Guide Available to Help Homeowners Combat Mold Due to Flooding: Free Booklets for Affected Midwestern Areas

Weeks of heavy rains have brought flooding problems to communities all along the Mississippi River, fromIowa toMissouri. Officials inCedar Rapids, Iowa are calling it the worst storm in 15 years. Many homes have already endured extensive damage and required evacuation and in many places the water is still on the rise.

"Removing standing water and water damaged materials within the first 48 hours is critical for preventing mold growth," said Rebecca Morley, executive director of NCHH based inColumbia, MD. "Mold exposure may cause allergic reactions, such as asthma attacks, sneezing, runny nose, red eyes and skin rash. Even dead mold spores pose a risk, especially for children and adults with respiratory problems," said Morley.

In 2005, NCHH researched and wrote the guide with funding and technical support from Enterprise Community Partners, a leading national community development organization. The instructional guide documents a protocol that was tested on four homes inNew Orleans following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In a home that experienced at least five feet of standing water for at least two weeks and had mold growth up to the ceiling, the protocol reduced the mold to non-detectable levels.

NCHH recommends the following steps for cleaning up flooded homes.

-- Remove standing water and dry out the building as soon as you can. Open doors and windows. Mop up or pump out any standing water.

-- Use a mild detergent and water to clean and remove mold from hard surfaces.

-- Use fans and dehumidifiers to remove moisture after cleaning. Be careful not to blow mold around while drying -- point fans to blow outside.

-- Throw away moldy things that cannot be cleaned such as carpets and carpet padding, upholstered furniture, drywall, wood molding, fiberglass or cellulose insulation, and ceiling tiles.

-- If there is more than 10 square feet (about 3 ft. X 3 ft.) of mold in your house, consider using a professional mold clean-up contractor. Do not hire a contractor who recommends fogging or spraying as a way to clean up mold. Moldy materials must be removed from the building.

-- Wipe dry or allow all surfaces to fully air-dry before doing any more work. Make sure that the home is allowed to completely dry before beginning restoration.

-- Additionally, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, residents are reminded not to operate generators within buildings. In the case of power outages, generators should only be operated outside of an enclosed space.

National housing organizations Enterprise Community Partners, NCHH and NeighborWorks(R) America partnered with NeighborWorks Organization and Neighborhood Housing Services ofNew Orleans to develop the clean-up protocols. Columbia University and Tulane University provided expertise for the demonstration project. The guide is being reprinted for distribution across the affected Midwestern states through the generous support of The Home Depot Foundation.

    Contact:  Phillip Dodge
              443-539-4168
              pdodge@nchh.org

              Tina McDaniel
              410-772-2780
              tmcdaniel@enterprisecommunity.org

SOURCE National Center for Healthy Housing

Copyright © 2008, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2008, NewsBlaze, Daily News

Tags: ,CST,RLT,HEA,PDT,CSR,PSF,MD-Natl-Cntr-Housing

   _   _

         

Is your favorite bookmark site missing? Ask for it.