Mold is one of the most dangerous and destructive results of water damage. Water damage mold can grow on numerous types of material, including wood, carpeting, drywall, insulation, ceiling tiles, or wallpaper.
When mold starts to form indoors in a humid environment, it will quickly spread throughout the building because spores travel through air currents and become airborne.
Whenever you notice signs of invasive water damage mold, give your local mold damage restoration professional a call. They will take these seven vital steps for dealing with this severe problem so you can get back to enjoying your home worry-free!
Water damage often strikes without warning. These are some of the common causes of water damage:
Because of the potential for mold growth, water damage is a severe problem because it can lead to health risks and expensive repairs if it’s not dealt with promptly.
Mold grows in places with standing water or moisture. After a flood, for example, some people may not realize how much mold has grown until it’s too late.
In some scenarios, property owners deal with water damage independently and discover the presence of water damage mold after they think their property is safe.
Water damage mold is any mold that grows after water damage. Property restoration after water damage mold is especially tricky because restoration professionals have to pay attention to the parts of the property damaged by the water while ensuring no hidden mold growth.
There are several health risks associated with water damage mold. Mold can lead to respiratory problems, sinusitis, and other illnesses when it’s inhaled (such as allergic reactions). There is also a risk of developing asthma attacks from exposure to airborne spores while living in homes with high spore counts or humid environments.
Because of the risks associated with mold inhalation, contacting a mold damage restoration professional is your best course of action if you experience water damage mold.
There are eight steps your chosen mold damage restoration professional goes through when water damage mold appears. They use their extensive training and safety equipment during the process to minimize the risk of the health issues associated with water damage mold.
Before beginning water damage mold restoration, your chosen expert will need to determine why you were exposed. For example, this could be due to a leaky roof or plumbing pipes that burst.
A restoration professional’s expertise helps in situations when the source of the water isn’t readily apparent. In these instances, property owners have the most significant risk of water damage mold growth because of the potential for hidden moisture behind walls.
One of the first things your restoration expert will do is stop any water from coming in. Addressing the source of the leak ensures that any further steps taken against mold growth don’t reappear.
Your restoration expert will remove all of the standing or pooled water from the property before taking further steps against mold growth.
In addition to cleaning up and removing the liquid mess, dehumidifiers will dry out the air so that the property’s surfaces don’t allow further mold growth.
During this step, they’ll assess the property to see if there are any structural problems.
If water damage mold growth is visible, your restoration expert will remove it with tools like a pressure washer and HEPA filtering vacuum before assessing what type of mold remediation should occur.
This step also includes removing everything subjected to water damage, including drywall, furniture, and carpets.
Your water damage mold professional will then use a fungicide to clean the surfaces and remove any remaining mold.
This step ensures that fledgling mold colonies don’t have the chance to grow into a more extensive water damage mold problem.
After your water damage mold professional has cleaned and treated the surfaces of your home, it’s time to let them dry.
This process can take anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks, depending on how much moisture was in the air before you removed everything with mold.
Your water damage mold professional will then come back and repair any items that were in the area. For instance, if drywall needs replacement, they can do so for you or bring you a sample of what it should look like once completed.
They may also replace flooring or carpets as needed.
This step aims to bring your property back to the condition before the water damage mold incident.
Water damage mold is a serious issue and must be dealt with quickly to prevent any long-term damage or health risks.
As such, it’s essential that you call for a professional if you suspect there is mold or moisture in your home. Water damage can come from many sources like a burst pipe or a leaking dishwasher.
If you have issues dealing with a leak and you suspect your property suffers from water damage mold growth, contact the professionals at ER Contracting for Houston’s top-rated mold remediation team. Waiting puts the health of everyone who frequents the space at risk, so don’t delay!