Home Removal Services Blog

You finally get home to relax, kick off the shoes and lay down flat on the couch. Then you open your eyes and see the weird circular patch on the ceiling. Funny – you don’t remember even spilling coffee on the ceiling before. And then you remember the law of gravity and know that those stains on the ceiling can’t be from a spilled drink. Just what are those ceiling stains and what caused them?

Where Is The Stain?

If the ceiling stain is around a trapdoor or air vent, then it’s more than likely that they have been caused by some kind of moisture. Once the moisture takes hold, bacteria sets in and spreads out into menacing shapes and stains. If the stains are really dark and look more like streaks than drink-spills, then the problem could be dirt. When was the last time you cleaned the air filter or had the furnace serviced?

Also, is the dark stain on the ceiling right above where you often burn candles and is nowhere else on the ceiling? It’s very possible that the stain isn’t dangerous mold but is a permanent discoloration caused by burning candles at that spot. Sooty dark stains can often show up on the ceilings of rooms with fireplaces. They can usually be cleaned off with plain soap and water.

And, are there any smokers in the home? Usually, people who smoke have a few preferred places to sit and smoke, if they smoke inside the home at all. They can often leave some ceiling stains that generally fade around the stain’s edge. These can vary in color from a light tan to black coffee. These also can be cleaned with soap and water.

What About Mold?

The big fear whenever a ceiling stain creeps up is that the stain is caused by mold, which can potentially weaken the ceiling structure. The moisture gets in usually through either a roof leak or a problem in the ceiling where condensation is not drying out as it should. Although there are a lot of products sold that can fix the stain, they won’t get rid of the mold.

So, how can you tell if there is a roof leak or condensation problem in the roof causing the stains? Usually, roof leak stains will be located in the edges of fixtures like lights or fans or even the edges of ceiling panels or tiles. Condensation stains usually come in groups, so that your ceiling suddenly turns into an Appaloosa horse.

The big problem now is to find the leak, fix the problem and then work on cleaning the ceiling stains.

Right Way Contracting and Restoration Services is a leading nationwide water damage restoration company specializing in 24/7 emergency service water damage restoration florida, water damage repair atlanta, mold remediation, flood damage repair, document drying, fire and smoke damage restoration and crime scene clean up.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/what-causes-ceiling-stains-1001479.html

To fix a crack in a basement wall there a few tools that needs to be gathered. The materials are quite simple; all that is needed is some masonry cement, water, six inch sheetrock knife, wheelbarrow, hoe, paintbrush, paint scraper, outdoor caulk, caulking gun, wire brush, primer, and paint. Be sure to take a piece of paint from the wall, to the paint store, in order to have it matched to the correct color.

Take a paint scraper and peel back any loose paint around the crack. Next take the wire brush and clean the area around the crack removing any dirt. Take the outdoor caulk and squirt it deep inside the crack; be sure it is smoothed out. Give the caulk twenty-four hours to dry.

After the caulk has dried and sealed the crack the masonry cement needs to be applied. To do this first mix the water, and cement into a peanut butter texture mix using the hoe, do this inside the wheelbarrow. Next wet the basement wall with some cold water this will ensure a strong bond by the cement to the wall. Now put a clump of cement on the sheetrock knife and smear the cement over the crack; this can either be done smooth, or a person can put a texture on it depending on the look of the wall. Allow this to cure for forty-eight hours.

Paint the repaired crack with primer, and let it dry for eight hours. The last thing you will want to do is paint the wall; blending the wet paint into the dry paint. Be sure to coat the repair at least three times with paint allowing an eight hour drying period between coats. The cement will soak up a lot of paint causing the need to be liberal in the amount of paint used.

In some cases it may be necessary to sand the edges of the old paint with sand paper if the cement will not be able to cover the edges. Also be sure to clean all tools and the wheelbarrow, if the tools are left unclean they will be ruined. Paint can also be purchased that already has primer added into it. Theoretically it will save a steep and speed up the process, this could save person money also.

The best tips that can be given is to take your time don’t rush the process. It might seam faster to not let the cement cure, or to give a second coat of paint right after it dries. However, this will just cause the repair to give out over a short period of time. The process can be time consuming, but knowing you have finished a repair job and it has been done right will be rewarding for a long time to come.

Right Way Contracting and Restoration Services is a leading nationwide water damage restoration company specializing in 24/7 emergency service water damage restoration florida, water damage repair atlanta, mold remediation, flood damage repair, document drying, fire and smoke damage restoration and crime scene clean up.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/how-to-fix-cracks-in-your-basement-1001482.html