What to do after a storm if you have mold or health problems

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Black mold on furniture, home mold sickness and water intrusion

Rain and wind, they can damage a home or office roof and windows that can lead to ongoing water intrusion. A gail wind or nearby tornado, like we have had in Dallas this year, can cause serious property damage. And, as most property owners know, an ongoing leak can quickly lead to extreme mold and health problems that require remediation to fix.

But, what is less known is that a one time water event, be it flooding or a window leak, can also cause mold to grow inside a wall, in the ceiling, or in a crawl space. Once a building has toxic black mold, it will never just go away on its own. A professional assessment may be needed to identify the extent of the problem.

Mold grows when it has food and a source of water. The food it eats is cellulose which is something like paper, wood, or many types of dust and fibers. As for the water source, it doesn’t have to be standing water. The air itself has a lot of water in it which can be all mold needs to survive and even thrive.

If found and treated quickly, the damage and resulting mold from a single water intrusion can often be fixed quickly before there is excessive damage to the building.

Fortunately, there are several methods to treat mold and health problems beyond just remediation. The use of industrial grade hydrogen peroxide is recommended in many situations. This can be a very caustic substance so it must be handled with care (goggle, rubber gloves and a protective clothing are a must). And, this is just one method the professionals use.

What should also be considered is how to deal with the spores and the mycotoxins that the mold may have left behind in the surrounding areas. These are tiny and can be hard to detect. But, there are also ways of neutralizing them through air restoration processes.

So, even if you have had only one ‘flood’ in your home or office, you may have a problem and possibly toxic black mold. The quicker you have it identified and deal with it, the better. Just because the water is gone, doesn’t mean the mold problem is.

 

Also, if you think that you or your family or co-workers have any respiratory issues caused by your environment this link from NIOSH may help.

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