Water Damage Can Be Deceptive

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), during a flood cleanup, the indoor air quality in your home or office may appear to be the least of your problems. But failure to remove contaminated materials and to reduce moisture and humidity can present serious long-term health risks. Standing water and wet materials are a breeding ground for microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria, and mold. They can cause disease, trigger allergic reactions and continue to damage materials long after the flood.

Keep indoor humidity low. If possible, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent relative humidity. Between 30 and 50 percent is ideal.

Water damage can be deceptive. Water penetrates into structural cavities creating trapped pockets of saturation. Undetected moisture will continue to cause damage. Foul odors will begin to permeate the air, and then damage spreads to materials that become delaminated, shrunken, split and further deteriorated until required repairs become quite costly. Dealing with the moisture and odor first will prevent such extensive damage.