Competent, certified, fully licensed and insured service companies familiar with the precautionary measures required for protecting property and the health and safety of the building occupants should perform the remediation. Clean water floods that are properly dried out within 48 hours generally do not require extensive demolition of porous building materials or containment procedures. A building suffering from fungal contamination is not a safe environment. The occupants should be evacuated when significant visible mold colonization is diagnosed and returned only when the building is cleared for re-occupancy. Mold remediation strategies should be job-site specific and take into account the type and square footage of visible mold, the sensitivities of the building occupants, the proximity of the mold to the work area, and the quantity of airborne mold during demolition and cleaning.
Buildings contaminated by visual mold are very expensive to restore to pre-loss condition.
When water damage occurs in a building, time is critical. Mold begins to germinate within twelve to twenty-four hours. Fortunately, most water damages do not require the mold contamination protocol that we have discussed in this issue. When water damage is detected early and a professional restoration contractor provides the mitigation procedures quickly, the conditions for mold growth can be eliminated. Please Contact our office if you would like more information on the cause and effects of mold and the remediation options available.