One of the biggest problems of a flooded house is not the broken appliances or damaged carpet. No, when dealing with a large flood in the apartment, one will have some serious mold damage to deal with and fix. Of course, this is not a death sentence as a smart homeowner can take steps to prevent damage from getting out of control. Here are five ways to avoid mold damage in a water damaged house.
Remove everything: One mistake some people make is to leave items in the house such as a couch or other piece of furniture. Other times, a homeowner will not try to dry his or her carpet. While this is possible if the flood was tame, it is usually not the best course of action. Instead, to get to the bottom of the issue and remove any excess water, one must remove as much as possible from the house. Then, it is possible for residents to see water and mold dissipate quickly and without much work.
Fans: When the air is still, it is not good as mold will continue to thrive. On the other hand, when using fans, a homeowner can begin to rectify the problem quickly. To take this further, one should opt to hire a professional who can use larger fans that will remove every last drop of water from the floors and walls. With this, one will go a long way in getting rid of any mold problems in the future. Of course, it is wise to do this beforehand, sadly most people do not opt for this approach out of laziness.
Wash walls: Now, if the issue already got out of hand, a homeowner may need to wash his or her walls. With a bucket, some soap and a little bleach, one can remove any mold or other issues that came about from the flooded house. While this is a time-consuming process, it is hard to get rid of the problem without taking a bucket of soapy water and getting to work. While doing this task, residents should remember to look everywhere as mold will form in seemingly odd places.
Clean items: Believe it or not, some homeowners will remove couches and other large furniture. Then, they will forget to clean these items. Sadly, the mold will come back in and cause serious problems. To avoid this issue, residents should clean every appliance thoroughly. Meaning, when taking everything in the garage or outside, one should wipe it down and remove mold.
Open windows: If possible, residents should try to keep the windows open all the time. By letting fresh air in the house, one can avoid seeing the air become stagnant. When this happens, the mold will have a place to thrive. So, remember, with a few open windows and a nice breeze, one can see the mold dissipate slowly.
With these five tips, a homeowner can remove mold from his or her house and get the place looking good again.