3 Steps to Ward off Mold in the Wake of Water Damage

9/30/2020 (Permalink)

Mold damage in Blackman, TN

Three Simple Mold Prevention Steps

Has your Blackman, TN, home been flooded, or has a pipe burst? The water damage you're facing now might feel overwhelming, but if you don't take these crucial precautions, you'll have the nightmare of mold growth on your hands soon enough. Mold is a nasty fungus that requires professional mold expertise to remove and can grow on almost any moist surface, including:

• Ceilings and walls
  
• Wooden floors
  
• Carpeting and rugs
  
• Curtains
  
• Upholstery
  
  

You'll be thanking yourself later for taking these three simple mold prevention steps.

1. Sop Up the Water
This one might seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how often homeowners waste precious time before cleaning up the flooded area. The first step in mold prevention is to collect all the surface water, using mops, rags, and if possible, a wet vacuum. If you let the water stand, mold is almost certain to crop up in the surrounding areas on top of the worsened water damage.

2. Dehumidify for Days
No mop or wet vacuum can sop up every bit of water, as it's sure to have sunk deeper into the nooks and crannies of the surface. As soon as the surface water is taken care of, crank up your heat or AC and set up a dehumidifier. If you're worried about whether these measures are doing the job, pop over to your local home goods store and purchase a humidity meter.

3. Ask for Help
From here, you may feel safe from mold, but this is a dangerous misconception. Sometimes mold is only identifiable through professional analysis, especially in the early stages. If you can catch the mold growth before it's even spread far enough for you to see it, your mold remediation process will be a piece of cake!
Water damage is a disaster on its own, so don't let it evolve into a mold growth as well.