Water damage to your home is something that almost every homeowner will have to deal with at some point in time. Whether it is from a toilet overflow, broken pipe or leaky roof, it’s a safe bet that if you haven’t experienced yet you will have some form of water damage one day. While these damages can vary in scope and size, if you don’t take care of the problem promptly you run the risk of mold developing and compounding the problem. Here are some of the most common mistakes we see:
- Hoping the problem will go away – If you see wet floors or walls it didn’t get wet for no reason and you should investigate why. If there is pipe leaking in the walls, attic or under your home you should contact a plumber to either identify exactly what the source is, and stop the leak. Once the leak has been identified and stopped, the remaining wet materials is still wet and unless you take action to dry it it will stay wet and could develop mold in as little as 48 hours.
- Using household items to dry your home – While we always appreciate the “do-it-yourselfer”, it is important to have professionals evaluate the damages to your home. While materials my feel dry to the touch, unless you have the proper equipment there is no way to tell if something under your floor, behind your cabinet or inside your wall is actually dry. By not having a professional water and mold remediation company inspect you home you run the risk of mold developing and increasing the costs of repairs.
- Cleaning mold with bleach – Bleach does not remove mold, it simply changes its color. Mold is a living organism and will continue to grow on the material it is attached to. This is why the material with mold on it must be removed from the home.
- Cutting out moldy materials yourself – Again, we do appreciate the “do-it-yourselfer” but removing moldy materials yourself without taking the proper steps can contaminate the rest of your home and pose serious health risks. In order to safely remove mold damaged material there are several precautionary steps and pieces of specialty equipment that must be used.
