What You Need to Know if You’ve Had Water Damage in Your Home

This year, Mother Nature has proven she’s a force to be reckoned with. Hundreds of households across the country have suffered water damage as a result of severe weather.

Five hurricanes and two tropical storms have made landfall in the United States this year, bringing with them destructive winds, torrential rains and flooding in Florida and 14 other states. And according to the 2004 Global Register of Major Flood Events, non-tropical systems have caused notable flooding in California, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kentucky, and 12 other states.

In the aftermath of all the storms, we’ve seen pictures of flood victims wading through their living rooms, salvaging what they can and putting the rest of their water-logged possessions out on the curb. “In many cases, the damage you see is just the tip of the iceberg. In homes that aren’t dried out completely within 48 to 72 hours after a flood event, there will be mold growth,” says Seth Norman, of Mold Free, a nationwide mold inspection and remediation service.

Dampness in basements, walls, carpets, and wood caused by flooding provides an environment for mold to flourish. If left unchecked, it can cause disease, trigger allergic reactions, and continue to damage materials long after the storm.

Firefighters in the Town of Palm Beach, Fla., were forced to evacuate their fire station in October 2004 after conditions there were deemed unsafe. Mold had started growing inside the building after Hurricane Jeanne’s storm surge left the carpets saturated. Water that seeped in through the roof and some windows didn’t help matters.

Mold is also to blame for shutting down dozens of school and government buildings and even homes in other parts of the country. In some cases, rain water is to blame. In most, leaky pipes, roofs and windows get the blame.

“Any home that has ever experienced dripping water, a backed up toilet, a roof leak -- any situation in which water collects in their home -- likely has a mold problem,” says Norman.

If you can answer "yes" to any of the following questions, there could be hidden mold in your home or building:

* Can you see a substance that you suspect is mold?

* Is there a musty smell in the building?

* Are there visible signs of water damage anywhere?

* Does the building suffer from constant moisture or poor circulation?

* Has the building ever suffered a roof, plumbing or basement leak?

* Has the building ever suffered a sink or sewer overflow?

* Has the building ever suffered other water problems?

If you think you may have a problem, you have a couple of options. You can hire a mold inspection service to come and inspect your home, but that can be expensive. Most companies will charge between $500 and $2,500 to conduct an environmental assessment. Or you can buy a test kit and conduct the inspection yourself.

IMS Laboratory’s Mold Test Kit comes complete with easy-to-follow instructions for testing your home or office environment. It is the only home testing kit approved by the National Association of Mold Professionals, a nonprofit organization established with the goal of developing and promoting the Mold Inspection and Remediation industry.

The kit can be used three different ways: it can take a direct topical sample; it can be taped to an air vent to test your air duct system; or simply exposed to the air in a suspect room. Once the test is complete, you seal it in the enclosed bag and place it in a dark, warm place for two to three days. If your environment tests positive for mold, you have the option of sending the kit to IMS Laboratory’s lab to have the type of mold identified.

Jeff, who lives in Jacksonville, Fla., learned about the kit while doing some online research about mold. He was trying to find out what was making his bathroom smell musty. “I wanted to make sure we didn’t have dangerous mold growing there and was so relieved when the test came back positive for penicillium, a harmless mold generally associated with water damage,” he says. “Turns out when I had the tile installed, a plastic shield was never put down and water that seeped through the cracks allowed mold to grow.”

“Once you discover the presence of mold, the key to preventing it from spreading is controlling excess moisture,” says Norman. He recommends you use exhaust fans to vent moisture from bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry areas outdoors, be sure the clothes dryer vents outside the house, repair water leaks promptly, and either dry out and clean or replace any water-damaged materials. Lowering the humidity in the home with the use of an air conditioner or dehumidifier also helps prevent condensation problems.

“Mold is something you need to be concerned about even if you’ve only had a brief exposure. All it takes is a drop of water in the wrong place at the wrong time to lead to a big problem,” says Norman.