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.