Tag Archives: mold

How Improper Tiling Will Wreak Havoc On Home Value & Your Health

June 1, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

ICYMI: Poorly installed tile can cause serious health issues due to mold, and significantly decrease home values. Gregory Norman, founder of BathMasters, highlights the advantages of hiring a professional for tiling projects and encourages homeowners to resist cutting corners.

(Clearwater, FL) —The homeowner improvement and repair market reached $317 billion USD in 2017 alone and continued to hover around that mark right up to this year-even when factoring in Covid, (1) and the number of homeowners utilizing DIY and unlicensed contractors for renovations is also on the rise.

13% of all households undertook a bathroom remodel or replacement project in the past 5 years, and of those, 42% failed to use a licensed contractor.(2)

The risks associated with improper renovations—especially tiling—can not only slash a home’s value, but also prove hazardous for homeowners’ health, warns bathroom renovation company BathMasters.

When it comes to bathroom overhauls, homeowners are generally unprepared for surprises, such as mold or leaks that can be hiding inside walls and beneath floors.(3) Improper tiling performed by a homeowner or unlicensed contractor can inadvertently allow water to seep in, facilitating accumulation of mold spores and thereby causing serious damage to a homeowner’s house and personal health.(4) Per BathMasters founder, Greg Norman, statistics show that in all remodeling projects, tile showers are the number one botched renovation.

Norman says the room for error is vast; if the underside of the shower pan is not waterproofed, or the membrane going to the drain is improperly installed, costly leaks and mold can – and likely will – occur.

(3) And the risks are alarming: mold and water damage under shoddily-installed tiles can cause heightened asthma problems, skin rashes and even autoimmune diseases.(4) Per Norman, preserving health and the value of the home are invaluable to cutting corners on a renovation project.

“No home renovation project in the world is worth putting one’s health at risk,” said Norman. “Additionally, home renovations are intended to increase the value of a home; DIY projects or renovations done by unlicensed contractors run completely contrary to that.”

Although it may seem like homeowners can save money by not using a licensed contractor, even a small defect can significantly devalue a property. Most cities require homeowners to tear out walls, along with any ceramic wall tiles, if the renovation project wasn’t inspected by the city beforehand. Also, a home appraiser may not include a non permitted addition in the square footage for the home value, which could cost homeowners thousands of dollars.

When considering home renovation projects that include electrical work, plumbing jobs, tiling or knocking down walls, hiring a licensed contractor is key.” Norman went on to say that when hiring a contractor, homeowners need to do their homework by checking reviews and ensuring that permits are being pulled consistently.

“BathMasters regularly replaces showers that have been done incorrectly by unlicensed contractors, generally within five years of installation.

The company is dedicated to providing the highest quality work; as such, its team is equipped with specialized training from the Tile Council of North America in South Carolina, enabling its contractors to offer customers the highest standard of work for all bathroom renovations. For the Silo, Ashley Richardson.

About BathMasters:

BathMasters is a Virginia plumbing, electrical and building contractor with showrooms and warehouses in Northern Virginia and the Tampa Bay Area (Florida). BathMasters is rapidly expanding to meet the demand of its customers for high-quality, full-service bathroom renovations and tub-to-shower conversions built to withstand the test of time. With thousands of custom bathroom remodel jobs under its belt, BathMasters has become the premier choice for all bathroom renovation needs.

Co-founders and brothers Gregory and David Norman grew up in a family of masters: their father was a master plumber, and their uncles worked as a master electrician, master carpenter, and class A home builder. The Norman family legacy has always been about high-quality work, never cutting corners, and an unparalleled commitment to communication, honesty and integrity in their dealings with homeowners. It is this legacy that Gregory and David carry forward at BathMasters. Their mission is to improve the skill level of bathroom installers through their extensive workforce training programs, to the benefit of homeowners and the industry itself. Visit BathMastersVirginia.com and BathMastersFlorida.com.

Donahue, Kerry. “STRONG AND STABLE GROWTH PREDICTED FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT AND REPAIR MARKET IN 2017.” Joint Center for Housing Studies. N.p., 19 Jan. 2017. Web.
Webb, Craig. “Homeowners Hired Pros to Remodel 66% of Kitchens, 58% of Baths, NKBA Survey Finds.” Remodeling. N.p., 11 Jan. 2017. Web. 09 Mar. 2017.
LaPonsie, Maryalene. “7 Reasons to Back Away From DIY Home Improvement Projects.” Money Talks News. N.p., 22 Apr. 2015. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
Is Your Home a Death Trap? How Mold Affects Your Health and Your Home’s Value. N.p., n.d. Web.

