The presence of mold in the home is not one that should go unaddressed. Without prompt mold removal serving Phoenix, you could be exposing your family to a range of harmful health effects. A flooded house can be a breeding ground for mold well after the water has been extracted, so it is important to work with professionals when removing water and mold from the home. Keep reading if you are interested in getting the facts about mold.
Health Effects
Mold has the potential to affect your health in an array of harmful ways, but not everyone is affected. Certain people are more sensitive to mold than others, and those with respiratory conditions may be particularly distressed; some people may not be vulnerable to the hazards of mold at all. Mild symptoms of mold exposure include irritation of the eyes or skin, wheezing, or a stuffy nose. It has also been suggested that mold growth may be associated with more severe symptoms like memory loss and lethargy. Those who have lung or immune system diseases may develop respiratory infections when exposed to mold. These symptoms can be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and even dangerous to your well being, so it is important to avoid mold exposure whenever possible.
Mold Growth
There are a few elements that allow mold to thrive, and there several areas that tend to foster the proper conditions. Moisture is an essential component to mold growth, so leaks and standing water should be addressed immediately. Mold tends to grow on paper, cardboard, and wood products, as well as drywall and upholstery. It can also land on clothes or pets and then be introduced to the home; from there, microscopic spores can spread mold around your house. It helps to understand and prevent the conditions that help mold grow.
Treatment Options
You can prevent mold by removing the conditions that help in its growth. Control your humidity levels, clean water damage promptly, and fix leaks around the house. It is always helpful to work with a professional mold remediation company to make sure all mold is removed from the home.
News You Can Use: 5 ways to grow your insurance business
We see a common trend in mature practices, and seven years of a relatively up market has strengthened it, especially in the B2B space.
Mature practices are the kind run by someone who has been in the business for a few decades, has a client list of a few hundred businesses, and probably manages a couple hundred million dollars plus. These businesses have a tendency to look inward for their growth. To be clear, the business still grows, but the growth is not a result of the same kind of hustle and opportunity creation that got the practice where it is.
The business grows in part because of market growth. Then there’s the referral-generating activities — a seminar here, a golf outing there, a direct request for referrals every now and then. So the business chugs along at a completely respectable rate.
But a huge swath of potential is left untapped.
Pursue outward growth
That’s because the majority of the growth I just described is a result of looking inward. It comes from working with clients that you already have rather than from exploring new opportunities.
This trend is visible throughout the industry. If you attend a conference, you’ll see upward of 50 vendors, and only one or two of them will be devoted to marketing. The rest are built around new products or services or ways to improve the internal structures of your business. Inward. Inward. Inward.
The truth is that finding new prospects, connecting with them, and walking into a cold first meeting is hard. Compared to organizing a golf outing with your top five happiest clients and their best friends, it’s incredibly uncomfortable. The prospect in front of you in these situations wasn’t referred by one of your happy clients, so you’re back to the hard realities of needing a solid sales process to convince this total stranger that you’re the advisor they should trust.
At these same events, you will often see these top advisors crowding into a room to hear an advisor speak. The person on stage, however, has a practice that is sometimes five times as large as the biggest business in the audience, and it’s because that individual did the difficult thing: He pursued growth outside of the business. He did the right preparation so that he could capitalize on what others might see as a lucky break.
If you are happy with your business and your rate of growth, that’s fine!
If you want to be the rainmaker, you need to build a pipeline that goes beyond referrals and upsells to existing clients. Keep reading to learn five elements of an effective plan to pursue outward growth.
5. Partnerships and alliances with like-minded business owners.
Our industry is full of professionals targeting the same audiences that aren’t necessarily direct competitors. Developing a formal partnership with a CPA or professional organization can help to put you in front of new prospects.
4. A consistent lead nurturing drip campaign.
If you are going to do the work to get new leads and meet new prospects, you should have a consistent plan for following up with those prospects in the long term as your biggest opportunities will take time to bear fruit. Streamline your follow-up and seminar offerings so that you can regularly add new touch points to your relationships over time.
