In this photo patterns of mold are emerging from the surface of the drywall.
Due to water damage and delayed repairs this home has now fallen into the sick building syndrome category. There is a defined time line home owners should be aware of when water damage occurs. Some tips and guidelines are established by the water damage industry and presented by funguyinspections water damage and mold specialist.
Water damage dryout techniques assure homeowners and building owners that the proper methods have been used to prevent mold and bacterial growth. In this industry, water damage professionals use sophisticated drying machines called “dehumidifiers” to remove the water from your building materials when a flood or an overflow occurs. When saturated with sewage the removal of drywall, insulation, similar building material is recommended by the OSHA, EPA and the CDC. These water damage mitigation procedures help prevent contamination of the building materials and take into account the health and safety of the occupants.
[dcs_box padding=”15px” bgcolor=”ffffff” rounded=”10″ border=”true” bcolor=”#030″] [dcs_ul_arrow var=”2″]Important water damage tips you can help reduce the problems that plaque many water damage victims:
- If possible shut off the source of water.
- Eliminate electricity in that section of the building.
- Began extracting the water as soon as possible by mopping, wet vacing, or sweeping the water into a drain. Avoid contact with sewage.
- Eliminate the excess moisture from furniture.
- Move upholstered furniture off of the floor with Styrofoam blocks
- Hang items to dry separately in an area with adequate ventilation.
- Begin drying the building materials with dehumidifiers and, if necessary fans.
The drywall above is an example of how mold can not be cleaned from the surface of a wall. The black mold can be seen (in the photo) growing in the first painted layer (white) and into the underlying paper layer below (brown). No matter how much you scrub, bleach or clean the mold is there to stay.
As an opportunist, mold is able to take water from sources and digest building materials readily. These simple biological factors allow mold to proliferate in a number of different places within your home. From the bread in refrigerator to the wall in the bathroom, mold grows an alarming rates on any number of different surfaces.
Work with a mold inspection specialist today to help identify the corrective actions to take when you experience a water damage loss. The tips and guidelines provided by your mold testing service will save you money in the long run. Third party assessments of the building materials will be competed by your mold inspector.
By calling a water damage expert – mold specialist you can identify any corrective actions that should occur prior to repairing the walls. This will help to leave your home – building and occupants as healthy as the day they met and break the pattern of future mold growth when water damage occurs.
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