Lamunyon News and Information

Like it or not, there is mold everywhere, be it in the air we breathe or on some of the surfaces with which we come into contact. Despite how common mold may be in our world, efforts should still be made to avoid its presence--especially in your home--to avoid varying health effects, including nasal, throat, skin, and eye irritation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .  Those who are most prone to such symptoms are typically those with mold allergies or sensitivities or the immunocompromised. However, even if you and your family members don’t fall into this category, there’s another good reason to tend to the mold matters in your home: the smell.   What Makes Mold Smell? Most people tend to know a mold or mildew smell when it wafts their way. That musty, sometimes pungent, odor is produced when mold spores feed on organic matter,...

Many types of mold are generally harmless and don’t seem to cause many troubles. But mold removal, officially call mold remediation, is the process in which mold is cleaned and removed from a building. Mold remediation is necessary in cases where significant growth is present in various possible areas of a building, including carpets, ceilings and drywall. Typically, mold remediation involves special chemicals and cleaners to remove existing mold and prevent future growth.

 There are lots of benefits to having carpeted floors in your home: energy-saving warmth, decor aesthetics, low maintenance, reduction of falls, and overall comfort. Carpet can also be help to trap dust and allergens until vacuumed, which can be easier on your respiratory system versus kicking up contaminants from wood and laminate floors into the air you and your family breathe. Yet, for all of carpet’s advantages, it does come with one big negative--mold. How Does Carpeting Grow Mold? Mold spores are all around you, even if they’re so small they’re invisible to the naked eye. When these mold spores land on a damp surface, they only need oxygen and an organic food source to turn in a moldy mess. When carpet gets wet--due to a spill, an open window during a storm, a ceiling leak, or a flood--it can become a breeding ground for mold and mildew thanks to...

Mold is certainly one of the grossest things you can find in your home. Because of its nasty appearance, many homeowners go into a panic upon finding mold in their home . A common misconception is that if you have mold in your home you’re likely to develop serious health problems. Most mold only causes minor respiratory symptoms and discomfort. Some mold, like black mold, however, can lead to more serious health problems. That is why it’s important to understand what certain types of mold come from, where they grow, and what health risks they can cause. Any mold in your home, though, is too much mold! If you discover any mold in your home, Lamunyon Restoration in the Manhattan Kansas area has qualified professionals working around the clock experienced in mold clean-up to do the job for you. Alternaria Alternaria grows in damp, dark spaces. Often it will be found...

If mold is something you more commonly associate with food that’s hung out in the fridge for too long, then any commercial buildings you own or manage could be in danger. Sticking with the refrigerator analogy for a moment, the fuzzy stuff is attracted to forgotten leftovers because the food is an organic substance on which to grow. Close the refrigerator door, which reduces airflow and causes the humidity to go up, and it’s a perfect breeding ground for mold. However, because mold can grow on just about any organic surface where moisture and oxygen are readily available, the interior of your commercial buildings is not all that different from your home refrigerator. Add to the matter that spores are invisible to the human eye but make their way from outdoors to indoors with ease, and you could have a mold problem growing without even knowing. Why You Should Prevent...

There are lots of benefits to having carpeted floors in your home: energy-saving warmth, decor aesthetics, low maintenance, reduction of falls, and overall comfort. Carpet can also be help to trap dust and allergens until vacuumed, which can be easier on your respiratory system versus kicking up contaminants from wood and laminate floors into the air you and your family breathe.Yet, for all of carpet’s advantages, it does come with one big negative--mold. How Does Carpeting Grow Mold?  Mold spores are all around you, even if they’re so small they’re invisible to the naked eye. When these mold spores land on a damp surface, the only need oxygen and an organic food source to turn in a moldy mess. When carpeting gets wet--due to a spill, an open window during a storm, a ceiling leak, or a flood--it can become a breeding ground for mold and mildew thanks to all that...

If you were playing a game of hide-and-seek, mold would be the ultimate opponent. It can be found almost anywhere, often out of sight. Of course, that musty smell sometimes gives away mold’s location. No one is perfect, after all, but the point is that mold can be tricky to find. You may not even know you have mold until you or a loved one starts experiencing symptoms: nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, skin irritation, etc. Still, many people write these symptoms off as seasonal allergies. That is until the seasons change and the symptoms stay. Mold needs just three things to grow: moisture, food, and optimal temperature. Unfortunately for you, mold can find these conditions in more locations than you can probably imagine. While you expect to occasionally find mold in the basement, bathroom, or even your refrigerator, you may be surprised to learn that mold can often be found...

The last thing anyone wants to hear is that your home has been infested with mold. Not only is it costly and difficult to remove, mold is dangerous and can be hazardous. It is extremely important to remember that when dealing with mold, it is best to leave the remediation to a qualified, trained professional to not only remove it completely but prevent it from happening again. Should you ever suspect a mold problem, here are 5 tips on what you can do. Understand what mold is For many people, the thought of having mold in their home is terrifying. However, it can help ease the panic if you know what mold is and why it has started growing in your home.Mold is not a plant or an animal, it is a type of fungus and a part of life. Not all molds are harmful, but the ones that grow in...

