Damage Restoration Company Highlights the Importance of Air Quality Testing

Why Homeowners Should Invest in Air Quality Testing Services After a Water Damage Disaster

Arizona Restoration Specialists highlights the importance of air quality testing for homeowners in Phoenix and Mesa, AZ.

Arizona Restoration Specialists has served Mesa, AZ, and the Phoenix Valley area for more than twenty years with premier property damage restoration services, including water damage restoration, fire and smoke damage restoration, mold removal and remediation, sewage cleanup, repair and reconstruction, and indoor air quality testing . With crews on call around the clock 365 days a year, the company can respond on scene to any situation within an hour.

Comprehensive Indoor Air Quality Testing

Along with water damage and fire damage restoration, Arizona Restoration Specialists offers comprehensive indoor air quality testing. This thorough testing of the home targets the sources of poor indoor air quality, including mold and other potentially harmful chemicals. Water damage, fire damage, mold infestation, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can compromise indoor air quality. The water damage or fire damage disaster is not fully restored until any air quality issues have been identified and resolved.

Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality

Water damage can create an environment conducive to explosive mold growth. Fire, smoke, and soot damage can leave behind very toxic chemicals and dangerous particles that must be eliminated. A faulty gas heater and dirty, contaminated air ducts can significantly reduce indoor air quality . VOCs — volatile organic compounds — from household cleaners can also produce toxic indoor air quality.

Health Symptoms Indicating Poor Indoor Air Quality

Poor indoor air quality can cause some of the following symptoms:

• Irritation and dryness of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin
• Minor to severe headaches
• Tiredness, weakness, or unexplained chronic fatigue
• Difficulty breathing, including shortness of breath
• Sinus congestion, coughing, and sneezing
• Hypersensitivity and allergies
• Brain fog
• Dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting

Some important questions to ask when considering indoor air quality are:

1. Has there been a recent or past incident of water damage , fire and smoke damage, or sewage damage in the home?

2. Are there any signs of mold, such as a musty smell or visual evidence?

3. Have strong sanitizing, disinfecting, and deodorizing chemicals been introduced into the environment to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

4. Are natural gas or propane heating units being used in the home, and if so, are they properly ventilated?

5. Is someone smoking in the home?

6. Do any symptoms of poor indoor air quality lessen or disappear when the residents of the house are away from home for a few hours?

7. Has the residence ever tested positive for mold, VOCs, or other causes of poor indoor air quality?

Everyday activities such as driving on the freeway, riding the bus, flying on a commercial airline, crossing the street, going for a hike, and climbing a ladder carry unavoidable risks. The good news is that indoor air pollution is one risk that people can do something about.

People spend about ninety percent of their time indoors. Recent scientific evidence indicates that indoor air pollution may be worse than outside air pollution in some of the world’s most industrialized cities.

Proper in-home testing conducted by a licensed professional from Arizona Restoration Specialists can reveal the presence of mold and harmful VOCs that cause indoor air pollution.

Air Sampling

Volatile Organic Compounds are carbon-based chemicals that evaporate at room temperature. While strong odors may indicate the presence of some VOCs, other VOCs are entirely odorless. Sources include paints, dry cleaning, aerosol sprays, and pesticides. Proper testing conducted by a licensed professional can reveal the presence of harmful VOCs in the home.

Mold Testing

If left alone to grow, mold can create a respiratory hazard. Drywall, wood, the HVAC unit, pipes, and concrete are thriving breeding grounds for mold. Arizona Restoration Specialists focuses on locating any and all mold spores in the home to ensure that the mold remediation will be comprehensive.

Moisture Sampling

The moisture detection process should be implemented as soon as signs of moisture are discovered.  Mold formation readily occurs on moist building materials. If left untreated, the mold can eventually cause drywall, studs, baseboards, and flooring to deteriorate. The proliferation of mold spores may irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, and mold could trigger an asthma attack.

Swab Sampling

In combination with air sampling, mold testing, and moisture sampling, the extensive testing protocol offered by Arizona Restoration Specialists includes swab sampling throughout the home. The conscientious technicians test surfaces, fixtures, and high-frequency touchpoints to eliminate every opportunity for harmful elements such as mold and VOCs to maintain a stranglehold on a home.

