When water enters your facilities, especially during a flood, it’s crucial to follow certain steps to prevent the growth of mold and other microorganisms on materials.
Here are the actions to take to minimize the impacts of water damage on your business or buildings:
1. Prevent water from entering and limit stagnation
– Limit damage by stopping water from entering your premises as soon as possible.
– Less water inside means less work to dry the place.
– Use pumps to evacuate water to the outside.
– Identify and permanently correct the cause of water damage to avoid any recurrence and minimize the risk of mold.
2. Contact your insurer immediately
– Inform your insurer without delay to know if the damage is covered.
– It’s important that the insurer can assess the situation quickly.
– Depending on the damage and your insurance policy, the insurer may cover some of the following steps, such as damage assessment and drying work.
3. Move objects affected by water
– Some sensitive objects can be irreparably damaged if they remain wet for too long.
– Be careful with objects placed in areas where water stagnates; they could become moldy due to ambient humidity.
4. Drain excess water
– Eliminate standing water quickly using sponges, cloths, mops, or a wet vacuum.
– For major damage or faster drying, call specialized companies.
5. Proceed with rapid drying of materials
– Affected materials must be dried within 48 hours to prevent mold growth.
– Open walls and floors to facilitate drying.
– Use dehumidifiers to accelerate drying.
– For significant damage, consider contacting specialized companies that have adequate equipment.
6. Check humidity levels after 48 hours
– Use a specialized device to measure residual moisture in materials. Nvira experts can help you perform these crucial checks and then recommend necessary actions.
– Porous materials that remain damp after this period should be eliminated.
– Semi-porous or non-porous materials still damp require rigorous monitoring and may need cleaning or decontamination.
7. Remove unrecoverable materials
– Discard wet insulation wool or insulation stored in a contaminated environment.
– Eliminate porous materials such as gypsum or particle board if they show signs of mold or haven’t been dried in time.
– Fabrics, cardboard, and similar materials should be discarded if exposed to water for more than 48 hours.
8. Pay attention to odors
– Musty or stuffy odors after water damage are early signs of mold growth.
9. Monitor for mold spots
– Mold spots should not appear after a disaster. If they do, it means materials were not properly dried.
– The presence of mold spots indicates a possible proliferation of spores that can affect occupants’ health.
10. Call in experts in case of doubt
– If certain prevention rules have not been followed, mold may develop.
– To ensure that water damage has not caused contamination, air quality tests and surface samples may be necessary.
– A cleaning and decontamination protocol is recommended to prevent any spread of mold.
– In cases of major fungal contamination, work monitoring and final air quality certification by a specialized firm are advised. Nvira’s Building Science experts are qualified to perform these tests and provide you with clear and effective recommendations.
Adopt these measures to protect your facilities and ensure the continuity of your operations in case of flooding. For immediate assistance and sustainable solutions, contact Nvira today.