How Ice Dams Can Cause Mold Growth In My Home? Living in Manhattan and surrounding Kansas areas , we’re used to battling through snowy, icy, cold winters. But just because we’re used to the icy cold, doesn’t make our homes immune to ice dams and the danger they pose to the health of our homes. But first things first. How are ice dams formed? Two reasons ice dams can form: Ice dams can be the result of heat escaping from your attic which eventually causes your roof to warm up, melting the snow, and resulting in a buildup of ice on your roof and gutters. The sun heats up the snow on your roof and either clouds or the sun setting can cause the snow to pool up in the gutters, causing ice to form at the edge of your roof. Ice then prevents melting snow from draining down the gutters,...

Can mold still grow in a McPherson winter? You bet. Mold is rather remarkable in that it can grow just about anywhere, no matter the conditions. Most people associate mold growth with hot, humid climates and summer months. However, you can experience microbial growth in your home year-round, if the conditions are right. Mold Loves Moisture Mold growth happens where moisture is present. In the winter, that could be from snow or rain. So here are some things you can do year-round to help protect your home from mold growth, no matter the season. Make sure you have good air circulation. This can mean having the fan on the furnace circulating air from time to time, or doing something as simple as ensuring the fan is running when you take a shower so moisture can’t collect in the bathroom’s nooks and crannies. Keep an eye on your basement. Look for cracks...

While mold can grow year-round in just about any condition, summer is prime time for mold growth in your Kansas home. The summer heat and humidity combined with storms and sneaky rain water could mean some bacterial hot spots.Here are four telltale signs of mold in your home: Seeing Mold Growth Seems like a no-brainer, right? This might seem like an obvious clue, but the truth is you cannot always see mold. It could be growing on beams in your attic, or within your walls where there is an unseen water leak. Something that looks like a spot of dirt or soot on a wall could really be a few mold spores, and there could be a larger mold colony growing in the wall or surface behind it.The other truth here is some mold just looks odd! Black, gray-green, brown, white; you name it, mold comes in quite a wide array...

Mold is preventable. Knowing the facts can make all the difference. Humidity in your home should be no higher than 50% to prevent mold growth. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help with this. Exhaust fans in kitchen and bathrooms will help decrease moisture through proper ventilation. Use paint with mold inhibitors in areas that may be prone to mold including bathrooms, kitchens and basements. Clean bathrooms regularly. Avoid using carpet in bathrooms as it holds moisture. Regularly wash bathroom rugs. Mold can begin to grow within 24-48 hours of water damage. Always dry water damage immediately and completely, using the help of a water damage cleanup company when necessary. Who Should Cleanup Mold? If you have mold in your Manhattan home, determining who should perform cleanup depends on several factors.What is the size of your mold problem? A little bit of mold in your shower is something homeowners can easily...

Molds are living organisms that grow in damp places in your Kansas home. They stain or discolor surfaces and smell musty. The slimy black spots on your shower curtain, the fuzzy white patches on your basement floor, and the slick orange film that forms on your kitchen drain are all signs of mold. Lamunyon Restoration offers these tips for preventing mold growth in Hutchinson.Walls, floors, appliances, carpet, and furniture can all provide the food mold needs to grow. But the key is moisture. For this reason you're most likely to see mold growth in damp places such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, basements, and crawl spaces.There are hundreds of thousands of different types of mold . Molds are a type of fungi and they reproduce by means of tiny microscopic spores. These can sometimes cause health problems. Mold does not affect everyone, and different people are affected differently when mold...

Mold can grow in any moist area of your home, including behind the refrigerator (left) or in the water heater closet (right).  Photos (l. to r.): Wendy Brolga, Flickr; rian_bean, Flickr So you've been noticing a musty odor lately at work, or at home.  You've also developed a rash, constant headaches and watery eyes.  What's causing it?  It could be mold.  Mold and it's spores are all around us.  The primary types of mold include penicillium and aspergillus.  Other kinds of mold like the type you see growing in your bath tub or shower are generally harmless.  Out of all the toxic molds, Black Toxic Mold is the most well known because there have been so many cases of these mold problems in houses devestating the residents' health.  So let's identify Black Mold: Black mold looks black or dark green.  While growing it has a distinctive shiny, slimy looking surface. ...

When the word "mold" is used, it never seems to be in a favorable way, does it?  And yet, mold is around us everywhere. For the most part, outdoors, it serves a useful purpose in breaking down organic matter such as downed trees, fallen leaves and dead animals.  We wouldn't have some foods and medicines without it. Indoors, mold growth needs to be avoided.  Problems may arise when mold starts eating away at materials, affecting the look, smell, and possibly, with respect to wood-framed buildings, the structural integrity of the building itself. As long as the three food sources are there for mold:  Moisture, Oxygen and an Organic Source, it will continue to grow.   All molds need dark too, which explains why we so often find it in crawl spaces and basements.  If you add sunlight and air circulation, these areas dry out, making them less hospitable for mold....