Sci-Tech

Little Known Facts About Modern Sewer Repair Technologies

August 11, 2021 The Silo Leave a comment

When dealing with damage to your house or municipal sewage system, you may have numerous concerns regarding your repair choices and preventive actions you may take to avoid future damage. Going through your repair choices and acting against sewage damage may be a lot easier with expert assistance.

Any pipe repair expert like pomplumbing.ca will tell you that there are methods available that offer long-lasting, reliable repairs without causing damage to your property or interfering with municipal traffic. We have taken the first of these repair measures for you in this article by presenting some little-known facts regarding contemporary sewage repair.

1.) Modern Line Replacement is Extremely Effective

When we speak with homeowners about broken water lines or other severe plumbing problems that may arise under a number of conditions, we often discover that they are astonished to learn that repairs can be finished in only one day. What makes this possible?

By removing the need for significant work and physical digging, trenchless technologies enable plumbing experts to replace whole water lines in a matter of hours. Using sophisticated underground procedures, these experts can completely replace your water line pipes in a fraction of the time that conventional methods need.

2.) Trenchless Alternatives Maintain Your Lawn

Trenchless experts may patch in or repair underground portions of broken pipe without digging the pipe out using epoxy Perma-liner solutions. The experts construct tiny, non-intrusive entrance ports and line these solutions along the walls of existing pipes using air pressure.

Specialists then cure the pipe to the interior walls using a long air bladder, resulting in a fully repaired pipe in a matter of hours. This avoids the need for costly pipe digging, or “trenching,” while still delivering high-quality water line replacements.

3.) Water Line Replacement Is Affordably Priced For Any Budget

The absence of digging, the smooth installation procedure, and the minimal overhead expenses all add up to one major advantage for homeowners: substantial savings. Trenchless line replacement makes sense not just from a practical perspective, but also from a budgetary one.

The effectiveness of trenchless replacement leads to significant savings in labor expenses, just as minimum grass digging reduces the need for costly landscaping. Trenchless restorations make sense in both the short and long term since the new pipe sections will last at least 50 years.

Burst Pipes Causing Flood and Water Damage: The Facts – ServiceMaster of Lethbridge

4.) A burst pipe may cause an existing water line to expand.

Pipe bursting, a water line replacement method, may potentially enhance the flow and efficiency of your current water lines. A replacement pipe is attached to a pointed bursting head and fed through badly damaged pipe sections in this manner. The bursting head actually bursts through the existing pipe, clearing the material away with its expanding, conical form.

This method clears the way for the larger (and more efficient) replacement pipe. It is a “two birds with one stone” line replacement method that addresses a broken pipe emergency while also improving general performance for decades to come.

5.) Trenchless Replacement is more secure than the alternative

Because trenchless water line replacements remove the need for significant digging, workers are less likely to uncover dangerous subterranean gasses, guaranteeing the safety of both the workers and your family.

Subterranean mold and asbestos are always a significant worry when it comes to trenching replacement techniques. Fortunately, with trenchless treatments, the worry of inadvertently coming across a hazardous mold concentration is a thing of the past.

6.) Unrivaled Lifespan of Trenchless Water Lines

One of the most important things homeowners should know about trenchless water line replacement, as we said briefly earlier in this article, is how long the improvements can be anticipated to endure. While you may believe that Perma-liner, PVC replacement options are less dependable than other materials, this is a clear misunderstanding.

Homeowners should anticipate their new pipes to endure at least 50 years, if not much longer. Not only are these new pipes simple to install, but they also provide the peace of mind that homeowners want in their plumbing.

7.) These Solutions Are Capable of Repairing Any Type of Damage

Before replacing your water line, trenchless plumbing experts will inspect it using snaking video technology to determine the amount and kind of damage. However, this is not the expert deciding whether or not they can repair your pipe; rather, it is for assessment reasons.

In fact, trenchless methods may repair damage from any cause or kind of damage. Trenchless replacements may address your line repair requirements whether they are caused by corrosion, root incursion, shifting soil, or fracture.

8.) Trenchless technologies shield you against larger, more costly repairs.

Many people underestimate the usefulness of trenchless repair techniques as preventive measures when dealing with water line problems. The sooner you act, like with any other kind of house damage and repair job, the better.

