What happens after water damage?

7/10/2019 (Permalink)

It is imperative to clean and dry a structure after a water loss for many reasons, potential mold growth is one. There are some cases when nothing can be done to the structure for various reasons, one being insurance issues. However, in some cases after a water loss, mold may not grow in the structure even though water was left sitting for longer than the usual window of time it takes mold to grow. If there were any signs that mold was beginning to grow, it was usually a “musty” odor, which we know are microbiological volatile organic compounds (MVOCs). Based on guidance documents collected from various jobs, we can deduce that mold can begin to grow in 24 to 48 hours. Mold generally grows well within the same range of temperature that makes you feel comfortable, around 60-80 degrees. Many indoor environments have 40 to 50 percent relative humidity, or atmospheric moisture content, once the temperature is around 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Different molds prefer different amounts of wetness, usually called moisture content, but is correctly referred to as water activity.