Mold After Water Damage in Colorado Springs Homes

What is mold, and why does it follow water?

Mold is a fungus that grows from spores present in most indoor and outdoor air. It needs moisture, a food source and time. A water loss supplies the moisture and the food, and the question is how quickly the material dries.

The paper on drywall, the wood in a subfloor, the pad under a carpet and the dust that settles on wet surfaces are all food for mold. Once they are wet, growth can begin within a day or two. The longer the material stays wet, the more the growth spreads and the deeper it goes into the material.

The US Environmental Protection Agency's guidance on mold after water damage is the usual reference for the timing. It is written for clean water, and the principle is the same for other categories: dry quickly, and remove what cannot be dried.

Where does mold hide in a Colorado Springs home?

Mold tends to hide where the moisture stays: behind the wall board, under the floor, inside the insulation, in the crawl space and under the stored boxes in a basement.

A wall that held water at its bottom plate is a common place for growth, because the cavity stays damp long after the surface looks dry. A crawl space with damp soil is another, and the joists above it can take the moisture into the subfloor. Stored cardboard and paper in a basement are food for mold as soon as they are wet.

A musty smell is often the first sign, before any growth is visible. The smell means growth is under way somewhere, and the search should start at the wet material rather than at the most visible patch.

• Back of drywall behind a leak or a stained ceiling
• Subfloor and joists over a wet crawl space
• Carpet pad and stored boxes in a wet basement
• Insulation behind a wall that held water
• Window sills and trim at a leak

When is material removed, and when is it cleaned?

Porous material with growth, such as drywall paper, carpet pad, insulation and soft wood, is generally removed. Hard, non-porous surfaces such as sealed concrete, metal and tile can be cleaned and disinfected.

Cleaning a surface that is porous leaves growth in the material, because the spores and the hyphae reach into the fibers and the paper. Removal is the honest answer for those materials, and it is recorded so the homeowner can see what was taken out and why.

Hard surfaces can be washed with a detergent and then treated with an antimicrobial suited to the surface. The cleaning is done after the wet material is removed, and the surface is dried before the room is closed.

Which credentials should a homeowner ask for?

Ask the company which credentials it holds for the work, which permits the job requires and which insurance covers the work. This site does not name a Colorado license for mold work, so the homeowner should verify what the company says.

A homeowner should not rely on any license claim that a company makes without checking it. The question to ask is which credentials the company holds for mold remediation, what the local building department requires for any structural repair and what insurance covers the crew.

A company that cannot answer those questions in writing is one to avoid. The Colorado Division of Insurance is the state office for insurers, and it is the right office to contact about a denied claim. The building department answers the permit questions for repair work.

Who should avoid entering a space with mold?

People with asthma, allergies or a weakened immune system should stay out of an open work area, and children and pets should be kept out until the area is cleaned and dried.

Mold can cause respiratory symptoms in sensitive people, and a space that is being opened for removal releases spores into the air. The work area is contained with sheeting and ventilated, and the people who are sensitive should not enter it while it is open.

A person who develops a cough, a wheeze or a rash after exposure should see a doctor and mention the exposure. This page does not give medical advice.

What does the insurer need to see about mold?

The record of the water event, the date it was found, the readings, the photographs of the growth and the material removed. The timing of the drying is part of the claim, and the policy decides how mold is covered.

Many policies cover mold only when it follows a covered water loss, and the terms often limit the amount. The record of when the water was stopped and when the structure was dried is part of the claim, so it should be kept with the photographs and the removed-material list.

The Colorado Division of Insurance takes complaints about how claims are handled. A homeowner who disagrees with a mold decision should ask the insurer for the reasons in writing and keep the answer with the file.

How is an area contained before mold is removed?

The affected area is sealed with plastic sheeting, kept under negative air pressure and worked from the clean side toward the contaminated side.

Containment keeps spores from moving into the rest of the house during removal. The sheeting is sealed at its edges, a fan vents air from the contained space to the outside, and the crew enters through a single controlled opening. The work is done from the cleanest area toward the most contaminated, and the material is bagged and carried out in sealed bags.

Containment is sized to the job. A small patch behind a single wall may need only a sealed work area, while a large growth area in a basement needs a larger enclosure and a longer setup. The homeowner should ask how the containment will be built before the work starts.

Which materials can be cleaned in place, and which cannot?

Sealed concrete, metal, sealed tile and glass can usually be cleaned. Drywall paper, carpet pad, unsealed wood and insulation generally cannot.

A hard surface that has a smooth, sealed face can be scrubbed with a detergent and then treated with a suitable antimicrobial product. The cleaning is complete when the surface is dry and free of visible growth. A surface that is porous or has been wet to its core is generally removed rather than cleaned, because the growth reaches into the material.

Wood can sometimes be cleaned and dried if the growth is surface only and the wood is sound. A soft or stained piece of framing is replaced or sistered by a carpenter, and the decision belongs with the homeowner and the carpenter.

How should a homeowner watch a room after the removal?

Check the room for a return of smell or stain after each heavy rain for the first season, and log the readings if the crew returns to check.

A room that has been cleaned and dried can still hold moisture in a material that was not removed, and a return of the smell is the first sign. Check the room after each heavy rain, and note any new stain, soft spot or musty smell. A new sign should be reported at once, with the date and the weather.

If the crew returns to check the readings, ask for them to be logged on the same points as before. A consistent set of readings shows whether the room is holding dry or whether the moisture is coming back.

What does a homeowner need to know about air quality during the work?

Ventilation and containment reduce the spread of spores, and people who are sensitive should stay out of the work area while it is open.

During removal, the work area is ventilated to the outside and kept under negative pressure, which means air flows in and not out through the sealed openings. Children, pets and anyone sensitive to mold should stay away from the work area while it is open, and the homeowner should ask the crew how the area will be cleared before anyone returns.

A clearance check at the end of the work, with the readings and a visual inspection, is the usual way to show the area is ready for use. The homeowner can ask for the clearance to be written into the record.

What a dry standard means for a material that has had mold

A material that held mold is judged on its readings after removal and cleaning, and on whether the moisture source has been stopped.

Once growth has been removed, the material around it is read again to confirm it is at its dry standard. The readings are taken on the framing that stayed in place, and on the surfaces that were cleaned, because a surface can look clean while the moisture behind it has not gone. The source must also be confirmed as fixed. A room that dries after the growth is removed but then gets wet again from the same leak will grow mold again.

The crew records the readings and the points where they were taken. A homeowner who has the record can compare the readings at a later check with the ones taken at the end of the work, and a rise in the numbers points to a new source of moisture.