Experience recent water damage? If so, mold may be lurking

If your home or office building was affected by recent water damage, such as floods, you may not be done with the cleanup process even though the water may appear to be gone. Anything that got wet must be completely dried to prevent structural damage and mold.

Federal Coordinating Officer Gregory Eaton from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stated in a news release today, “People are anxious to get on with their lives after a flood, but if you had flood waters in your home take the time to clean thoroughly so problems don’t arise later that affect your home or your health.”

Mold and Health Symptoms

Ranging in color from white to black and orange to brown, mold quickly multiplies and grows in damp environments, particularly flood damaged buildings. Cleaning it is crucial to the health and safety of those in a building or home. Mold exposure is particularly dangerous to children, infants, pregnant women, the elderly, immune-compromised patients and those who have respiratory conditions. Symptoms of mold exposure include coughing, attacks in those who have asthma, nose and throat irritation, and wheezing.

Mold Prevention

Unless you hire a professional remediation company, there is no way to eliminate all the mold spores inside a building in a practical manner. However, you can take steps to prevent its growth by stopping leaks and the seepage of water into a building and keeping the building clean, well ventilated, dry and disinfected.

[Photo: Jason Rogers]