Mold After Water Damage: Here’s How Fast It Grows
One inch of water is all it takes to cause $25,000 worth of home and property damage. However, that doesn’t include the burden that mold after water damage can cause.
Molds, after all, don’t only degrade materials; they can also cause health problems. While everyone is at risk, molds are especially harmful to the 10% of people in the U.S. with mold allergies.
To that end, we created this guide discussing molds, their growth timeline, and what to do about them. So read on, as what you learn here can help you prevent or eliminate them.
How Fast Does Mold Grow?
One study found that under certain conditions, molds can grow in less than a day. These conditions include high relative humidity (RH) and higher temperatures. The higher the RH and temperature, the more molds grow, and thus, the faster they spread.
How Is RH Associated With Water Damage?
The term relative humidity is a measurement of water vapor in the air. The higher it is, the more moisture in the air.
Water damage causes RH to increase as the water evaporates and mixes with the air.
How to Prevent Mold After Water Damage
The first thing to do is address the source of moisture. For example, if it’s a burst pipe, turn off your supply valve to stop more water from coming out. Then, have the damaged line repaired or replaced ASAP.
If you don’t address the source of the water damage, your mold removal attempts will be in vain. It will keep releasing excess moisture, causing your home’s indoor RH to remain high. That can then result in new mold growth.
Once you’ve eliminated the culprit, dry wet materials quickly. If possible, do it on the same day the water damage occurs, as mold and mildew can, after all, grow and spread in less than a day.
Depending on how much water has flooded your home, you may need a water extraction machine. But if it’s only a few inches or less, mops and fans may be enough to dry your house quickly.
What to Do With Existing Mold
Many cases of water damage are progressive, like those involving hidden leaking pipes. FYI, the average U.S. household has water leaks that waste about 10,000 gallons annually.
Because many leaking pipes are out of sight, it can take days for the molds they cause to become apparent.
You can use bleach for mold removal, provided the affected area is under 10 square feet. Dilute 1 cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water and apply the mixture to kill mold on bleach-safe surfaces. Dry them immediately afterward to prevent new colonies from growing.
Consider hiring mold remediation professionals if the moldy area exceeds 10 square feet. You can visit this page to learn more about how this process works.
Promptly Remove Mold After Water Damage
As you’ve learned in this guide, it can take less than 24 hours to see mold after water damage. That’s why it’s crucial to clean and dry a water-damaged home within the same day, if possible. Delaying water and mold damage remediation will only worsen the problem.
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