Carolina

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:11:07 -0500

As Posted in DisasterPlus.

Mold is the new four letter word…..

…When it comes to home inspections, getting insurance etc. and we are finding a lot of mold in homes and crawl spaces in the Low Country! Mold’s purpose is to breakdown or eat dead organic material. Mold likes processed organic fibers best. It will grow on paper and cardboard first and after that it will grow on fiberboard and chipboard and then plywood and finally framing lumber. You may first notice mold in your home on sheetrock surfaces and that is because sheetrock has paper on it – Mold loves sheetrock.

While mold is not new to the homes in the Low Country there are steps you can take to eliminate the environment mold needs to survive. Professional remediation and adjusting the relative humidity in the area the mold is found usually takes care of the problem.

We serve southern South Carolina including Mount Pleasant, Charleston, James Island, Johns Island, West Ashley, North Charleston, Goose Creek, Summerville.

The effects of household mold in the Charleston, SC area...

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:18:23 -0500

As posted in Disaster Plus website!

Mold can be seen and felt by many in the Low Country! Mold is a type of fungus that works to break down organic material and return nutrients to the environment.

Mold needs moisture and a food source to grow and homes have plenty of both! An excellent food source for mold is any carbon-based substance. In today’s home structures, food sources for mold are readily available (like on sheetrock, insulation, wood wall studs, linoleum, wood flooring). Mold-feeding moisture can be supplied through a variety of sources. If you live in a home where: your indoor humidity is higher than 50%, you have leaky pipes or water seepage during rainstorms, roof leaks, or your house has poor ventilation (trapping moisture indoors), you may have an environment that encourages mold growth.

Common places you may find mold include:

bathroom tile
areas around windows (where moisture condenses)
leaky sinks or tubs
laundry rooms
bathroom/stairwell/crawl space sheetrock
basement insulation

While some people have serious health reactions to mold, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends, "You should arrange for its removal." To get rid of the mold, you have to also eliminate the source of moisture, to ensure that your home or office is not an environment that is encouraging mold growth.

Immediate steps you can take are:

Install gutters and extend the downspouts out away from the foundation
Fix all plumbing and roof leaks as soon as they are discovered
Vent dryers to the exterior of the home
Be sure your AC system is properly sized and maintained – be sure to run the AC in the summer
Have a moisture control expert dry your home in the event of a water disaster
Install a dehumidifier
Get a moisture control expert to dry your home in the event of a water disaster in your crawl space and close up the crawl space vents

If you smell or see mold in your house or crawl space – call Crawlspacesplus.com/Disaster Plus or email us Today!

New Website Now Online for our 24/7 Water Damage Restoration Services!

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:56:31 -0500

Our new web site- ww.disasterplusnow.com- is now offically up and running! On the site, we feature our all-hours response team for water damage restoration and repairs, focused in Charleston, South Carolina, and areas nearby.

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Disaster Plus known as "South Carolina Crawl Space Specialists" is proud to announce that out sleek new web site- http://www.disasterplusnow.com, is now officially live!

The web site promotes our emergency water damage restoration and repair services- which are available any time, any day, just a phone call away in Charleston, South Carolina. They also offer free written estimates on restoration costs for homeowners.

Historically, flooding water damage has wreaked havoc on many Charleston households. Heavy rains, storm surges, and unusually high tides can cause serious damage to a home, both in the short-term and long-term. And as the Charleston city limits expand across the Ashley River and the Cooper River, encompassing West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, Daniel Island and the Cainhoy region, we're seeing more and more at-risk areas that stand to be flooded by the river, etc.

Flooding is caused by more than just natural occurrences. A burst pipe, failed water heater, bursting washing machine hoses, or overrun bathtub can all also lead to very significant and immediate damage in a home. However, a storm can damage every part of the home, from ground floor water damage to water leaking through the roof.

However, water damage can also be a slow process, with some not being visible to the eye. Mold can grow behind walls and underneath carpets, contaminating food and plants, triggering allergic reactions, damaging personal property, and potentially leading to disease.

Disaster Plus Disaster Restoration Contractors are experienced and certified professionals, specializing in moisture detection, structural drying, demolition, and soda blasting. With the aid of special infrared cameras, they can locate excess water and moisture before it further damages your home.

The professionals at Disaster Plus have a long experience of disaster recovery, water damage restoration & repair, mold remediation and environmental services related to moisture / odor control & Crawlspace Cleanup. From the crawl space to the attic, Disaster Plus will quickly remove excess water and moisture and stop the cycle of water damage. Your home's wood flooring, carpeting, upholstery and draperies can often be saved, when addressed immediately, saving you the expense of replacement.

Your local disaster restoration experts from Disaster Plus can be contacted at 800-763-8318 for 24 hour emergency water removal. Or, you can contact them online today for a free disaster restoration estimate!

Vapor barriers in crawl spaces: what works.

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:26:52 -0500

Ask general contractors and many home inspectors what to do about dampness in the crawl space and chances are you will get the same answer most of the time:

Line the crawl space floor with a vapor barrier (usually a 6 mil poly sheet), seams overlapped about 6 inches, tape to hold it together. Leave the vents open, so that the crawl space can "breathe".

Based on the popularity of such recommendations, homeowners are led to believe that a system like our CleanSpace is an”overkill”.

