Is black mold removal a do-it-yourself job? If you discover black mold in your home, what are your options?{"id":19,"date":"2013-07-01T10:15:43","date_gmt":"2013-07-01T10:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"\"https:\/\/www.hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/?p=19"},"modified":"2013-07-01T14:46:48","modified_gmt":"2013-07-01T14:46:48","slug":"preventing-basement-water-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/preventing-basement-water-damage","title":{"rendered":"Preventing Basement Water Damage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/water-vacs.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-260\" style=\"border: 1px solid black; margin: 0px 5px;\" alt=\"water vacuum removal\" src=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/water-vacs.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"108\" \/><\/a>Flooding often occurs as the result of a heavy storm or hurricane or from rising bodies of water. It can also occur from leaks inside the house or due to freezing pipes in the winter. However water gets into a basement, it can seep into the insulation, studs or carpet. This dampness can lead to structural damage and mold contamination. Even a small amount of water can cause considerable damage that may cost thousands of dollars to fix.<\/p>\n<p>Preventative measures are the best way to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhenvironmental.com\/flooding-tips.html\" target=\"_blank\">keep your basement water-free<\/a>. They will help keep the most common basement flooding problems from occurring.<\/p>\n<p>Many basements have cracks in the walls that allow water and moisture to enter. Waterproof coating on the basement walls will keep water from passing through because of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ac.wwu.edu\/~vawter\/PhysicsNet\/Topics\/Pressure\/HydroStatic.html\" target=\"_blank\">hydrostatic pressure<\/a>. (Pressure caused by water in the soil.) The cracks should be filled and the waterproof coating should be applied as directed, with even a second coat recommended.<\/p>\n<p>Any other leaks should be fixed, including any interior pipe leaks. Even a slow pipe leak can cause considerable water damage over time. Drainage from the basement should work properly, and if necessary, a sump pump should be installed.\u00a0 Choose a sump pump that best meets your requirements and check it often to make sure that it&#8217;s properly working.<\/p>\n<p>Your gutters should properly drain the water away from your home&#8217;s foundation. Water should not be diverted as far away as possible and not allowed to collect near the home.<\/p>\n<p>If your home does become flooded, seek professional help to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhenvironmental.com\/flood-service-areas.html\" target=\"_blank\">remove the water<\/a> and properly dry the area out. After water evaporates, it remains in the area as moisture. A high degree of moisture can feed <a title=\"mold growth\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/mold-cant-grow-where-mold-cant-eat\">mold growth<\/a>, which can cause more damage and expense to fix.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Basement flooded? H&amp;H <strong>Environmental Construction and Consulting<\/strong> water cleanup crews will respond within 30 minutes. We service <a title=\"New York Water Extraction\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hhenvironmental.com\/ny-flooding.html\" target=\"_blank\">New York<\/a>, <a title=\"New Jersey Water Extraction\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hhenvironmental.com\/nj-flooding.html\">New Jersey<\/a>, <a title=\"Connecticut Water Removal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hhenvironmental.com\/ct-flooding.html\" target=\"_blank\">Connecticut<\/a>, <a title=\"Massachusetts Water Extraction\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hhenvironmental.com\/ma-flooding.html\" target=\"_blank\">Massachusetts<\/a>, <a title=\"Westchester Water Removal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hhenvironmental.com\/westchester-county-flooding.html\" target=\"_blank\">Westchester<\/a> and <a title=\"Mold Remediation Services New York City\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nycitymoldremoval.com\" target=\"_blank\">New York City<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n  <div class=\"related-post grid\">\r\n      <div class=\"post-list \">\r\n\r\n            <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Mold Remediation &#8211; What is it?\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/mold-remediation-what-is-it\">\r\n        Mold Remediation &#8211; What is it?  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    Mold remediation (or mold removal) involves an expert assessment of a mold problem and its severity, removal of the mold, <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/mold-remediation-what-is-it\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n              <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Discovered: Fungus Spews Spores at 55 Mph\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/discovered-fungus-spews-spores-at-55-mph\">\r\n        Discovered: Fungus Spews Spores at 55 Mph  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    Scientists report in the journal PLoS ONE that fungi may be one of the fastest land species, clocking speeds of <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/discovered-fungus-spews-spores-at-55-mph\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n              <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Mold Inspections for Real Estate Closings\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/mold-inspections-for-real-estate-closings\">\r\n        Mold Inspections for Real Estate Closings  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    No one wants to buy a house with a mold problem. Unfortunately, mold problems are not always easy to detect. <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/mold-inspections-for-real-estate-closings\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n              <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Black Mold Removal &#8211; A Do It Yourself Job?\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/black-mold-removal-a-do-it-yourself-job\">\r\n        Black Mold Removal &#8211; A Do It Yourself Job?  