Water Damage Mold Risks and Removal

Just how dangerous is water damage mold, and what can you do to get rid of it? If you're dealing with mold resulting from clean water, such as a broken pipe, mold removal is safe enough to handle yourself. If the mold comes from flood water, or other contaminated water, you're better off leaving the cleanup to the professionals. This guide will help you make that judgement call, and give you some tips for mold removal if you choose to handle it yourself.

What Is Water Damage Mold?

Water damage mold is a greenish-black infestation more commonly described as "toxic mold". The technical term for it is Stachybotrys chartarum, also known as Stachybortrys atra, but the most accurate popular term for it is black mold.

Black Mold Symptoms

While Stachybotrys chatarum is less common than other household molds, like Aspergillus or Clodosporium, its health risks are not unique among molds. Black mold is a danger to individuals with allergies, as well as those with immune deficiencies and preexisting respiratory problems, but this is true of other household molds. Black mold can irritate the eyes and skin, and cause congestion and wheezing in sensitive individual, so if any rooms need to be dried out with fans, be sure to run an air purifier and low temperature dehumidifier at the same time. Use a humidity meter to check that the humidity in the affected areas remains under 40%.

One of the main reasons why black mold often thought of as more dangerous that other household molds is that water damage remediation contractors frequently ask that the families evacuate the house after a flood. This is because of the water, not the mold. Flood water is technically classified as black water, meaning that it's considered contaminated, like sewage. Water damage cleanup and mold remediation after a flood should be done by certified contractors.

Black Mold Removal and Cleanup

After you've removed any standing water with a wet/dry vacuum or floor sucker pump, then dried and dehumidied them, it's time to remove the visible mold from the walls, ceilings and floors, using a solution of either bleach and water, or borax and hydrogen peroxide. For the exact mixtures, see this article on Water Damage Mold.

Water stained area on walls need to be disinfected with these solutions to prevent further mold growth, then covered with a layer of primer, follow by coats of matching paint. The cavities within the walls, however, are more important. All stained or molded insulation should be replaced, even if only a small area is affected, and while small spots of mold growth and water damage can be cut out and replaced locally, it's highly recommended that you replace the entire sheet. Wall cavities are dark, damp areas that are highly prone to black mold growth. Black mold can flourish rapidly, in 24-48 hours, in dark and humid environments.

Wall and Floor Water Damage

The materials inside the cavities of the floors and ceilings should be examined for water damage and mold as well. Subflooring, carpet backing and insulation should be replaced, not restored. Water damage mold in these less visible areas can get tricky, since a homeowner usually tries to identify mold by sight and smell, which is almost never sufficient. A professional mold remediation contractor will use tools like borescopes to find mold in hard to reach areas. They'll also have a better idea of where to look for mold based on their experiences with other houses in your area. This is why, in many cases, you should leave black mold removal to the experts.

Water damage repair goes well beyond getting rid of mold. Find out everything you need to know about Water Damage Remediation.

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