Water damage and mold

Water damage can come from many different sources. Flooding, burst pipes, roof leaks, high humidity are just a few of them. Regardless of how the damage occurred, water damage can cause significant devastation in your household or workplace. Immediate attention is necessary to control mold growth.

Mold needs three things to grow, Water, Heat and a Food source. Because we are surrounded by food sources for mold and mold loves the temperatures we enjoy we must control the moisture in our homes or workplaces.

The most important action in any water damage situation is speed.

There are many factors to be concerned about when you have water damage in your building including the source of water, what it has come in contact with, if there are any contaminants in the water, housing finishes, materials (building or contents) affected, hidden moisture, high humidity, and so on. It may be a great time to seek professional help. Mouldoff professionals are trained to seek out the cause of the water damage and help assess the level of damage and develop a restoration plan to dry the building structure out to protect against mould growth. 

General guidelines used for cleaning up water damage:

• Wear personal protective equipment: eye protection, gloves, boots, and appropriate respiratory protection where necessary.
• Locate the source of the water leak and take corrective measures as necessary.
• Remove any excess water.
• Use controlled conditions that prevent spreading of any contaminants to other areas of the building.
• Dry wet materials when possible.
• Strip out and dispose of unsalvageable contents and building materials.

 

Water Damage Certifications:

IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification)

·   ASD - Applied Structural Drying Technician

·   CDS - Commercial Drying Specialist

·   WRT - Water Damage Restoration Technician

·   MWR - Master Water Restorer

RIA (Restoration Industry Association)

·   WLS - Water Loss Specialist

NAMM (National Association for Moisture Management)

·   CEMP - Certified Environmental Mold Remediator

·   CMMP - Certified Moisture Management Professional

ACAC (The American Council for Accredited Certification)

·   CIE – Certified Indoor Environmentalist