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    Is black mold removal a do-it-yourself job? If you discover black mold in your home, what are your options?  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n      \r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <script>\r\n      <\/script>\r\n  <style>\r\n    .related-post {}\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list {\r\n      text-align: left;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item {\r\n      margin: 10px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .headline {\r\n      font-size: 16px !important;\r\n      color: #999999 !important;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item .post_title {\r\n      font-size: 16px;\r\n      color: #3f3f3f;\r\n      margin: 10px 0px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n      display: block;\r\n      text-decoration: none;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item .post_thumb {\r\n      max-height: 220px;\r\n      margin: 10px 0px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n      display: block;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item .post_excerpt {\r\n      font-size: 13px;\r\n      color: #3f3f3f;\r\n      margin: 10px 0px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n      display: block;\r\n      text-decoration: none;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    @media only screen and (min-width: 1024px) {\r\n      .related-post .post-list .item {\r\n        width: 45%;\r\n      }\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px) {\r\n      .related-post .post-list .item {\r\n        width: 90%;\r\n      }\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    @media only screen and (min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n      .related-post .post-list .item {\r\n        width: 90%;\r\n      }\r\n    }\r\n\r\n      <\/style>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"  <div class=\"related-post grid\">\r\n      <div class=\"post-list \">\r\n\r\n            <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Mold Remediation &#8211; What is it?\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/mold-remediation-what-is-it\">\r\n        Mold Remediation &#8211; What is it?  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    Mold remediation (or mold removal) involves an expert assessment of a mold problem and its severity, removal of the mold, <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/mold-remediation-what-is-it\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n              <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Discovered: Fungus Spews Spores at 55 Mph\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/discovered-fungus-spews-spores-at-55-mph\">\r\n        Discovered: Fungus Spews Spores at 55 Mph  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    Scientists report in the journal PLoS ONE that fungi may be one of the fastest land species, clocking speeds of <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/discovered-fungus-spews-spores-at-55-mph\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n              <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Mold Inspections for Real Estate Closings\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/mold-inspections-for-real-estate-closings\">\r\n        Mold Inspections for Real Estate Closings  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    No one wants to buy a house with a mold problem. Unfortunately, mold problems are not always easy to detect. <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/mold-inspections-for-real-estate-closings\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n              <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Mold Damage Often Follows Flooding\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/mold-damage-often-follows-flooding\">\r\n        Mold Damage Often Follows Flooding  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    Water damage due to storms and flooding do more than structural damage. The aftereffects can be just as damaging as <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/mold-damage-often-follows-flooding\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n      \r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <script>\r\n      <\/script>\r\n  <style>\r\n    .related-post {}\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list {\r\n      text-align: left;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item {\r\n      margin: 10px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .headline {\r\n      font-size: 16px !important;\r\n      color: #999999 !important;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item .post_title {\r\n      font-size: 16px;\r\n      color: #3f3f3f;\r\n      margin: 10px 0px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n      display: block;\r\n      text-decoration: none;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item .post_thumb {\r\n      max-height: 220px;\r\n      margin: 10px 0px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n      display: block;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item .post_excerpt {\r\n      font-size: 13px;\r\n      color: #3f3f3f;\r\n      margin: 10px 0px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n      display: block;\r\n      text-decoration: none;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    @media only screen and (min-width: 1024px) {\r\n      .related-post .post-list .item {\r\n        width: 45%;\r\n      }\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px) {\r\n      .related-post .post-list .item {\r\n        width: 90%;\r\n      }\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    @media only screen and (min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n      .related-post .post-list .item {\r\n        width: 90%;\r\n      }\r\n    }\r\n\r\n      <\/style>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,28],"tags":[71,72],"class_list":["post-19","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-flooding","category-water-removal","tag-flooding","tag-water-removal"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":259,"href":"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19\/revisions\/259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hhenvironmental.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}