Understanding The Rate Of Mold Growth In Flooded Homes After A Storm

6/25/2021 (Permalink)

Water damage is a problem that many people in the United States have to deal with every year. Without the proper experience, knowledge, and equipment, it can be impossible to handle the situation by yourself. One of the main concerns is how to remove the water and prevent mold growth in flooded homes. The fact is this is always time-sensitive because mold can grow very quickly with just a small amount of moisture. This article will explain about how you can avoid a mold infestation in your home after a storm.

About Mold Growth

The conditions in your home after a flood or a storm are simply perfect for mold growth. The scary part about this is that you cannot see the microscopic mold spores because of their size. With the moist and warm conditions in your home, mold can easily start growing on a wide variety of surfaces and can be very difficult to mitigate. It is important to get rid of any mold in your home because the mold spores have been known to have certain detrimental effects on our health. This is especially so if you or your loved ones already have pre-existing respiratory or immune problems. That being said, hiring the right, experienced team of professionals will be helpful in avoiding a mold infestation as long as you act with a sense of urgency. All that needs to be done is to remove the moisture in your home before the mold can even start growing.

Acting Fast

Similar to fire and smoke damage, it is also crucial to act fast when it comes to mold growth in flooded homes. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has stated that mold usually takes anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to infest your home, assuming that the conditions are conducive for mold growth. However, it is important to understand that there are many factors that can affect the rate of mold growth after a storm. Some of these factors include the materials that your household items are made from, the temperature in the interior of your home, the level of humidity, and even how dark it is.

Taking action immediately after a flood is so important because the chances of the mold spreading around your home increases greatly with time. The longer you wait to start the remediation and restoration process, the higher the chance of mold spores invading the air and affecting the health of you and your loved ones. Although mold typically starts growing within a day of the water damage, you might only start seeing the visible effects of the mold growth after about 20 days. As such, dealing with the moisture in your home as soon as water damage has been sustained will help to reduce the chances of any kind of mold growing in your property.

Professional Water Damage Restoration Services

If your home was affected by a serious flood, the best thing you can do is to hire the services of a competent water damage restoration professional. In the long run, you will find that this option is much more affordable and less effort and time-consuming than trying to fix the problem on your own. Professionals work fast and possess the proper equipment that can help to dry out your home in a timely manner. Furthermore, if you are dealing with contaminated water, it is best that you let the professionals to their job because it might have adverse effects on your health.