Three Reasons to Get Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Irvine CA
Improve the appearance and safety of your property with popcorn ceiling removal from AQHI Inc.
Do you have lumpy, bumpy, crumbly popcorn ceilings in your home? This type of ceiling material, known as a popcorn ceiling or cottage cheese ceiling, is common in many homes for two main reasons. First of all, the textured look helps to disguise any imperfections in the ceiling. Basically, it’s easier for a contractor to make a popcorn ceiling look decent than it is to create a totally flat and smooth ceiling. Secondly, all the little bumps help to dampen sound to help keep homes quieter.
The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to just live with your popcorn ceiling if you dislike it or if it is damaged. You can get expert assistance with popcorn ceiling removal in Irvine CA from AQHI Inc. Here are three reasons that you should look into this service, especially if you live in an older home.
Popcorn Ceilings are Ugly
Many people find popcorn ceilings unattractive. Depending on the style of the home, this type of ceiling can look…
READ MORE →Mold Prevention & Clean Up Tips
Learn how to keep mold from infesting your home—and what to do if mold does gain a foothold
The specter of “toxic mold” continues to frighten many people. However, the fact of the matter is that “toxic mold” is a misnomer. No mold is toxic in and of itself. Some extremely rare types of mold are toxigenic, meaning they can release mycotoxins, but there is no clinical evidence establishing a link between these molds and severe adverse health effects such as pulmonary hemorrhage.
What we do know is that mold has been scientifically linked to allergy-like upper respiratory tract symptoms, coughing, and asthma. So while you don’t need to fear for your life every time you find mold in your home, it is wise to take steps to clean up existing mold and prevent it from returning. Here are some tips to help you do this.
Inspect Mold’s Favorite Hiding Spots
Mold can be found just about anywhere in your home, but the most mold-prone places seem to be basements, showers, crawlspaces, ventilation ducts, and areas around heating & cooling appliances or plumbing….
READ MORE →5 Historic – and Dangerous – Uses of Lead
Before the dangers of lead were fully understood, this metal was used in surprising and dangerous ways.
The past is full of examples of practices that by today’s standards seem misguided or even downright insane. The frequent use of lead in everyday items like food, plumbing, cosmetics, and home décor was common starting in Roman times, and even now lead poisoning continues to threaten public health. Here are 5 historic uses of lead that may surprise you.
Lead Water Pipes
The Roman Empire was one of the first major civilizations to set up large-scale plumbing systems. While aqueducts ensured a supply of fresh water to the citizens of Rome, this water became contaminated with lead as soon as it entered the network of lead pipes coursing through the city. Historians have proposed large-scale lead poisoning as one of the possible contributing factors in the fall of the Roman Empire.
Lead in Food
Lead has a sweet taste, which belies its destructive nature. The Romans used lead-lined pots for winemaking, and also added lead to many recipes. Throughout the Middle…
READ MORE →Signs You Need Asbestos Removal in Orange County
If you suspect you might need asbestos removal in Orange County, look for these telltale signs
Many older buildings contain materials with unsafe levels of asbestos content. These materials were once prized for their ability to insulate without causing a fire hazard, but today we know that they can pose serious health hazards. If you have an older home or business, you may require asbestos removal in Orange County. Here are some signs that might indicate you need to contact an expert asbestos removal contractor.
Old Construction Materials
Most asbestos-containing materials were banned from construction projects in 1978, and though the ban was eventually lifted these materials never regained their popularity. Therefore, if your building was built after the ban, you’re probably safe. But if your home or business predates the ban, you may need asbestos removal in Orange County. Some of the most common asbestos-containing building materials include:
- Insulation
- Drywall mastic
- Paint
- Popcorn ceilings
- Acoustic ceiling tiles
- Flooring
- Roofing materials
Damaged Asbestos-Containing Materials
Just because your home contains asbestos-containing materials doesn’t necessarily mean you must remove them. Strictly, speaking only damaged materials absolutely MUST be removed,…
READ MORE →5 Steps for a Successful Mold Remediation
You can trust AQHI Inc. to help you successfully complete these five vital steps and banish mold
From an evolutionary standpoint, there’s a lot to admire about mold. Some type of mold has developed to thrive in just about every environment on earth, so long as there is organic matter, moisture, and oxygen. However, it’s hard to appreciate mold when it is invading your home or business. Mold not only weakens structural elements, ruins furnishings, and leaves a bad smell over everything, it can also cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems in certain individuals. Fortunately, a company like AQHI Inc. can help. We provide expert mold remediation services involving the following five vital steps.
Eliminate the Source of Moisture
Sometimes the source of moisture is something obvious, like a plumbing leak or flood water, while in other cases it may be something more subtle like a drainage issue or high humidity. Either way, before beginning a mold remediation, it is highly advisable to have a plan for eliminating the source of moisture so that the mold will not eventually recolonize your space.
