Post flood cleanup, hurricane damage, a water pipe burst, or other structure water damage occurrences can affect the indoor air quality of your home or office which, may appear to be the least of your problems initially. However, failure to remove contaminated building materials and even your personal contents to reduce moisture and humidity can present serious long-term health risks. Standing water, repeated water damage, hidden water reservoirs and wet materials are a breeding ground for microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria, and mold. These microorganisms may cause disease, trigger allergic reactions, and continue to damage building materials and your personal contents long after the flood.

Water damage, if not immediately removed through dehumidification, extraction, and evaporation, can cause secondary damage “fungal growth” to occur within 24 to 48 hours after the initial incident. However, bacteria develop almost immediate upon any building material or personal content water damaged surface. Mold amplification on surfaces and aerosolized within your dwelling or business will require professional mold remediation by removal and cleaning of affected building materials and personal contents.

The goal of remediation is to remove or clean contaminated materials in a way that prevents the emission of microorganisms and dust contaminated with microorganisms from leaving the work area. Engineered environmental controls protect the health of the workers and prevent microorganisms from entering other locations within the building during the remediation process. Placement of engineered environmental controls prevents cross contamination from occurring and protects the health of the occupants if they are occupying other locations within the building during remediation.