Phew, it’s over!..or is it?

4/15/2021 (Permalink)

When the freeze hit this winter many people in the area had flooded basements due to sump pump failure. Some people only had a flooded basement for a matter of hours due to the electricity being restored. So when the electric came back on, the water was pumped out and many people figured that was the end of it. They thought no further measures need be taken, and they got busy dealing with the immediate issues of concern like trees and debris throughout their property and yard.

What many homeowners started seeing within a week or so, was microbial growth starting to pop up in their basement. Microbial growth/mold thrives and flourishes in wet and damp areas. When a flooded basement happens, the sheetrock, contents, floors, and any other materials within the area are saturated with water, and that is not the usual case within the area. Just because the water recedes does not mean that the area will dry out efficiently, or at all without help.

We saw many spaces with little to no ventilation within them. Basements are already a highly concentrated area when it comes to humidity (water in the air). Mold growth usually happens when materials are not dried out to their regular/normal water content within a period of 2-3 days.

After the water receded and we got a good hold on all the basements that were flooded and performed water remediation and mold remediation, we got a second wave of a new type of customer. It was the customer that thought they were in the clear because the sump pump kicked back on and got rid of the water, only to walk into their basement a week later to find mold throughout the space.

With water, you can never be too careful with making sure that your space is dried out properly and quickly. So if you aren’t sure if a space will dry properly on its own, give SERVPRO a call and we’ll make sure you are good to go!