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Got water in your home?

It’s bound to happen sooner or later. A tub will overflow, a toilet will overflow or a pipe in the basement busts and floods the finished basement. So what’s next, besides the obvious of getting the leak repaired? If it’s just a small leak chances are you can handle removing the water yourself with a wet/dry vacuum. But in a worst case scenario when a line busts and floods your basement for an entire weekend, you’ll need to hire a pro to help you out.

Next you’ll flip open the Yellow Pages, or Google “water cleanup” and your search for a reputable contractor begins. It can be a little much when trying to find someone that will actually have your best interest at heart. But what is your best interest, just getting the water removed, or maybe removing the water and making any needed repairs? But it’s so much more than that?

Do you know that mold spores can begin to grow/germinate within 24 hours of saturation? Of course this can vary depending on the conditions of the area. It also depends on the type of mold spores that are germinating. So just think, if you have a finished basement with carpet, and it’s been flooded with even a minimum amount of water, you’ll want to get that water out of there immediately. But now what, the padding and carpet are like a giant sponge and still contain large amounts of moisture. In many cases the carpet and padding should be removed along with allowing the slab to dry.

Many of the large franchise companies are only there to remove the water. They don’t tell you that mold spores could still be present after they finish their job. So you think everything is fine and dandy until you see that little black spot in the corner grow and grow and grow. Many damage and restoration companies are strictly there to remove the water and attempt to dry the effected area with fans, dehumidifiers, and HEPA filters. But in the meantime, the mold has already begun to grow. If water was standing in the room it’s possible that the water “wicked” into the drywall, if this has happened you’re looking at some demolition to determine how far the water has wicked up the wall(s).

But what should you do to really confirm that any deadly mold spores are non existent in your house? Get it sampled. Find a certified mold professional to come and sample the indoor air quality of your home. This will give you some sort of an idea if you have any severe amount of mold spores in your home. If results come back high for toxic mold, now you need to find a remediation company to get rid of the mold – back to the Yellow Pages and Google.

When looking for a reputable mold remediation company, make sure that the same company that removes the mold is not the same company that samples for mold. This is a conflict of interest.

One of the most important steps in mold remediation is the last step. The last step should be to have the home tested again for mold. This will confirm that the mold has been removed. This is a step that often gets overlooked.

Water intrusion in any home can be very serious to you and your families’ health, don’t take it lightly.