After all, why go through the trouble of completely wrapping and sealing the crawl space with a multi-layered, puncture proof, UV coated and anti-microbial treated crawl space liner if a generic 6 mil plastic sheet over the floor will suffice? Why run a dehumidifier or a conditioning fan if open vents can dry moisture?

Here’s why: there is overwhelming evidence that ground vapor barriers combined with crawl space vents do not work, presenting itself in the form of thousands of mold infested and rotten crawl spaces, all across the US, as you can see in the picture that illustrates this article.

Notice the moisture buildup over the plastic liner, the water stains on the walls and the insulation, wet and moldy, falling off the joists.This is the kind of scene we at Disaster Plus see every single day.

On the other hand there is sound scientific proof that conditioned crawl spaces are the best way to prevent decay, mold and moisture problems. Tons of studies were conducted and the findings are conclusive: crawl space conditioning works.

However, you don’t need to read scientific studies or technical publications to verify that.

Just ask one of our thousands of very satisfied customers if they would have their crawl space done any other way.

Then contact us and let us do the same for your crawl space.

Energy efficiency loans, mortgages and programs help homeowners in SC

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:09:48 -0400

By now, we all know that upgrading our homes to improve energy efficiency is a great way to help de planet, and save some money.
However, with the recent changes in our economy, how are homeowners supposed to cough up $10,000 or $20,000 to pay for such upgrades?

Even computing the resulting energy savings, which will eventually pay for the improvements, many do not have that kind of money to invest.
The good news are that federal and state governments, banks, local authorities, utilities and financial institutions might make things a bit easier.

There are several programs in South Carolina, to help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings, and build new energy efficient ones as well.

The funds and incentives are presented in many forms: from significant tax breaks to grants to low interest loans and energy efficient mortgages.
In this website you are likely to find a program and option that is right for you.

Consider this: the housing market slump is having a huge impact in the remodeling and building industries and significantly driving down the costs for labor and materials. Therefore, if you are trying to remodel and upgrade your home, the time is now.

Crawl Space Encapsulation is not a DIY job.

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:50:22 -0400

As homeowners are made aware of the benefits brought by crawl space encapsulation and as they understand that it consists in "wrapping" the structure in a vapor barrier in order to isolate the house from the ground many might be led to assume that it can be done by anyone including themselves.

They research a bit. They ask around for opinions and get plenty. They then proceed to buy generic materials from a hardware store and try to do the job themselves.
After all if you can wrap a shoe box you can wrap a crawl space! Right? Wrong!

At Disaster Plus we know that crawl space encapsulation is not a DIY type of job mainly because we were called so many times to repair and replace poorly installed systems or to solve the problems caused by them. Crawl space DYI jobs are prone to failure for two simple reasons:
In the first place you need the proper material like a sturdy 20mil liner specially developed for this purpose special fasteners adhesive tapes and caulk. Those are usually not sold in hardware stores or if they are they are generic all-purpose materials that might work for some time but will not be a long lasting solution as you'd expect. Most hardware stores carry only 6mil liners who are known to rip as people walk over them or crumble with minimum sun exposure.

Our Clean Space, besides being thick and sturdy is puncture proof UV coated and has an antimicrobial treatment that prevents mold growth.

In addition to the proper materials you'll need the knowledge and expertise to do the job right. And you need to be extra careful if you have combustion appliances in the crawl space which need a consistent air supply to work. Make a single mistake as you seal the crawl space with those appliances in and you might create very hazardous conditions.

Please for your home and family's sake, (and for your bank account too) get a pro to do the job.!
Contact us for a free estimate. You will not regret it.

Crawl Space Horror Stories: The Mummy

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:26:03 -0400

Every once in a while, cats, raccoons, skunks, rats, squirrels, and even some birds find their way into a crawl space for shelter, get trapped and die. Some are dragged in, already dead by predators and scavengers. As they decompose and mummify inside the crawl space, the horrible smell is sucked into the upper floors of the house by what we call the "stack effect" and the stench lasts for what it seems like an eternity.

This very stack effect makes it very hard to pinpoint the crawl space as the very origin of the odor, because, since the stinky air is being sucked in the house, the air in the crawl space is being replenished with fresh air from the outside.

Often, the crawl space smells "better" than the house, or not at all thus, being wrongfully dismissed as a possible culprit.

Depending on how long you take to locate the source of the smell, it will remain an issue for a while, even after you remove the source of the odor, because the bacteria that causes the odor, is carried within the humid air that is sucked into the house, and impregnates the surfaces remaining active for a while.

In addition, some unlucky homeowners are not capable of locating the dead carcass at all, because some small rodents get into the smallest crevices such as floor joists, behind insulation, between walls and if dead, remain virtually undetected.

To keep a mummy from moving in, and avoid this and other crawl space horror stories, call Disaster Plus - the Crawl Space Encapsulation Experts. Have your crawl space sealed for good. Not only will it help critters out as it will prevent mold growth and moisture damages. In addition, it will save you a lot of money in energy bills.

Floods and Insurance: How prepared are you?

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:17:26 -0400

With the current changing weather patterns, long raining seasons, unpredictable raining spells, more frequent tropical storms, flooding and flood insurance becomes a growing concern across the US.
Are you covered? How much coverage do you need? How high is your flood risk?
As it is always better to prevent than to solve an existing problem, we strongly recommend you to look into the Floodsmart website.
There you will be able to access your risks and options, protect your family, home and finances. Don't delay!