11 Jul Steps to Help Prevent Mold in Your Property After a Water Damage Disaster
Water can cause serious damage to your property and disrupt your daily routine. It can also lead to a lot of stress. You may feel overwhelmed by the amount of damage that water can cause to your home or office, whether it is from heavy rains or flooding or plumbing emergencies.
Water damage can cause inconveniences and increase the risk of mold growth in your commercial or residential property.
If left untreated, mold infestation can quickly damage your furniture and compromise the structural integrity of your building. It can also pose health risks for your family, particularly those with compromised immune systems.
It is important to understand the importance and how to prevent mold growth after water damage. Before we get into the steps that you can take, let’s first define mold and look at how it can be aggravated.
What is Mold? How does it Grow?
Molds are fungal organisms that play an important role in the natural world. They help organic matter and leaves to decay, as well as enrich the soil. This ability to destroy organic material can become a problem if they spread where they shouldn’t, such as in your home or at work.
It doesn’t take much to allow mold to spread. You only need the following:
- Moisture
- Oxygen
- Source of food (organic materials such as insulation and building materials, and wood products).
- Darkness
- Warm to moderate temperatures
These elements are easily found in commercial and residential properties. You can prevent mold growth by taking immediate action after a flooding or plumbing emergency.
Five Steps to Prevent Mold after Water Damage
Take Action on the Water Source
Water pooling in your home or office is a sign that something is wrong. You must act quickly if you experience an emergency such as a burst pipe or a leaky faucet. You can turn off the main water valve while you wait for the plumber to fix the problem.
Buckets are an affordable way to get rid of floodwater. A water pump or wet-dry vacuum are more labor-intensive options. These can be rented or purchased at hardware stores and are designed to efficiently pump out large amounts of water.
Whatever your decision, remember to get rid of as much water as you can from your home and to take all safety precautions.
Separate and remove your belongings
You will also need to dry your property properly, but first remove all furniture and personal belongings from wet surfaces.
Many of these items were submerged in water. Non-porous materials such as glass, plastic, or metal won’t cause any problems. You can easily clean and disinfect them, so put them aside and keep them safe.
You will need to decide which items are worth salvaging and cleaning for porous materials, such as fabric, textiles or leather.
Some can be dried, cleaned, disinfected and monitored for microbial growth. Others that have been exposed for longer than 48 hours or are severely damaged should be discarded and replaced.
Dry your Property
After you have addressed the water source and removed your belongings, it is time to dry your property. It is best to get started drying immediately. The mold growth in damp environments can be rapid and severe if you wait.
These are steps you can take within 48 hours to dry areas that have suffered water damage.
- If the humidity outside is higher than the inside, open the house to let in fresh air. The drying process will be aided by the circulating air.
- Fans and dehumidifiers can be used to remove excess moisture from the air.
- To remove evaporating moisture from indoor spaces, use an indoor dehumidifier.
Clean and disinfect salvageable items
Now it’s time for you to start working on those items that you deemed salvageable. They will need to be cleaned thoroughly and disinfected as they have come in contact with unclean water.
These items can be scrubbed with soap and water, as well hard-surfaced floors and walls. FEMA recommends that you wash these surfaces with hot water and a non ammonia detergent to achieve the best results. A scrub brush can be used for concrete and other hard or rough surfaces.
All surfaces should then be cleaned with a 10% bleach solution. Allow the solution to sit on the surface for 10 minutes, then rinse the area with water.
Get in touch with a Water Damage Mitigation and Mold Remediation Company
Calling a Long Beach mold remediation expert is the most important step to prevent mold growth after water damage. These steps can help you prevent microbial growth. Mold professionals will be able to help you solve the problem safely and efficiently.
They can not only provide quick water removal and effective mold remediation but they can also dry your house or office completely after water damage.
Natural disasters and plumbing emergencies are stressful enough. It is important to keep in mind that mold infestations can occur, which can increase your stress.
These steps can be taken quickly to avoid mold damage from water. Experts in mold remediation and water removal in Long Beach, CA can quickly help you protect your home and restore normalcy for your loved ones.