Mold starts within 24 to 48 hours of water touching your house. That is the clock you are working against after heavy rain or flooding: two days from the moment the water lands to the moment spores are established. Here is how to beat it. Did water get in during the last storm, and do you know where?
Move now
As soon as it is safe, start the cleanup. Get standing water out with a pump or a wet vacuum, and open windows and doors to move air through the space. The faster the water leaves, the less there is to feed anything.
Dry it properly
Fans, dehumidifiers and towels, in that order of seriousness. Carpets, upholstery and wall cavities are where moisture hides, so pay attention to those rather than only to the floor you can see.
Pull out what cannot be saved
Anything that cannot be thoroughly cleaned and dried within 48 hours, such as carpets, insulation and saturated drywall, should come out and be disposed of. Keeping wet material in place is how a flood becomes a mold problem.
Clean, then disinfect
Wash every surface with detergent and water to remove dirt, debris and spores, then follow with a disinfectant to deal with what is left.
Find the water that is still coming in
Check for structural damage, roof leaks and cracks where water can enter. Any leak you do not fix is a repeat of this same weekend next month.
Ventilate and control humidity
Run exhaust fans in bathrooms, kitchens and basements, and open windows when the weather allows. Keep indoor humidity below 60 percent. A cheap hygrometer tells you where you are, and a dehumidifier brings it down. Keep gutters clean and make sure downspouts carry water away from the foundation, not along it.
Know when to call someone
If the flooding was severe, or you suspect mold has already established behind the walls, bring in remediation professionals. They have the equipment and the containment to remove it without spreading it through the house.
JP Maguire handles water damage and mold across Connecticut, 24 hours a day. Call 877-576-2484 before the 48 hours are up.
Where to go from here
If this is happening in your house right now, these are the pages Connecticut homeowners reach for, each one saying what the work involves and how to get a crew rolling: water damage restoration. Water extraction, drying, then the rebuild. fire damage restoration. Soot, smoke odour, and putting the rooms back. mold remediation. Finding it, containing it, and removing it properly. storm damage restoration. Wind damage, fallen trees, emergency tarping. burst pipe repair. Stopping the leak, then repairing what it reached. 24/7 emergency restoration. A person on the phone, any hour of the night.
Also from the blog: Spring Cleaning Is Not Enough, Check for Hidden Moisture and Mold, Why Checking for Mold Matters, and Where to Look First and More on mold removal.