Leak Detection

The skilled technician’s trained eye can spot very small leaks in a home by examining the walls and ceiling. Stains and warping may appear on the ceiling and inner walls, indicating a water leak. Mold thrives in inner wall cavities. Left undetected and untreated, the mold can be a health hazard.

Conclusion

The team at Arizona Restoration Specialists is trained and equipped to conduct high-level indoor air quality testing. Along with mold testing, moisture sampling, swab testing, and leak detection, the experts measure air quality metrics to identify the causes of poor indoor air quality.

For more information about Arizona’s first choice in water damage restoration and to learn more about indoor air quality testing services, contact Arizona Restoration Specialists at 602-497-4673.

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Restoration Company Highlights Four Warning Signs of a Slab Leak

 Arizona Restoration Specialists, the area's leading team of water damage restoration specialists, knows that the disruption and inconvenience resulting from a water damage incident can be stressful. Water damage, if not taken care of immediately, can lead to mold growth, which can cause serious health issues. Watch for these warning signs of a slab leak in order to keep a home or business dry, safe, and structurally sound.

Occasional water leaks in a home or business are a part of life. The most common leaks are easy to access and repair. Since these leaks are usually easily detectable, they are repaired before much, water damage occurs.

What Is a Slab Leak?

Unfortunately, some leaks are hard to spot, difficult to access, and complicated to repair. Most homeowners may not notice when a pipe underneath their home's slab foundation has a leak. The leak can damage the concrete foundation and cause buckling and shifting, and the home's walls and floors can develop cracks. Leaks inside the house can result from the disruption.

How Common Are Slab Leaks?

The frequency of slab leaks varies depending on certain factors. Slab leaks might be a concern in those areas of the state that experience earthquakes. A recent news report headline described Arizona as "A State On Shaky Ground." The article went on to report that, "Within Arizona, at least 20 quakes of magnitude 5.0 or higher have struck since 1850." Arizona ranks high among states with frequent earthquakes.

The shifting ground from an earthquake exerts tremendous pressure on pipes and may cause them to shear or crack, causing leaks. In older homes, corroding copper pipes and deteriorating sewer pipes can lead to slab leaks. The potential for water damage is great. A broken water pipe can spew eight or more gallons of water per minute into a home.

Warning Signs of a Slab Leak

Homeowners who suspect they have a leak underneath their home's slab foundation should look for the warning signs listed below. These warning signs will also aid in locating the source of the leak.

Warning Sign #1: Warm Spots on the Floor

An abnormally warm spot on the floor may indicate a leaking hot water line in the home.  If the floor is carpeted or covered by thin linoleum, then detecting a warm spot should be easy. Locating a warm spot under a tile floor is more challenging unless water is seeping through the foundation and settling under the tile. The leak may be so severe that it floods the room and pools on top of the tile floor.

Finding a warm spot under wood or laminate flooring may not be so easy either. By the time the visual signs of a water leak appear, the damage may be well underway.

Warning Sign #2: Raised Dome-Shaped Area in the Floor

A major leak that goes unrepaired may damage the flooring in a home. Warping and buckling in the flooring may appear. The formation of a dome or raised area in the floor is a common occurrence in severe water damage under a slab. The presence of the deformity in the flooring may indicate the location of the leak and the presence of water inside the home.

An inspection of flooring, baseboards, and sheetrock throughout the house will provide the homeowner with some idea of the severity and extent of the flooding. The flow of water into the home could be minimal. However, over a period of days, weeks, or months, water could have been seeping out from under the flooring and been wicked by the baseboards and sheetrock. Look for peeling paint, stains and discoloration, water-logged baseboards, and warps and waves in the sheetrock.

Warning Sign #3: Foundation Heaving

A leak under the slab can cause the concrete to swell. Extreme swelling can slightly lift the building. This lifting is referred to as heaving. If a home has undergone sudden, significant heaving due to a leak underneath the slab, severe and possibly irreparable damage to the home could occur. Cracks in the walls, ceilings, and floors can indicate that heaving has occurred. The matter needs immediate expert attention to address structural concerns.

Warning Sign #4: Sky-Rocketing Water Bill

A spike in the water bill for no apparent reason should give the homeowner pause. The sudden, unexplainable rise in the bill could be an early sign of a severe leak. The homeowner would do well to inspect the home for water damage from other sources such as a leaking toilet, shower, or sink.

