Why Mold Must Not Be Treated Late During Remediation and Flood Restoration

Apr 26
20:25

2015

Ma. Theresa Galan

Ma. Theresa Galan

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Mold can start to grow after just a day or two so it's important to act as quickly as possible if your home has been flooded. Make sure you only enter your home once it's safe though. The sooner you can dry out your home after a flood the better. This way you can minimize any mold problems and perhaps even prevent mold growing at all.

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Before you move back into your home it must be dried out and mold free. Make sure to only move your things back inside once they are completely dried out. They should also have no mold on them.

After cleaning up from a flood there's still a good chance that mold might start growing sometime in the near future. Flood water can remain in the ground around your house and affect the foundation. Water which seeps up through the foundation can end up in the walls and the floorboards and lead to hidden mold.

Perhaps mold has already started to grow in your home. In this case you should try to contain moldy areas so that mold spores don't spread to the rest of your house. You shouldn't begin the mold removal process until after your home has dried out and you have removed any dirt and debris from inside. You also need to complete the mold remediation before you occupy your house again.

Mold can start to grow on the walls,Why Mold Must Not Be Treated Late During Remediation and Flood Restoration Articles or inside the wall cavities, of rooms that were flooded. If a room with drywall walls was flooded then you'll need to cut away the bottom section of drywall that's at least 30cm (12 inches) above where it got wet.

Mold cannot be properly cleaned from porous materials like drywall. Once you've removed wet or moldy drywall from your home you should dispose of it. If you see mold growing on any drywall then you'll also have to cut away the drywall and remove it.

Other porous building materials that got wet, such as wall panelling, should be removed too. Wood which got wet should usually be alright to keep using once it's dried out as long as there is no mold growing on it.

Next you should take any things that got wet during the flood, such as furniture and boxes, out of your home. Make sure you don't move these wet items to somewhere else inside your house as that can spread the mold problem. Instead take them straight outside. Putting these objects in plastic bags, if possible, before you move them is also a good idea to help prevent mold spreading.

You will have to decide whether to throw these things away or to clean them and set them aside for when you are ready to bring them back inside.The best idea is to get a professional or an expert to inspect (and perhaps mold test) your home for you to let you know for certain that it's alright to resume living in.

There is more about containment and removing mold at Flood Restoration Auckland site for effective treatment necessary or assistance needed