Cleaning Up After Moisture
When you find that moisture has found its way into your basement or your home, through cracks in the foundation, a space between the wall and the floor, or damage to your retaining walls, a cleanup process will then be necessary to ensure mold doesn’t follow. When cleaning up after moisture, it’s important to remain vigilant and make sure that every bit of the moisture has been properly taken care of, as this is the only way you can ensure a mold problem won’t arise.
If you’re dealing with a flood situation, it’s important to remember that flood waters in and of themselves can be hazardous to your health. When cleaning up belongings or your structure after a flood, it’s important to wear protective boots, gloves, and even eyewear to stop the water from coming into contact with your skin. Harmful bacteria may be present in the water, and this can cause you to become sick or experience skin irritation. If belongings have come into contact with the flood water, or your basement has carpeting, these items should always be discarded.
In cases of leaks, rather than floods, it’s important to make sure that the basement has been properly dried. Airing out, or drying out, a basement is the key step to eliminating potential mold or mildew growth within the space, and it’s important to remember all areas of the basement when undergoing the dry out process. If you have a crawl space or sectioned off area of the basement where air may not flow as easily, place a fan in these regions specifically, as this will keep the air flowing and the drying process continuing.
After the cleanup process is finished, it’s important to take measures to ensure you won’t have to go through it again. At AA Action Waterproofing, we recommend that all basements are waterproofed to protect against leaks and mold growth, and we use several methods to ensure this is possible for all types of basement structures throughout the PA, DE, NJ, MD, DC, or VA areas.