Residential Storm_67_Mold Growth After a Flood

11/16/2019 (Permalink)

Mold removal in an Overland Park, KS home

If your Overland Park, KS, home experiences flooding, mold can begin to grow very quickly. Fortunately, it is possible to prevent mold growth after a flood.

Flood Cleanup Process

Mold growth can begin in as few as 24 hours after flooding, so it is important to clean up the affected areas as quickly as possible. The following steps outline the flood cleanup process:

• Assess and document the damage.
• Remove standing water.
• Dry out soaked items.
• Sanitize affected objects.
• Restore and replace damaged items.
  

The most important step in preventing mold growth is drying out the property. For standing water, you may need special pumps or vacuums to extract the water. To dry out the remaining water, you can open windows and doors if the humidity outside is fairly low. Otherwise, you can use fans and dehumidifiers. After everything is dry, you will need to disinfect all affected objects. Then you can begin restoring and replacing damaged items.

Mold Removal Process

If you are not able to dry out your belongings quickly, you may end up dealing with a mold infestation. Every situation is different, but the following steps outline the general mold remediation process:

• Contain the mold.
• Filter the air.
• Remove objects that cannot be salvaged.
• Kill the mold on remaining items.
• Repair or replace mold-damaged items.
  

Because mold spreads so quickly, it is important to keep the mold contained while you work. In many cases, this means simply turning off the heat or air conditioning. Then you will filter the mold spores out of the air using a HEPA filter and remove objects that are too mold-infested to be fully cleaned. The remaining objects should be sanitized with an appropriate cleaner. After everything is free of mold, you can repair and replace mold-damaged items.
Flood damage and mold growth may seem overwhelming. Fortunately, there are restoration specialists that can help you get your home back to normal quickly and safely.