By: Lia Contesso
Submitted: 2011-11-16 07:29:37 | Word Count: 542
Floods caused by heavy rain and by rivers being so filled the water exceeds their capacity. Other natural disasters like earthquakes can cause a movement of the waters strong enough to create floods in certain parts of the world, and unsafely built infrastructures may fail when pushed to the limit. Whatever the reasons, one the water is gone from the houses, there is still the danger they may affect the wellbeing of the people inside of the houses and the same house's structure.
There are, in fact, several humidity problems related to the flooding of a house that can have consequences on floors, walls, ceilings and on the foundations of the building. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt some preventive behaviours that help solve the problem rapidly. Normally, moist in houses' walls is a concern, but since the water coming from the floods tends to be dirty and have remaining from the streets and underground sewers, the risk for contamination in high.
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These waters can be damaging in two fronts: for one, they can weaken a house's foundations causing stability problems. Moreover, they can develop into the formation of highly toxic mold hazardous for people's health.
When entering back the house after a flood, it is important to do a deep cleaning of all the surfaces, even if they haven't been in contact with the water. A solution of detergent and bleach should be enough to eliminate all the residues, but it is possible to also use anti-mold dust and spreadable substances against humidity. It is important to insist on areas were food and clothes are usually stored like cupboards and drawers.
It is important to throw away all food that has been close to the flooded areas during the event, even if it's hermetically closed, to avoid intoxication risks.
To eliminate the rest of the humidity accumulated in the air of the house, the walls and textiles, frequently ventilate all areas of the building. If you home has wallboards, it is probably that humidity has developed underneath since these materials tend to absorb water rather fast. If the flood has not been too serious you may get away with cutting some centimeters from the top and the down section of the panels in order to let the air circulate and dry the walls, otherwise you will have to remove and substitute the wallboard once the wall is completely dry. Floor pannels in linoleum or moquette may have to be temporarily or permanently removed in order to allow for the moist to evaporate.
The policy, therefore, has to be that of prevention. Deep cleaning all the house before moving back in is probably the best option, even safer if executed by trusted professionals. Further preventive behaviors include frequent ventilation of all the rooms and control of the house's foundations, as well as keeping an eye out for water leaks and mold developments. If any serious problem is identified, the most convenient and fast alternative is calling a professional to fix the issue with the smallest impact on the house structure and on the life's of the people inside.
