What's That Smell? Treating Odors From Mold Growth and Water Damage

2/22/2022 (Permalink)

These Tips will make Treating Odors From Mold Growth and Water Damage much Easier.

Long after the flood is over, the water has been removed, and the contents of your home have been thoroughly dried out, an unpleasant odor may linger. There are a few reasons you can't just focus on the drying step of water damage recovery:

• Flood water carries contaminants from multiple sources.

• Water picks up chemicals and organic material as it flows through your home and property.

• Mold growth occurs within just a day or two.

• There could be hidden pockets of unresolved moisture.

A thorough response to water damage, especially when sewage loss is involved, requires some attention to flood-related odors.

Responses to Mold Growth and Other Flood-Related Odors

Water damage remediation teams use a variety of strategies and tools to tackle existing odors and prevent new smells from developing:

Increased Ventilation, Heaters, and Dehumidifiers

When professionals dry out your home and contents, they pull out as many tools as possible to ensure that water is pulled out from areas underneath carpets, behind the walls, and deep within out-of-the-way corners. Opening the windows and installing fans is the first step in this part of the recovery process. Heaters and dehumidifiers are used to decrease humidity in the air and to target moisture below the surface.

Masking Agents

These products are used to cover up unpleasant smells. They act quickly and are easy to set up around your home. While these products don't get rid of the odors, they do make your home temporarily more comfortable and are a good choice while you wait for stronger methods to work.

Deodorizing Agents

Odor counteractants use enzymes to break down odor-causing compounds, such as body fluids, smoke, mold, other organic matter. When water damage cleanup professionals spray deodorizing agents onto the surfaces of your home, you may notice a clean, natural scent that remains for several days. These sprays are safe for use on the surfaces that you and your family come into contact with each day.

Air Scrubbers

These machines work by pulling air through several HEPA filters. Particles in the air, as small as 0.3 microns, are trapped and killed by the filters. The devices also release ionized oxidizers into the air. The oxidizers have a negative charge and attract the positive ions that cause unwanted smells, such as musty odors. Air scrubbers are 99.97 percent effective at trapping those odor-causing particles.

Ozone Generators

These devices are often used as a last resort because of their powerful ability to affect the environment. Ozone differs from oxygen because it has one more oxygen molecule. When ozone generators are used, the third molecule detaches and attaches to other chemicals, such as the spores from mold growth. Too much ozone can lead to hazardous living conditions, and when professionals use this type of equipment to kill bacteria, they must follow strict procedural guidelines. If machines are used in your home, technicians will wait until people and pets have moved out before running the generators.

You don't need to wait for mold growth or flood water to treat your home for unpleasant odors. Bountiful, UT, Professionals can provide a remedial response for odor problems due to backed-up toilets, clogged pipelines, and hidden causes.