Mould has been an issue for homes on the West Coast since people first inhabited these gorgeous shores, but in today’s day and age, it continues to wreak havoc. In this article, we are going to provide you with a few tricks and tips to ensure you can tell if you have a mould problem.

• Strange Smell

Mould has a very particular smell, and it truly stinks. If you notice an unpleasant odour in a specific room, it might mean that mould is living within the walls. The best way to determine if you do have mould is to call a company like Urban Environmental, who can run tests and start the abatement process if needed. read more

As one of the top-rated insulation company in Vancouver, the team at Urban Environmental knows when you need to replace your insulation. However, this does not mean you are aware of the signs! No matter if you are a newer homeowner or an established resident, the signs that you need to replace your home insulation might drift over your head. They are minute but critical, and as insulation will cost you money over the long run, the faster you move to replace it, the better. Thus, in this blog, we are going to showcase the five signs that you might need to replace your home insulation! read more

Here at Urban Environmental we typically deal with our services, but in this blog, we decided to talk business. We have been operating in the building demolition space for more than a few years, and when it comes to our demolition services, we always look for the best way forward. Whether it is dealing with green vs other waste, or recycling building materials, here are some of the most effective materials that can be recycled upon demolition.

Concrete

One of the most popular construction materials in the world is concrete, and a single commercial demolition can yield tons of concrete. Generally, concrete is grounded down into gravel which is then used for building material for new buildings. There are some companies that offer on-site concrete crushing that we work within and around Vancouver to speed up the process of concrete to gravel. read more

Here at Urban Environmental, we have been called to our fair share of cleanups on hoarding sites. Often this is because of the biohazards that come with an individual who has been hoarding for some years. We have had to deal with human waste, and animal decomposition along with other things, so take it from us, hoarding is a severe disease that needs to be monitored. Thus, we have brought together some high-risk signs of hoarding to look for in your friends and family.

Clutter Collection

More than just a few odds and ends, clutter collecting will begin to dominate the way in which an individual moves within their home. Whether you are dealing with excess furniture or an inability to remove trash from the house, clutter collection is a dangerous warning sign of hoarding. Clutter is a gateway to hoarding, and if not taken care of, can lead to clutter covering every single centre metre of space in a home. read more

Vancouver is a city that is full of life and Highrise condos, but throughout the city, the post-war housing style homes are still dominating the urban landscape. This can cause an issue as if a home has not been appropriately treated; chances are there is asbestos. In this article, we are going to look at where you can find asbestos and what to do if you see it in your home or office.

Where can asbestos be found

No matter if we are talking home or an office, asbestos can genuinely be anywhere, especially in an older house. read more

As a first time home buyer, it can be tough to remember to do all of the proper things. One of the main failures of first-time homebuyers is to check the various nooks and crannies of their home during the inspection for mould. Black mould is one of the most common issues in homes in and around Vancouver, and for many, this can mean serious allergy issues, and permanent damage if these mould spurs are not brought under control. So in this blog, we are going to look at what you need to do if you spot mould in your home. read more

No one hopes to ever have to deal with the aftermath of a suicide or murder, especially in your own home or a property under your care, but sometimes the unfathomable happens and someone needs to clean up the aftermath. Crime and trauma scene cleanup jobs are one of the toughest to do in our industry, but Urban Environmental has years of experience dealing with the unpleasant and often painstaking task of removing all traces of blood, bodily fluids, human tissue and other harmful materials from the scene of the incident. read more

Asbestos is often thought of as a relatively modern material, especially with its boom in popularity in construction materials and insulation in the 20th century. But asbestos has been used by mankind for thousands of years, dating as far back as prehistoric times.

In several instances, archaeologists have uncovered asbestos fibres in settlement debris dating back to the Stone Age, and both Greeks and Egyptians used clothes woven with asbestos fibres in shrouds for their dead. For Egyptians, it was to stop bodies from deteriorating and in ancient Greece the historian Herodotus remarked that bodies were wrapped in the asbestos shrouds before being placed on a funeral pyre to prevent human ashes from mixing with fire ashes. In fact, many scholars think the word asbestos comes from the ancient Greek word asbestos, which means inextinguishable. Romans also exploited the use of asbestos in the use of housewares, most notably with the fibres woven into tablecloths and napkins. They cleaned them by tossing them into a blistering fire, where they came out still in one piece and whiter than before. read more

For as long as humankind has been living in sheltered dwellings, we’ve been finding ways to stay warm through insulation. Prehistoric tribes used much the same materials for their clothing as they did for temporary dwellings, usually wool, animal skins, fur and plant products like flax, straw and reed. As people began to settle in more permanent settlements with the development of agriculture, more durable materials were used in the construction of housing, in a pre-tool era that was usually dug out earth shelters or caves, and as building technologies developed the preferred mediums leaned more to stone, woods and sun-baked mud and clay. The ancient Romans and Greeks are reported to be the first implementers of cavity walls filled with a natural fibre insulation. read more

Remediating flood damage is one of the most common property restoration tasks for a Vancouver home restoration specialist, and the better ones in town understand that certain remediation procedures involve added secondary risks to the structure. The heat generated by drying units can affect the integrity of building materials, and a pro will be expected to know how and to what extent heat levels may pose a problem.

Water damage remediation jobs are all about HAT – Humidity, Airflow and Temperature. All three factors need to be working together to achieve the best drying results. Modern high-flow drying units are very effective, but only when applied and operated by someone with the required level of know how. read more