One of the primary reasons it's so important to dry your home out as quickly as possible after damage from a water leak is to prevent mold growth. Once mold is present, the environment in your home becomes toxic, and the cleanup process becomes even harder. If your home has a lot of water damage, consider calling in a professional restoration company. They can supply all the necessary equipment to dry your house out fast. Here are some tips for preventing the growth of mold after a flooding incident.
Remove Visible Water To Lower Humidity
As long as there is standing water in your home, the humidity will be higher than normal. This creates the perfect environment for the growth of mold. After flooded water has been removed with a wet-vac, your floor needs to be thoroughly dried out. If your carpet is soaked down to the pad, it may need to be removed completely. There's a chance water has pooled under flooring and behind walls. A water damage contractor can bring in commercial water extraction equipment to pull water out of fabric, from behind walls, and out of carpeting.
Dry Out Dampness
Even after water has been extracted from the floor and walls, some dampness will remain in your home. To reduce this, you can run fans and a dehumidifier. The contractor may bring in several huge industrial fans to keep the air circulating so the wood and fabrics in your home can dry out. The perfect environment for mold is damp surroundings, little airflow, and a food supply of organic material such as wood or carpet. You can't remove the food supply from your home, so you'll have to control humidity and airflow if you want to prevent mold growth.
Remove Damaged Materials
It may not be possible to save some of the materials in your home if they have soaked up water. Drywall for instance, is very porous and it absorbs water very well. It's also hard to dry out once it's wet. It's quicker and easier just to cut out the wet portion of drywall and replace it with new drywall once your home is dry. Upholstery may be a problem too. Setting your couch in the sun can speed drying and discourage the growth of mold. However, if your couch was soaked, it may be better to throw it out and get a new one. You have to be especially careful with carpeting. It may seem dry on the top and look okay, but if the pad underneath it stays damp for very long, mold will grow unseen. The mold could give your home a bad odor and irritate your allergies. Your contractor can help you decide which items are best to discard rather than save.
If you can't get your home dried out right away, there's a good chance mold will be growing somewhere, even if you can't see it. You should always be alert to the possibility of its presence since you can spread the spores around by working on the water damaged areas. If mold is present, or if you suspect it is, be sure to wear protective gear so you don't inhale the spores. Once your home is dry and restoration work is complete, a contractor (such as one from All American Repair Services Inc.) may follow up with mold testing just to make sure there is no mold growing out of sight.
Share24 September 2015
When my home was flooded last year, I was nearly in tears after surveying the damage. The carpets were soaked, the furniture was filthy and the house had a terrible odor. I didn't know how I was ever going to clean up the mess good enough so my home would be livable again. After speaking with my neighbor, whose home was also flooded, I found out about damage contractors. My name is Arlene Bell and I am here to sing the praises of the restoration crew that cleaned up my home. They worked tirelessly for days until every drop of water was gone. My home looks terrific and there are no signs that it was ever flooded. Read my blog to learn what you should and shouldn't do if you ever have emergency damage to your home.