Turn on the TV news, flip open a newspaper, or go online, and there’s a good chance you will be hearing or reading about a weather disaster in some part of the world that resulted in homes being partially ruined or entirely destroyed.

These types of disasters, whether from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or fires, are getting more attention as part of the growing market for sustainable and green building materials.

The reason? Cleanups, restorations and rebuilding are taking place with far more attention to using “green” products.

As if weather disasters aren’t enough, rebuilding companies also have plenty of major restoration projects related to mold teardowns. And some cleanup projects reveal mold problems once restoration starts.

DKI Services Corp., with headquarters in Wood Dale, IL, is considered the largest disaster restoration contracting organization in North America. It is also the only certified green services restoration organization in the United States, offering services such as emergency response, water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning, mold remediation and complete reconstruction.

Basically, a company like DKI works to restore a home to its pre-loss condition, and its franchise members are trained to provide remediation services that satisfy insurance requirements while also using the products and chemicals commonly regarded as efficient “green” products in the marketplace.

This is especially important when the structure being restored was a “green” home to begin with. Specialists well-versed in green building materials and safer, more effective, chemical cleaners are able to assess a building and quickly determine what green products could be used in the remediation process.

An assessment of this nature now calls for an understanding of the different green rating systems in the United States and also knowing how to interpret insurance coverage and how it relates to the materials being used in restoration.

Mold removal has become a prominent issue in the past two decades, and it remains one of the most hazardous cleanup jobs that can be undertaken. Companies trained in this specialty have long been versed in how to do it while also keeping the environment safe.

Typically, a mold removal process will include an area cordoned off with plastic and workers with respirators and protective clothing using air scrubbers to trap as many airborne particles as possible, but done in such a way as to not allow any air-borne mold spores to escape to the outdoors. Removal is done in plastic bags and sealed before being taken off the property.

No one likes to see a home destroyed by an act of nature, but the positive news is that a “green” rebuilding can take place, and other serious problems in the home can be uncovered and addressed.

In an interesting note, DKI’s service center in Houston, Texas was recently chosen to be part of the popular ABC-TV series “Extreme Makeover” in which it helped a family rebuild after the 2008 hurricane.

The DKI company, called 281-Flooded, assisted by providing drying and cleaning services, including dehumidification and round-the-clock monitoring and labor, to expedite the drying of the drywall, primer, and paint in the interior and exterior of the home. The project was completed the week of July 25, 2010 in Houston, TX.