Next Step? Call Arizona Restoration Specialists

Allowing a slab leak water damage incident to go unresolved can lead to advanced secondary water and mold damage, which is more complicated and expensive to repair. Serious health issues can arise from a mold infestation. Insurance companies have been known not to cover water damage claims where the homeowner has neglected to take immediate action to resolve the matter.

For water, fire, flood, and mold damage restoration, contact Arizona Restoration Specialists. The team has more than 20 years of experience serving The Grand Canyon State with topflight water damage restoration services. Crews are on call around the clock, 365 days a year, and can be on the scene in one hour. Services include water damage restoration and related issues such as mold removal and remediation, sewage cleanup, fire damage restoration, and repair and reconstruction. Contact the office by phone at 602-497-4673.

Arizona Company Explains How to Find the Best Damage Restoration Service

Water damage becomes more complicated and severe as time passes, even if no more water or moisture is being added to the damaged area. Seepage, expansion, ceiling collapse, fading, shrinkage, and other damage increase unless the water is extracted, the structure is dried, and moisture is removed. This process involves many parts and includes many people, all of which are essential for success and a satisfied customer.

Tips on Who to Choose for Water Damage Restoration

To equip the customer needing water damage services in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Arizona Restoration Specialists offers the following tips on how to find the right water and property damage professional to deliver the best results for the homeowner’s needs.

The company can immediately send a team to the damaged home or business.

Time can make the effects of water damage worse if the issue is not immediately addressed. Finding a water remediation company that arrives as soon as possible is critical. Minutes mean more loss when there is a delay in dealing with the damage. Ask the following questions when trying to find help:

• Is 24/7 emergency restoration service available?
• How soon can the technicians start the clean-up and repair process?

The team must be licensed, insured, and certified.

When searching for a water damage restoration company, look for a company that is properly bonded and insured with property damage specialists that are licensed and certified in using the latest equipment and techniques. How long has the company been in business? What level of training and experience do the restoration specialists have? Is certification through a reputable program?

References should be local and reputable.

Seek out a reliable water damage restoration company with solid references from local customers such as friends, neighbors, and family. Companies that are locally owned and operated are invested in the people and organizations of the community. Avoid companies that look like they might be here today but gone tomorrow.

A clear plan for damage repairs is presented to the homeowner.

A reliable water damage restoration company offers a complete, accurate assessment of the property damage, a list of the needed repairs, and an estimate of costs to help property owners make informed decisions.

The customer, the home, and its contents are treated with care and respect.

While a water disaster is stressful and can bring much frustration, a reliable, compassionate restoration team can help return life to normal. Proper restoration techniques, gentle handling, and accurate documentation are a part of the respect caring professionals demonstrate toward the customers they serve.

Technicians are trained and skilled in using the latest equipment and techniques.

A water-damaged home will need water extraction, drying, and dehumidification to prevent mold issues in the future. State-of-the-art equipment and techniques accelerate the restoration process, help prevent future mold growth, and ensure personal property, such as documents, artwork, photographs, and other important items, is properly restored.

The company has experience and competency working with insurance claims.

Filing a successful insurance claim does not have to be confusing, stressful, or frustrating. Select a water damage restoration company that is experienced and responsive in helping document damages and file claims that are timely and accurate.

Why Choose Arizona Restoration Specialists in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area?

An Arizona Restoration Specialists representative says, “When disaster strikes your home or business, it can be hard to know where to turn. During this time of high anxiety, count on our services at Arizona Restoration Specialists to get your home or business back to normal. When you choose our damage restoration service, you have selected a company that cares.”

The company’s advantages include:

• 24/7 emergency restoration service 365 days a year
• Fully licensed and insured
• IICRC-certified company
• Certified in water, fire, and mold restoration
• 45 minute response time
• Direct insurance billing available
• Free phone consultations
• State of the art equipment

Conclusion

Response time, trained technicians, and the best equipment, technology, and techniques are essential to successfully restore a property that has suffered water, fire, or mold damage. Arizona Restoration Specialists is the right choice to deliver the best results for homes, businesses, and other structures that have sustained damage.

For more information about property damage restoration in the Phoenix metropolitan area, visit the Arizona Restoration Specialists website at www.arizonarestorationspecialists.com/water-damage. The team can be reached by phone at 602-207-8529.