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While some surfaces in the home can be adequately cleaned and disinfected, furniture, moldings, drywall, and any wood exposed to water must be replaced. Left, (above and below), mold is shown in homes examined by iMold Water Damage & Mold Restoration after Ian.
Homes across the region bear the telltale scars of inundation, their walls tainted by water lines reaching feet above the ground. The floodwaters not only left a visible mark, but also left behind an ideal breeding ground for mold and a slurry of Category 3 black water contaminated with E coli, said Brian Bland, a repairman at Florida licensed molder and owner of iMold Water Damage & Mold. Catering.
Lab-tested samples taken by iMold of 195 homes in Southwest Florida, from St. James City and Cape Coral to Fort Myers and Bonita Springs, revealed fecal matter in 190 of them.
“It’s definitely there if your house flooded,” said Mr. bland “If your roof leaked, it might as well be there.”
While some surfaces in the home can be adequately cleaned and disinfected, furniture, moldings, drywall, and any wood exposed to water must be replaced. So should the tiled floor, said Mr. Bland, noting that moisture will seep into its edges, eventually making its way into new walls and causing future mold a decade from now.
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“Your insurance only pays once,” he said.
Removal of flooded surfaces should be done as soon as possible. Tony Leeber, CEO of Cornerstone Builders, a building contractor and licensed mold repairman, said insurance companies are accelerating water damage claims.
“They know that the longer the water sits, it will cause mold, increase the damage and lead to a bigger claim,” he said. “It’s important to get in there right away and most insurance companies are making it easy. We are replacing baseboards, moldings, drywall and countertops. There are also the added concerns of plumbing and electrical exposed to water.”
Andrea Pelletier, private risk services client advisor for Gulfshore Insurance in Naples, says homeowners should take photos of water lines with a measuring tape that shows the distance to the ground. He also recommends retrieving 1-by-1-foot soil samples.
“Water remediation companies have been very responsive,” said Ms. Pelletier “They’re breaking into houses and cutting through plasterboard as we can all see from the debris piled up along the roads.”
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At the three-week mark since the hurricane, the do-it-yourself window has long since slammed shut. Removing mold-infested drywall is best left to the experts to prevent further damage, said Mr. bland
“People freak out about wet drywall and moisture growth flourishes, but if it’s cut the wrong way, you’re dispersing spores,” he said. “Mold is worse once it’s in the air. You’re breathing it in, it’s toxic and it can cause serious illness and death.”
Mr. Bland advises homeowners to contain the growth by sealing visible mold with plastic and tape.
While the Florida Department of Health defers to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding the cleanup of large-scale mold growth, the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation is responsible for providing licenses to mold assessors and repairers who complete the required training and pass an examination. State lawmakers tightened mold remediation laws last year, requiring Florida licenses to do business in the state.
“In the state of Florida, it’s a felony to touch anything over 10 square feet if you don’t have a license,” said Mr. bland
Records show Southwest Florida has about 170 individual mold repairers with active licenses: about 20 in Charlotte, 50 in Collier and just over 100 in Lee.
In Florida, mold assessors perform tests and assess the severity of mold in homes. Repairers, such as iMold and Cornerstone, do the actual cleaning. ¦
In the TO KNOW
What are molds?
Molds are types of fungi. They grow in the natural environment. Small mold particles are everywhere in indoor and outdoor air. In nature, molds help break down dead materials and can be found growing on soil, food, plants, and other items. Molds are also very common in buildings and houses. Mold needs moisture to grow. Indoors, mold growth can be found where moisture levels are high, such as basements and showers. Molds produce microscopic cells called “spores” that are easily spread through the air. Spores can also be spread by water and insects. The living spores act like seeds, forming new mold colonies when they find the right conditions.
How do you identify mold or mold potential when you return home after a disaster?
Things that have been wet for two days have mold even if you can’t see it.
view — Are the walls or ceiling discolored or showing signs of mold growth or water damage?
smell — Do you smell a bad smell, such as dampness, dirt or an unpleasant stench?
If so, it’s mold.
More tips
Mold can appear gray, black, or even brown. Mold colonies may appear cottony, velvety, granular, leathery, or glassy.
Mold will begin to grow on most surfaces after only 24 hours in a humid environment.
Certified/licensed mold inspectors are available in most communities.
The color of the mold does not affect the choice of mold cleaner, the cleaning methods are the same.
Use bleach to clean mold from hard things like floors, sinks, counters, cutlery, dishes and tools.
Objects wet with water such as clothes, carpets, etc. should be thrown away.
Never mix bleach with ammonia or other cleaners.
Mix no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water.
If the surface is rough, scrub with a stiff brush.
Rinse with clean water.
Dry the item or let it dry.
Remove objects that have absorbed water and cannot be cleaned and dried, carpets, clothing, mattresses, furniture, everything else that cannot be disinfected. Flood waters generally contain sewage, so take protective precautions.
Florida Department of Health