Identify Areas Known To Harbor Mold
When you believe you smell mold, go on the hunt to find it. Look near water supply pipes, around water drainage lines and sewage pipes, anywhere near dryer vents and in laundry rooms, under sinks, in the ceiling above a finished basement, near bathroom exhaust vents, around sump pumps, and inside wall cavities.
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Act Quickly To Beat Mold After A Flood
Mold is especially dangerous for people with breathing problems caused by allergies or asthma. But high levels of mold can also cause problems for people who are relatively healthy. Symptoms of mold exposure include wheezing, shortness of breath, sore throats, flu-like aches and pains, and fatigue.
Mold isnât the only threat from flooding. Bacteria may also be a problem if your house was soaked by sewage. Bacteria can cause dangerous gastrointestinal and skin infections.
Thatâs why itâs important to stop these pathogens before they take hold of your home.
âYouâve really got 24 to 36 hours to work with,â says Rebecca Morley, executive director of the National Center for Healthy Housing, a nonprofit organization that wrote a guide to help residents clean up flooded homes after Hurricane Katrina.
The good news is that the faster you act, the more you may be able to save.
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Clean And Dry The Flooded Areas Right Away
Time is of the essence when it comes to water damage. The longer water sits, the harder it is to repair. Make a plan to start cleaning within 48 hours of the flooding .
As soon as the storm stops, go through the house and check every room for water, spills, and leaks. Once youâve identified the flooded areas, start cleaning and drying them up. Remove water with a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. If you donât have one, you can rent one. You can also hire a mold removal service company to help you, particularly if the area is big .
If you have wet floor carpets or rugs, dry them first using the vacuum cleaner and then use a fan to complete the drying process. Keep the fan on for 24 hours or more. You can also steam-clean your carpet once itâs dry.
First Dry Out The Basement Asap
Before you can do anything else, you need to remove the source of water thats been causing the moisture to build up. This means you will need to do the following:
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Water In The Foundation
Look out for a build-up of water around your homes base. This can lead to foundational problems for your home if there is a lot of water. At your homes foundation, gathering rainwater can be prevented by sloping your yard outwards from your foundation. In the same line of thought, damp basements are another culprit. Usually, there is no good ventilation in basements. This is an indication that basements could contain higher humidity or moisture amounts compared to other rooms in the home. Also, basements are often colder which means more condensation occurs which leads to humidity and basement.
Diy Cleanup Or Call A Pro
The first thing to do is to pump out or soak up any standing water. But be careful: If youâve got several feet of water in a basement, where fuse boxes and other electrical circuitry may be submerged, have emergency workers clear the space before you get to work.
If you have a lot of water in the house, Morley, who has been through two floods herself, says hiring help can be a good investment.
âI had water up to my ankles. My carpet was floating when I got home,â Morley says. âThese restoration companies have all the heavy equipment thatâs needed to dry out a place quickly. They bring in their big fans, their big dehumidifiers.â
You might also need a professional if your house was flooded with sewage, which has an unmistakable smell. Sewage is hazardous and best handled by someone whoâs trained.
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Thoroughly Inspect The Basements Ductwork
If you dont have any roof leakage but have mold growing on your ceilings, your ductwork might be the issue. Poorly insulated ductwork can lead to mold formation, especially under ducts or registers.
Warm and moist air condenses inside the ducts, forming water. These then carry cold air through the attic and crawl space, leading to condensation. Its a sign that your ducts may be uninsulated or have a missing vapor barrier.
Nevertheless, the water inside these ducts will saturate the insulation and drywall. And this is where mold spores take root. From here, mold will continue to spread, even if your ducts have a reliable filter in place.
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Water Leaks And Water Damage
If you suspect a water leak, this could be a sign of a potential mold problem. It doesnt take much in the way of a water leak to provide mold prime breeding ground. A very slow yet steady leak is all thats needed, and youll have mold spores airborne in your home landing on other potential places to reproduce.
The importance of repairing water leaks quickly cannot be stressed enough.
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How To Get Rid Of Mold In The Basement
The worst has happened: youve found a suspicious patch growing in your basement. Perhaps you havent been down there in a while. Maybe the mold took hold in a hidden area and spread insidiously over time.
Whatever the reason, you now have a potentially dangerous problem on your hands. Mold can provoke a host of nasty symptoms, from sneezing and coughing to infections.
Dont panic well share how to get rid of mold in basements. If youre not prepared or informed, you could worsen the situation or endanger your health.
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Maintain Your Sump Pump
Your sump pump is responsible for preventing water damage to your home, but it can fail due to a clog or power outage. Be sure to regularly inspect your sump pump to make sure it is running correctly. Learn more about sump pump maintenance and how sump pump insurance coverage can protect your home from sump pump failure.
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Check To See Where The Mold Growth Is
You want to take a close look at the following factors when you start your mold remediation:
- Mold Type. If its caked on, youll have an easier time. If its powdery, you will have to re-wet it while youre scrubbing. Well get into that later.
- Location. Mold growth on sheetrock is going to be different than mold growth underneath laminate flooring or furniture.
- Quantity. If you let the mold grow until its seriously impacted the quality of air in your basement or if a large portion of your home is ruined, call a professional.
What Can You Do To Prevent Mold In A Basement
To prevent mold from reoccurring or growing at all, you can take the following steps:
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What You Need To Know About Mold From Basement Flooding
The first thing you need to check for after a flooded basement is mold and fungus growth. Not only can mold cause serious health issues for you and your entire family, but if you let it get out of control and invade your home it can be incredibly difficult to get rid of.
The best way to prevent mold is to avoid leaks, floods and humid and musty air.
