Removal of excess water is necessary to hasten the drying off of the premises and the items in it after fire or flood.   If you let excess water stay within your home for quite some time, it can lead to a host of other problems such as mold and mildew growth, soaking of the structure which will cause it to weaken and further deteriorate.  Unchecked mildew growth can even affect the neighboring houses as well as poison the environment.

To be able to preclude this additional problem, you will have to start the water removal process immediately.  If you delay this long enough, your home will become a breeding ground of molds and mildews, insects and other pests that love to make this kind of environment their home.  Prior to removal of water, you must first determine if there is a source of flooding and have it repaired.  However, if the source of flooding is an ongoing storm, then there is now way for you to stop the flooding so you will just have to wait for the storm to abate.  Right after the storm, if it is possible, you should have a water extraction company deal with the removal of the excess water.  You will have to do this at once, regardless of the scheduled dealings with your insurance company or the restoration company because every minute your house and your possession stay soaked in water, the more damage it will incur.

As soon as you have contracted the services of a water removal company, you can do the folowing to facilitate their work:

• Shut of all sources of gas and electricity
• If you can safely do this, clear the area of floating debris
• Discar all the items that can no longer be repaired or restored
• Take safety precautions such as wearing protective gears like hand gloves, boots and eye protection
• Choose the areas where you can safely step on or touch as they might be damaged or weakended by the fire or flood
• Be wary of live electrical wirings
• Take out the insulations from the walls, if possible

Having done this, the water removal company can start doing their work with the use of wet vacs, moisture monitor, dehumidifiers to hasten the drying process.  They will also use industrial chemicals such as biocide to clean up and disinfect the premises to prevent the development of molds and other microorganisms.

Damage caused by molds may not be immediately evident until such time that it has become widely spread.  Then this can become a health hazard as well as a disintegration agent.  Molds that grow in an open environment look organic and appear greenish to brown.  However, it can also develop inside the home premises without the owner’s knowledge, especially if the condition is ideal – moist and warm.  Molds are a toxic genus of fungus that could become poisonus and therefore a health hazard.  On top of being a health hazard it is also grows and feeds on any organic material that it touches.   The end result, the material host decays to sustain the growth of the molds.  This usually happens on perpetually moist walls or posts, under the carpet, trees and leaves.  If left to breed for a long time, this will lead to the weakening and eventual destruction of wherever it proliferates.

Mold damage sets in for a lot of reasons.  A lot of times, they can be avoided, sometimes not.  Unknown to the homeowner, there could be a tiny pipe leak hidden and unseen at the back of the walls or floorboards.  Leaks on the roof can cause molds to develop on the ceiling as well as the walls.  Excess water caused by fire clean ups can also induce mold growth in places that are not often visited or cleaned.

Mold spores can travel to other places through air.  So when it lands on an organic material and allowed to stay there for a long time, it will start developing and damaging your home or furniture.  When inhaled by the unsuspecting home occupants and pets, could result to a host of illnesses such as respiratory, intestinal and neurological.

Unchecked mold growth can only lead to the decay of your propery.  In a less severe scenario, it can cause discoloration or staining.  This has been the case for thousands of antique items that were meant to be preserved but were found eaten away by mold growth because they have been left unchecked and unmaintained for a long time.

After a fire or flood disaster, taking out the smoke odor and cleaning off the soot on the walls, floors and other fixtures is not sufficient.  A professional restoration company can do a complete cleanup not only those that are seen by the naked eyes but as well as those that can be developing in the hidden recesses of your home.

Mold can damage the look and the composition of any surfaces it grows on.  Not only that, it can also be a health hazard because mold spores can be poisonous and development of molds and mildew in large quantities can endager and make a home not fit to live in.  However, small scale mold gorwth can be easily dealt with by the home owner following these ten practical guidelines.

1.       Determine where the molds are coming from.  Normally, it will start growing on a place that is always wet or damp such as a leaking pipe.  Once you stop the source of leaking water, it is greatly possible that you will be able to resolve the mold issue.

2.       To protect your self from inhaling or being contaminated by the mold spores, wear protective gears such as gloves and mask.  Although not all kinds of molds are dangeorus, it will be better to take proper precaution in the event that they are.

3.       Take out the items which have already mold growth and keep them in plastic bags and properly discard them.  Sealing them inside plastic bags will prevent their spreading in the air.

4.      Clean all the surfaces with a household multi-purpose cleaner then rinse them well.  Keep all the windows open and use electric fans to hasten the drying process.  If mold growth recurs, you will have to repeat the cleaning process all over again.

5.       All the items used to catch drips should be cleaned such as those used for the refrigerators and air conditioners.  Clean them with soap and water then rinse throroughly.  Mix the rinsing water with a little bleach to discourage regrowth of mold.

6.       If a bigger damage was experienced due to bursting pipes or flood, taking out the excess water and drying the premises should be the first priority.  Mold and mildew can develop within 24 hours in an ideal environment with the right dampness and temperature.

7.       Endeavor to lessen the humidity inside the premises because molds and mildews love this kind of environment.  Hang the clothes outside to dry if the weather permits.  Vents should not be operated if there is already an instance of mold and mildew growth to prevent it from spreading to other areas of the house.  Using a dehumidfier can lessen humidity by as much as 60%.  Open the exhaust fan when using hot shower or when cooking to expel the steam.

8.      Check out the house’s foundation.  You will never know how imporant the soil slope is until heavy rains come pouring down.  A properly sloped gound – which should be away from the house – will preclude dampness due to long standing water near the foundation.  If the ground is not properly sloped, you can remedy this by scraping the soil and the debris towards the street, away from the house.

9.       Even if you have cleaned the area of molds, you should re-visit it after some time to make sure that the mold has not grown back.  If it does, you might have to require the services of a professional mold remediation company.