3. An appointment setting program to consistently deliver new prospects.
Are you going to cold call business owners? Are you going to do the research to find the right addresses to mail or the phone numbers to call? If your honest answer is no, consider hiring an appointment setting firm to find those opportunities for you, leaving you no excuse but to step into new sales opportunities.
2. An advisor, mentor or coach.
Even when your business has grown substantially over the years and you have grown a sizeable practice, having an outside coach or advisor to challenge your thinking and provide new insights can help to illuminate your blind spots. If you haven’t done cold sales in a while, you should at least engage a sales coach to re-sharpen your technique.
1. A big picture plan.
When you’re chasing big sales, the wins you’re after might not come quickly. If your pipeline is filling up with qualified prospects, you are seeding your business for growth, so be patient with the return rate. On top of that, recognize that every new prospect opens the door to a new audience of referrals that you haven’t touched yet.
Outward growth takes time and work, but when you’ve built the right pipeline your business will hit new heights, and your growth will transform from the gradual to the explosive.
Moisture joined with warmth in any environment is the major black mold. Bathrooms, especially showers, are not the only prime locations for mold. The basement, if there is any water leakage, is another common area for black mold to flourish.
Another place to watch out for black mold is your heating and air conditioning system, which is continuously recycling air. If there is moisture in the air, this can lead to moisture inside the system, which can then lead to mold growth. In addition to the mold actually growing within the inside of the system itself, now you have a system that’s spewing out mold spores into your living space. This is why it’s so important to have your system checked and cleaned regularly, or replaced if the system that contains mold.
In Arizona we experience monsoon season of high temperatures, high winds, and high moisture, resulting in potentially fatal weather. The term “monsoon” comes from the Arabic “mausim” meaning “season” or “wind shift.”
When Is Arizona’s Monsoon?
Up until early 2000 Arizona’s monsoon various from year to year in starting date and duration. The Arizona monsoon officially began after the third consecutive day of dew points above 55 degrees. On average this occurred around July 7 with the monsoon continuing for the next two months. In 2008 the National Weather Service decided to take the speculation out of monsoon start and end dates. Now on June 15 is the first day of monsoon season, and September 30 is the last day. This is basically to take the focus off whether or not a storm was considered a monsoon storm or not, and have people be more concerned with safety.
What Happens During Monsoon?
Monsoon storms range from minor dust storms to violent thunderstorms. They can produce tornadoes, though that is very rare. Typically, Arizona monsoon storms start with heavy winds sometimes resulting in a visible wall of dust hundreds of feet high moving across the Valley. These dust storms normally go with frequent thunder and lightning often leading to heavy downpours. Monsoon rains average about 2-1/2″, about 1/3 of yearly rainfall.
Is There Damage During Monsoon Storms?
Damage can occur from high winds, or from fragments being tossed by those high winds. It is not uncommon for trees to be downed, power lines to be damaged, and roof damage to occur. As you might imagine, homes that are not as sturdy, like some manufactured homes, are more susceptible to wind damage. And sometimes power outages for short periods of time are not surprising.
Dust devils are also associated with monsoons. Try to not getting caught in one.
Arizona rarely experiences tornadoes. You might see a microburst now and then.
If you are outside hiking or camping, be aware of quick wind shifts, quick cooling of temperature and increasing wind velocity. These are signals for thunderstorm activity.
If you are on a boat, get to land.
If your hair starts to stand on end, that is a sign of electricity and you may be close to be struck by lightning. Drop to your knees and cover your head.
Monsoon thunderstorms usually occur in July and August. The temperature is typically around 105 degrees during monsoon season.
Mold is a fungus that is found everywhere – both indoors and outdoors all year round. Concern about indoor exposure to mold has increased along with public awareness that exposure to mold can cause a variety of adverse health effects. There are many thousands of species of mold and most if not all of the mold found indoors comes from outdoor sources. It seems likely to grow and become a problem only when there is water damage, high humidity, or dampness.
Mold produces and releases millions of spores small enough to be air-, water-, or insect-borne. It can also produce toxic agents known as mycotoxins. Spores and myco toxins can have negative effects on human health. People who are affected by mold exposures there can be a wide variation in how they react. People at greatest risk of health effects are individuals with allergies, asthma, sinusitis, or other respiratory conditions, as well as infants and children, elderly people, and pregnant women.