Responding promptly to water line damage and finding creative trenchless repairs early on may save you from far more costly and extensive upgrades later on. When homeowners take action and treat their water line issues seriously, they will be able to obtain the repairs they need at much more suitable and inexpensive times. For the Silo, John Brooks.

Sci-Tech

Technology Brings Exciting Change to Home Improvements

March 15, 2021 The Silo Leave a comment

Technology has revolutionized our modern life by leaps and bound. It has radically changed every aspect of our life, especially the home improvement sector. The home improvement industry is adopting advanced technologies to add new features and make them available to mass people.

Techniques that were triumphant a few years back are no longer available now. With the advancement in technology, both working processes and homeowners’ expectations have met a radical change. People can avail themselves of prompt and expert services without breaking their banks.

Using cutting edge technology RF radio frequencies to gauge moisture levels in a home basement. image: pomwaterproffing

Reaching sustainable renovation and development has become more available nowadays. For example, pomwaterproofing.ca ensures cutting-edge technology-backed waterproofing services to their customers at a very affordable rate. No matter if you want exterior waterproofing or need immediate water discharging from weeping tiles, Pom Group is always there to serve you the best.

Technology is Changing Home Improvement Industry

Are you thinking about how the ever-advancing technology has brought about innovative changes in the home improvement sector? Let’s get an in-depth overview of various ways.

Eco-friendly Environment

Ensuring eco-friendliness is the ‘hot cake’ of the modern world. Homeowners now want sustainable and eco-friendly home renovation ways. The evolving and new technologies have allowed them to go for eco-friendly ways to combat global warming and save mother nature. With the help of new technologies, manufacturers are now focusing on producing environment-safe materials.

One surpassing development in this sector is reclaimed wood. It is not only environment friendly but also improves the home decor by offering a rustic look. Reclaimed furniture, green flooring, using solar panels are some of the cost-effective technology-driven innovative ways of renovating your home. They are energy-saving, as well as eco-friendly.

Another renovating gift of advanced technology is a tankless water heater that can cut your energy consumption to almost half, reducing cost dramatically. It is durable, comes with a small form factor, and enables you to use it only when necessary.

Easy Access to Professional Help

That time had passed away when people had to roam around different places and search for experts to take on their home improvement projects. With the blessings of technology, you can find hundreds of professional contractors near you only with a few clicks online! You can now judge their professionalism, get an idea about their services from the reviews and hire the best service at a price within your reach.

Do not worry about reaching information about the service you want to purchase. Go through the website of a specific contractor, and you can know everything you need!

Want to know the best part of this technological feature? You are only shown the services available at your doorstep!

Augmented Reality

The virtual sector of availing of essential stuff is another blessing of modern technology, especially in the home renovation industry. Anything you want to make your home look the way you want is only some clicks away! The benefits of augmented reality and the virtual sector has made tons of things available to people at their doorstep. You can buy whatever you want from there to improve your home decor.

Furthermore, you have tons of handly applications available online that offer you innovative designing features. So, before you decide on anything, you can have a better concept. With these apps, you can visualize how a design, for instance, flooring, windows, etc., would look and pick the best one to blend with your home aesthetic.

Play it Smartly

Different technological inventions have made homeowners go for smarter ways of revolutionizing their life. People now have the command to control home appliances using mobile apps. These excellent features, no doubt, have taken the home improvement industry to the next level! With their internet-regulated mechanism, people can control temperature, security, lighting, etc., seamlessly.

Besides, you can use energy star home appliances to minimize your energy consumption at a high rate. Thanks to their improved and highly-efficient motors, blades, etc., they need less energy to operate these appliances. So you save power and cut your energy cost.

Home Entertainment

The ever-evolving technology has left no sector of modern life untouched. With its innovative inventions, it has made entertainment more available to mass people. Besides, it has revolutionized the entertainment sector also. With the blessings of modern technology, people can enjoy modern and easy ways of entertainment at home. Now, people do not have to wait for weekends to go to cinemas and spend quality time with their loving ones. With the advanced home-theater setup, they can enjoy fun times with their family at home whenever they desire! It does not only save your hard-earned money but also offers a way to mesmerize your visitors. Some of the easily reachable and affordable entertainment facilities modern technology offers are high-definition television, music, playing games, etc.

Remote Technology for Better Safety

Many of the risky home improvement tasks are getting automated nowadays that were handled manually in the past. Thanks to the advanced inventions that have made our lives safer. Moreover, with remote technology, some risky tasks are controlled by a single person staying from a secure distance. Thus the chances of risks have decreased to a great extent.