Will Mold be an Issue in Your Home After the Flood Cleanup?
For most of the world, the February floodings in Southwest Michigan are a distant memory, but if you were one of the homeowners affected by the severe flooding, you may be struggling to repair the damage to your home. Not only is flood damage very serious and expensive to clean up, but there can be health implications. Flood damage, especially during very cold Michigan winters, can quickly lead to mold growth.
While the cleanup continues after the floods if it’s not done properly mold can become an issue down the track. It’s worth having your property thoroughly inspected by a professional however that can be difficult to book in due to the high demand at the moment. Until you can organize a professional inspection, there is a DIY, generic home checklist here that may help for the short term, however, a professional inspection is highly recommended. There’s also financial assistance available for flood recovery in Kalamazoo that can be utilized to help deal with mold issues.
Act Fast to Prevent Mold Growth
Excess moisture in your home can cause mold growth within 24-48 hours. Because of this, you need to act quickly to repair your home from flood damage. If you haven’t noticed any mold growth yet, that doesn’t mean that your home won’t develop mold in the next few days. It only takes a small change in humidity or your home’s temperature to spur the growth of mold. Take a minute to check the condition of your home for any developing signs of mold now. It is also worth carrying out a thorough inspection of your home to identify if there are any flood damages that your initial inspection missed. You don’t want to believe you have finally repaired all the flood damage to your home and then realize you missed something and now your home has mold.
Keep your home well ventilated after flood damage and use air dryers and heaters to help speed up the drying process. Remove any wet items from your home, including ripping out the flooring if need be. This prevents more moisture from seeping into your walls.
Long-term Implications of Flood-Caused Mold
Unfortunately, if your home does grow mold after a flood, it isn’t an easy or quick fix. Long after the flood water has receded from your property, the moisture and bacteria can still be present deep within your walls and floors. You may find that weeks, months, even years down the line, recurring mold patches continue to grow. In these situations, we’d advise you to step away from the bleach. It’s possible that your walls are porous and your attempts to clean up the mold is introducing more moisture into an already sodden surface and exacerbating the issue.
Health Risks
Flood-induced mold can have very serious health implications for you and your family. As well as all of the respiratory issues that mold can cause, flood water is saturated with bacteria and germs that can cause chest infections and illnesses. Because of this, you need to be confident that you have cleaned up any flood damage very effectively before you move your family back into the property.
Professional Cleanups
The best way to ensure that your flood damage has been cleaned properly is to use a professional service. Professional cleaners will have access to industrial equipment that will make the process quicker and more efficient, as well as minimizing damage to your property. A professional service will also take precautionary steps to ensure that your home doesn’t develop mold.