Its important to educate yourself about what mold and mildew is, where it grows, why it grows and how you can prevent it from growing in your home and basement.
If you do however find mold in your home you also need to know how to get rid of it effectively, how to sanitize your home properly, and protect your home from future growth.
Weve put together a comprehensive guide to help you understand mold and mildew and how you can prevent them from invading your home.
How To Prevent Mold Growth After Flooding
· Updated 01/13/2020
Floodwaters pose as an inherent danger both during and after a flood. Harmful bacteria and hazardous chemicals and toxins swarm in floodwaters, polluting everything with which the waters come into contact. Even after the waters subside, the excess moisture left from the receding flood gives rise to an infestation of mold within as little as 24 hours.
Certain affected possessions may need to be tossed after a flood. A childs stuffed toy, for instance, that has absorbed even a trickle of floodwater should be thrown out to avoid dangerous, toxic mold growth. Floodwaters contain contaminants that stay harbored in absorbent materials. A favorite upholstered armchair, too, that has come into contact with floodwaters should be removed from the restored home. Porous goods such as these, no matter how sentimentally valuable, can trap mold spores.
Homeowners have some recourse after a flood. While not all household possessions may be salvaged after a flood, homeowners can take steps to prevent mold growth from seizing the home. Remember that mold spores thrive in moisture rich areas, in warmth and with the availability of a nutritious food sourceall of which are found in recently flooded areas.
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Mold Action Guide After Flooding: How To Prevent Future Mold After A Building Leak Or Flood
- about the most effective measures to prevent future mold contamination in buildings that have been flooded, wet or storm-damaged
InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
Mold prevention after building flooding:
This article in our series on removing mold in flooded buildings describes general steps to be taken after the initial mold cleanup, in order to prevent a future mold problem in a building.
If your building has been flooded, this website provides an easy to understand guide for flood damage assessment, setting priorities of action, safety, and we provide special information about avoiding or minimizing mold damage.
We also provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need.
Can I Remove Black Mold Myself
According to the Environmental Protection Agency , a homeowner may tackle the mold-removal process alone if the moldy area is smaller than around 10 square feet .
You may wish to consider having a professional come out to your home to inspect your mold or water damage. Many remediation companies offer free mold inspections. Just remember that we get what we pay for.
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What Am I Dealing With
So, how can you be sure youre dealing with a mold problem?
In some cases, there are visual signs of mold or clues that youre at risk for mold. For example, water stains on drywall arent a 100% indicator that you have mold, but theres obviously water getting there from some sort of source. With this in mind, chances are that youre going to get mold in time if you dont find and address the source. This is part of the reason many experts recommend doing home examinations during periods of the year when theres a lot of humidity or rain.
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Can A Water Leak Cause Black Mold
A water leak can cause black mold infestation when there is moisture from water damage, water leaks, condensation, water infiltration, or flooding. Constant moisture is required for mold to grow. When water leaks go unnoticed or remain unrepaired for an extended period of time, mold growth occurs.
Water leaks raise a homes humidity levels by evaporating into the air making it a prime breeding ground for mold.
Black mold can begin to form within one to two days of a water leak. Black mold spores can start colonizing and spreading anywhere from a few days to just under two weeks after this process starts.
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Symptoms Of Mold In Basement What Do You Do When You Find Mold
So, hopefully we have convinced you by now that you dont want to live with mold! Now that youve found it, what do you do?
Removing mold can be a DIY project, but its a good idea to know when to call the pros. Our tips for mold removal help you know what to use, and what not to use. We can help you remove the mold safely, whether you choose to DIY or call the professionals. We want to help you get back to living your best life in a clean mold-free home!
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Mold Growth Is Not Inevitable
Thankfully, not all basement flooding events cause mold growth. The primary deciding factor in whether mold growth will occur relates to the duration of saturation. If the basement is dried out within 72 hours, mold growth is unlikely. Unfortunately, in practice this can be difficult to achieve. Often when your house is flooded, there are hundreds of other flooded homes in the area, making a fast response from a dry out company difficult.
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Avoid These Two Items
Plants and wood are sources of food for mold, James says, so resist the urge to Their propensity for mold and basements tendency toward dampness make a bad combination, he says. And while wood can certainly be harder to avoid, especially if you have wood framing or flooring, just be sure to take precautions. Regularly clean trim, paneling and flooring. If you have a basement fireplace, keep the wood outside, James says its a fire hazard and a termite attraction, too. He recommends storing wood on concrete a couple of feet from your home.
How To Prevent Mold After Your Basement Floods
Jun 4, 2020 | Mold Remediation, Water Damage
If your basement has flooded due to heavy rainfall or perhaps even a burst pipe, your immediate reaction would be to drain out the water ASAP. But that doesnt solve the issue completely. Water damage is one of those common property problems for which hiring professional water extraction services in Southern Maine is always a wise move.
This is because flooding and similar water damage can continue wreaking havoc long after you have drained the area. Whether you use a portable suction pump or extract water the old-fashioned way using buckets, you might think youve got it all under control. But a few weeks or maybe even months down the road, when you have almost forgotten about it, you start noticing swelling in the wooden structure, a weird musty smell, or worst still, mold patches in the impacted area.
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Can You Kill The Mold Yourself
While some property owners will try to dry the area or spray bleach, the truth is that these methods often only spread the mold to other areas of the home. Whats worse, AC and heating systems can spread the spores throughout the home through the air.
Avoid trying to remove the mold yourself. We understand that you can Google search How to kill mold and find hundreds of ways to do that, but those methods are usually for surface area mold, NOT for water damaged area mold.