There is a lot more attention being given today about the damage that mold can do in a home. Mold will grow where there is moisture for a prolonged period of time. Some surfaces are more susceptible to mold growth than others. When surfaces like wood, cloth, sheetrock, and carpeting become wet, they can be a perfect environment for the appearance of mold and mildew.
In homes or businesses that have had significant water damage due to flooding either from faulty plumbing or from Mother Nature can sustain much damage from the water itself. This damage can be compounded even more when is some surfaces are wet long enough to develop mold.
In cases where heavy flooding has occurred from things like hurricanes, tornadoes, and heavy rainfall that causes streams and rivers to over extend their banks, many times the ground floor of a home can get covered in water ranging anywhere from a few inches to many feet.
In cases like the homes flooded by hurricane Katrina, many homes were flooded even to their second floors. These homes suffered the worst damage. Many people were not able to save their homes at all because by the time the water receded enough to allow access to them, the water had been there so long that it was impossible to salvage anything.
For those that suffered less damage and only had flooding of a few inches, most of their homes could be saved. It was still a tremendous undertaking to return their homes to their former state. Destroyed flooring, sheetrock, wood, and mold were all factors in the clean up process. Protective clothing and breathing mask had to be worn to protect people from toxic mold during clean up.
When there is flooding in a home on a smaller scale, like that caused by plumbing breaks, the damage might not be nearly as bad concerning walls and flooring if it can be cleaned up quickly enough. Mold growth can be prevented if all the water sodden surfaces are dried out thoroughly. Many times homeowners can clean up minor flooding like this their selves.
The most important thing is that if a surface goes develop any mold, it should be killed by using chlorine bleach if possible or removing the effected surface area altogether. Mold on surfaces like sheetrock or wood will sometimes need to be removed because it is so hard to keep the growth from spreading.
When there has been a natural disaster flood and your home has been damaged severely, there might be a number of walls and floors that have to be torn out and replaced. This can also be true for cabinets and other damaged built in things like shelves or bookcases. There will likely be furniture and decorative items that you will have to replace also.
For so many thousands of people this has been a process that they did not have planned, but found that after the flood was over and the water receded, there was no choice except dig their heels in and get on with the work that was going to have to be done before they could live in their homes again. Even as traumatic as it is to recover financially and emotionally from a situation like this, there are those who will persevere and make the best out of a terrible situation.
For many women and some men too, decorating the home can be very fulfilling and satisfying to the soul. For many it is a hobby that they can just not get enough of. For those who love to do this, having the home flooded might have been a disaster, but it also gave them the opportunity to completely redo many things in their home. At least for those who were insured, those who were not did not really have much to look forward to at all.
Home owner insurance will usually cover replacing many items in the home along with paying for the necessary clean up and carpentry work that needs to be done. Know how much budget you have to work with and try to make the most of it. You might be able to save some money in some areas and have a little extra for others. It might not cost any additional money to have a few walls changed around if they had to be torn out anyway.
Try to enjoy the process of rebuilding and redecorating as much as you can. Instead of dwelling on the old things that you lost, try to take satisfaction from the new things that you replace them with. It might be difficult to let go of some things because of the memories attached to them, but keep in mind that the flood you and your family have survived gives you the opportunity to make new memories with new things.
Both Jim Corkern & Rachel Yoshida are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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