Mold Damage - Restoring And Protecting Items You Keep In Your Basement

Mold is no laughing matter when you find that it is growing in your home anywhere, but when you have found it in an attic or basement where you might have items stored that are still valuable to you, it can be heartbreaking as well. Many times a basement, attic, or even an out building is where we put things that we do not have room for inside the main living quarters of the home, but these are things that we can not or will not part with. Old books, paper records, old clothing, pictures or art work, anything that has a value to us, but we have no where else to keep it.

People are getting smarter about where and how they store things. The only problem is that sometimes it will take finding things that have already been damaged by water and mold before we get the message. You might have that wedding dress that belonged to your grandmother stored in an attic just waiting for your daughter to use one day. Imagine what you will feel when after generations it is now ruined because you attic had a leak or moisture that caused it to mold or mildew? Precious items like that can not be replaced.

The best you can hope for is to have it cleaned in some way that will restore it. Less important clothes or other fabric items that are mold damaged, some might be salvageable and some might not. Washing things several times with a powerful cleaner might remove it. For precious items like that antique wedding gown, you will want a professional cleaner to try and repair that. There is never any guarantee that mold or mildew can be completely removed.

There is reasonable hope for paper items such as important records, books, photos, and art work. Document drying companies are plentiful and if these things are important enough for you to want them restored, this might be the answer. Find a company that does this and often times a water damage restoration company can recommend one to you or you can find a good company on the Internet. Tell them what items you have damaged and how bad it is. They can probably quote you an estimate for restoration over the phone or email you. They can tell you approximately how long the procedure takes and what is involved. You will ship your items or they might come and pick them up.

The main thing you need to do next is find out what caused the water, moisture, or humidity in these areas of your home and get it fixed. A water damage company is able to find and fix the problem. Storing items that are susceptible to water and mold in airtight, waterproof containers will also be a good bet to protect your stored items in the future no matter where you put them.