October is traditionally the busiest month of the year for Craig Hawkins and his team of water and mold remediation specialists.  Craig says the cooler temperatures return our focus to inside and the most common living areas.  It’s also often the first time that the summer dormant furnace rumbles back to life.  We asked Craig to help us keep an eye out for the most common areas to have suffered water and mold issues:

Question:  You mentioned October is your busiest month.  What is the most common issue customers’ face?
Craig:  Kitchen issues.  You now notice water leaks and moldy smells with the doors and windows closed.  A typical problem is a leaky waterline attached to a dishwasher, refrigerator or sink. Another major area of course is the bathroom.  Waterline leaks behind the toilet and underneath the sink.

Even before joining the Enviroshield team in September 2008, Project Manager Frank Maldonado knew first-hand the dangers of mold.  Frank lived in an apartment in Tukwila with his wife and son.  There was constant moisture in the air and black dots on the window sills.

Question: Did you try to clean the window sills?
Frank: Yes.  Like most folks, we cleaned the area with bleach.  We obviously didn’t realize that bleach actually feeds the mold, making the situation worse.

Question: Did you or anyone in your family suffer health issues?
Frank: My son started to experience breathing trouble.  He was diagnosed with asthma.

Leading mold remediation specialists deploy industry leading solution to clean foreclosed homes

(Woodinville, WA) June, 2011 - Craig Hawkins and his team have been working with real estate agents, property owners and builders during the recession to ensure foreclosed homes are free of microbial problems and safe for occupants.  Enviroshield has recently become a member of the Wells Fargo Preferred Contractor Program to achieve mold free environments in vacant foreclosed homes.

“Some banks hire general contractors that spray bleach which doesn’t eliminate the mold,” said Craig.  “As a result the mold returns, posing a serious threat to inspectors, buyers and even neighbors.”

When mold is discovered, the team from EnviroShield deploys a state-of-the-art chemistry-based solution called Aegis that after the cleaning process is finished instantly kills the problem.  This EPA approved method creates a sword-like action that attracts the mold and punctures the cell membrane, eliminating the microbes.  As a result, the solution is backed by a 25-year warranty ensuring against another outbreak in the same location.

ASK CHERYL: May 6, 2011 - Experience Helps When Dealing with Mold Issues

For nearly 3 years, office manager Cheryl Adams has been on the front lines at EnviroShield helping people to eliminate mold and water issues to improve their quality of life.   The following Q&A is based on a recent chat with Cheryl about her experiences:

Question:  What is the most common call you receive daily?
Cheryl:  People anxiously wanting to find out if they have a mold problem.  Mold can be scary; people often times don’t know a lot about mold.  It even looks disturbing.  We all need to understand mold can cause health problems and damage critical areas of your home.

Press Release: Shoreline, WA, March 18, 2011

Raise the First Wall on April 2nd!
Vision House/Jacob’s Well Builds Framework With Your Help!
Framing Kick-off April 2, 2011 9am
Register to help NOW!

See the first wall go up at 9:00am on Saturday, April 2nd, at 19630 20th Ave. NE, Shoreline, WA 98155 for the kick-off of the framing of Vision House/Jacob’s Well facility for homeless women and children.  The ceremony will begin with the leads of construction taking the 100+ volunteers and raising the first framed set of walls for the building that will later hold 20 housing units, child care center, after school space and crisis center to help homeless mothers and children restore their lives.  Come sign up to help on any Saturday in April, enjoy continental breakfast and mingle with the folks who will be building hope, one board at a time!  Come one, come all!  Join the frenzy of helping to create a place so there will be “no homeless kids”!  Vision House, along with Habitat for Humanity and several other organizations, churches, businesses and individuals, are all coming together to build Jacob’s Well.

“This is probably the largest volunteer driven build our community has ever seen.”
-- Kelly Morgan, Habitat for Humanity Construction Project Coordinator