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Flooded basement_ Dry it, and quickly, to avoid mold
Dehumidifiers, gentle heat and fans can be used to dry wood surfaces. Treated or finished wood can be cleaned with mild detergent and clean water, the company said.
What can you do? Wet carpet can be dried with a water-extraction vacuum and ambient humidity levels can be lowered with a dehumidifier, according to Lew Corp.
Once the mold has grown the two options are clean,weight transmitter, if possible, or replace, Krueger said. A non-porous material, such as metal or plastic, can be cleaned. But the presence of mold on porous materials, like wood, means replacement.
Flooded basement? Dry it, and quickly, to avoid mold
“If you dry it out in enough time, you can save it, but if you have mold growth on it, you have to cut it out and throw it out,” Krueger said. “It is fairly impossible to clean dry wall.”
A close examination by a professional can make sure the area is dry and there is no mold. A device can measure the moisture, Krueger said. A thermal imaging camera is used to find moisture. For instance, if part of a wall is wet, it is cooler than the surrounding area. Air samples can be taken to detect the presence of mold as well.
Hard surfaces and porous flooring can be vacuumed, cleaned with a mild detergent and allowed to dry.
“Most of the time, people aren’t drying out enough to make sure they are eliminating any possibility for mold growth,” Levy said.
Steve Levy, owner of Certified Mold Inspections in Aberdeen, said homeowners may need to use industrial-strength dehumidifiers to dry out. A surface could seem dry but still have enough moisture for mold to take hold.
Mold can cause serious health issues, such as difficulty breathing, headaches, and sinus issues. The allergen spreads in the air, “just like one would blow a dandelion that spreads throughout the air.”
“You can clean furniture and carpeting to some extent, but since the mold is actually growing it the material, you can never be 100 percent sure that you removed all of it,’’ Krueger said.
First, a quick primer on mold. It takes a combination of mold spores, moisture and food sources, such as cardboard, wood or ceiling tiles, to grow.
“Remove the water,” said Greg Krueger, vice president of operations at Lew Corp. in Mountainside. “If you can dry everything within 48 hours, there’s a very minimal chance you’re going to get any kind of mold growth.”
What about dry wall?
Likewise, wet ceiling tiles and insulation should be thrown away.
But if you pumped out your cellar days ago and it’s still wet, mold has likely started to germinate. “You’re past the point of making sure everything gets dry,” Krueger said.