Seal the Area
In order to avoid…
READ MORE →New Report Details the Human Cost of Asbestos-Related Illnesses
Millions of potential years of life lost due to asbestosis and mesothelioma
At this point, the dangers of asbestos exposure are well known, yet asbestos-related illnesses such as asbestosis and mesothelioma continue to claim thousands of lives each year. A study was recently conducted with the aim of estimating the global burden of asbestos exposure in terms of potential years of life lost to these diseases.
Study Results
According to data collected by the World Health Organization, 128,015 people in 82 countries died of mesothelioma and 13,885 people in 55 countries died of asbestosis between 1994 and 2010. Applying the established Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL) standard, the researchers concluded that mesothelioma cut a collective total of 2.18 million potential years of life from the population, while asbestosis robbed a total of 180,000 potential years of life. This works out to an average of 17 PYLL for mesothelioma victims and 13 PYLL for asbestosis sufferers. The researchers plan to use the results of this study to increase awareness of the huge benefit that can be gained by eliminating asbestos exposure as a health risk.
Sources of Asbestos… READ MORE →
CDC Report Highlights Lead Exposure as an Ongoing Concern
Learn how to protect yourself and your family from lead poisoning
A recent edition of the CDC’s weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report highlighted the presence of very high blood lead levels in American adults. These adults had blood lead levels up to six times the amount considered unhealthy by the EPA and CDC, mostly due to occupational exposure. Lead poisoning is also a problem in children, and the CDC estimates that at least half a million children under age 6 have unacceptable blood lead levels.
Though the overall number of cases of elevated blood lead levels has been decreasing over the past decade, there are concerns that the numbers could be skewed. The data does not account for employers who may fail to provide or report OSHA-mandated lead testing for workers, for adults who do not get tested because their exposure is non-occupational, and for labs that may fail to report all testing.
One of the Healthy People 2020 Objectives designated by the Department of Health and Human Services is to reduce the number of…
California Asbestos Lawsuit Ended with $27.3 Million Award
This past June, a jury awarded $27.3 million to an Oakland couple affected by workplace asbestos exposure
One June 5, 2013 a jury awarded a total of $27,342,500 to Rose-Marie and Martin Grigg as damages for Mrs. Griggs’ asbestos-related mesothelioma.
The source of Mrs. Grigg’s exposure was her husband’s work clothes. Mr. Grigg worked as an insulator and used Owens-Illinois, Inc.’s Kaylo brand insulation products as part of his job from 1950 to 1958. When Mrs. Grigg shook the dust out of her husband’s clothes in the course of doing his laundry, she unknowingly released clouds of asbestos fibers into the air. As she did this regularly for many years, dangerous amounts of asbestos fibers became lodged in her lungs, ultimately causing mesothelioma.
Many lawsuits have been brought against employers and manufacturers who knowingly exposed their workers and/or the public to asbestos. Even though the dangers of asbestos were not widely publicized prior to the 1970s, evidence suggesting that asbestos caused life-threatening illnesses was gathered as early as 1917, and by the 1930s major medical journals were…
READ MORE →Are Health Hazards Lurking in Your Home?
Don’t let common household health hazards put your family at risk—get help from AQHI Inc.
Homes are supposed to keep our families safe from the elements and from dangers posed by the outside world. However, in some cases buildings contain contaminants that actually make staying home a risky proposition. If you haven’t had your home inspected for asbestos, lead, and mold you may actually be putting your family at risk.
Asbestos
Asbestos is commonly found in homes built prior to the 1970s because it has amazing insulating properties and is fire-retardant. Unfortunately, asbestos also has alarming consequences for human health. When inhaled in large quantities or over an extended period of time, it can cause respiratory problems and even cancer. Asbestos can be found in thousands of household building materials, including popcorn ceilings, roofing felt, shingles, hot water pipe & tank insulation, flooring tile, and drywall joint compounds. In order to determine if this hazard is lurking in your home and keep your family safe, you need to get asbestos testing and asbestos remediation from an expert contractor…
READ MORE →When to Worry About Mold
Few types of mold are toxic, but that doesn’t mean you want them in your home! AQHI Inc. can help.
Mold is a very common indoor air contaminant. Out of the thousands and thousands of types of mold that exist, very few are toxic. Some molds, like penicillin, are actually beneficial. However, having any type of mold growing unchecked in your home or business can be a problem. You should always clean up mold when you find it, but you don’t need to really get worried unless one of these 4 scenarios applies:
The mold covers 3 square feet or more. In general, a small spot of mold is nothing to worry about. You can clean it up yourself, or, to be extra safe, you can throw out the material entirely. But if you have mold covering a very large area, you will need professional help from a mold remediation specialist like AQHI Inc.
The mold is located near your HVAC system. You may be tempted to ignore mold in out of the way areas like basements and attics. But if mold spores get into your HVAC…
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