Some common household molds are, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Alternaria and Aspergillus.
Where are molds found?
Molds are found in almost every environment and can be detected, indoors and outdoors, year round. Mold growth is stimulated by warm and humid conditions. Outdoors they can be found in shady, damp areas or places where leaves or other vegetation is decomposing. Indoors they can be found where humidity levels are high, such as basements or showers.
How can people decrease mold exposure?
Sensitive individuals should avoid areas that are likely to have mold, such as compost piles, cut grass, and wooded areas. Inside homes, mold growth can be slowed by controlling humidity levels and ventilating showers and cooking areas. If there is mold growth in your home, you should clean up the mold and fix the water problem. Mold growth can be removed from hard surfaces with commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of household laundry bleach in 1 gallon of water.
If you choose to use bleach to clean up mold:
Never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners. Mixing bleach with ammonia or other cleaning products will produce dangerous, toxic fumes.
Open windows and doors to provide fresh air.
Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, and goggles during cleanup of affected area.
All homeowner policies cover loss by fire. Most policies pay for three types of damage: (1) dwelling loss (damage to the house); (2) personal property loss (damage to your household contents); and (3) additional living expenses (the cost of living elsewhere while your home is being repaired).
There are many potential causes of water damage which is why it is so common. Natural disasters such as flooding, heavy rain, and high humidity can lead to water damage in a home or building. There are also many internal causes including leaks in the roof or foundation, burst pipes, leaking appliances, overflows, and sewage backups. It is important to be aware of these causes so you can take steps to prevent water damage and react quickly when it occurs.
Moving on after a house fire can seem overwhelming—in fact, sometimes it can feel downright impossible. But it doesn’t have to. Knowing where to begin and who can help you is a vital first step in putting your life back together. If you’ve just suffered a house fire, follow these steps to help you and your family through this difficult time.
Find a Place to Stay. House fires are a terrifying experience, especially for children and pets.
Contact Your Insurance Agent. File your claim immediately.
What Happens If Fire Restoration Is Not Done Right Away?
A fire is one of the most damaging disasters that could ever befall any property. In many cases, it completely burns everything to the ground. Some, however, are fortunate enough to suffer only partial damage, often because of the timely arrival of firefighters who do their job well.
However, just because your building didn’t burn to a cinder doesn’t mean it’s not going to suffer any more damage once the flames have been extinguished. On the contrary, your property is likely to sustain much more severe damage, especially when fire restoration is not done right away.
What we all should remember is that when a fire hits our home or place of business and the firefighters finally got their job done restoration must follow immediately to prevent any more damage.
Why is there a need for restoration and what is being done about it?
Unless you no longer care about your burned-down property, you have to get a restoration done if you still want to use it again or sell it in the future. You have to call a professional fire damage restoration company promptly because delaying it will only lead to further damage.
When a building gets hit by a fire, any damage its areas suffered while the flames were still raging will only get worse within hours after they have been put out. Fire and smoke damage will certainly affect porous hard surfaces. Hard flooring may suffer from water damage as well. Painted walls will be bubbled or blistered and turn yellowish. Metallic parts of the building will also start to rust and corrode.
We must also keep in mind that fire also produces soot, which also happens to be acidic. Soot easily travels through the air and settles on surfaces inside the building, including parts that weren’t directly affected by the flames. The longer the surfaces are exposed to it, the more permanent damage to them becomes. If allowed to remain in the building for more than a couple of days, it will quickly eat away at surviving materials, like glass, metal, and drywall.
Immediate fire restoration can still salvage these surfaces. By bringing in fire restoration technicians to act quickly, you should be able to clean them, remove any discoloration, and prevent staining from acidic soot. But if you delay it for whatever reason, you may have no other choice but to remove and totally replace the affected parts, resulting in much higher repair costs.
As long as it’s performed straight away and done right restoration efforts should be able to save a significant portion of any building that was hit by a fire. So the moment you learn that your property is on fire, waste no time in contacting a reputable fire damage restoration company. Its fire restoration technicians have the skills, equipment, and experience necessary to make sure that no further damage will come to your home or place of business once the flames have died down.
