Yes, mold is likely to grow after a leak if no action is taken. The best way to prevent mold growth is to stop leaks immediately. If you notice any water leaks, you must stop them quickly and dry them properly. On average, you can expect mold to grow after a leak for 48 to 72 hours.
This means that the prevention period between the time the leak occurs and the appearance of mold is very small. If the flood is too big for you to control, you may need to call a professional to help you properly clean your home from water damage. While you might think that you can dry water-damaged areas yourself using fans and dry water vacuums, we've found that most homeowners never completely dry water-damaged areas. Next, be sure to immediately dry any areas damaged by water to prevent mold from forming after a water leak in your home. Once you've shut off the water supply, you should also check the pipes for leaks.
To do this, place a bucket under each faucet and let the cold water run. Most homeowners insurance covers water damage that occurs inside the home due to moisture and plumbing problems. Jenkins Restorations specializes in rebuilding and repairing properties damaged by wind, water, fire, storms, vandalism, or theft. When you're faced with water damage and a potential mold problem, there are some definitive recommendations you should and shouldn't implement while you wait for help to arrive.
It's very important that you start the process of drying up the water damage or you could stick with your home repairs that will take even longer than they already require. If you experience a sudden drop in water pressure, a sharp rise in your water bill, or a humid area where there should be no moisture, it might be worth calling a local water leak detection company. If a water leak is not cleaned and dried properly, mold can begin to grow as soon as two days after the water leak. Mold will almost certainly form to some extent, unless water damage is minimal.
The cost of professionally drying areas damaged by water is almost always covered by insurance, so it doesn't cost you anything more to have to hire a restoration company like Jenkins Restorations to dry areas damaged by water to speed up time and return to normal. Properties that have repeated leaks often face significant resident dissatisfaction, reduced resident retention, and increased costs, including insurance premiums, water extraction, mold removal, pipe repairs, overtime maintenance, repair of damage, and sometimes even lawsuits and legal fees. We understand that you can Google “How to get rid of mold” and find hundreds of ways to do it, but those methods are usually for surface mold, not mold in the area damaged by water. If your home has experienced water damage after a storm or flood, you have approximately 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold and mildew from forming.
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