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This chapter in our series of articles on removing mold in flooded buildings describes general steps to be taken after the initial mold cleanup, in order to prevent a future mold problem in a building.

If your building has been flooded, this website provides an easy to understand guide for flood damage assessment, setting priorities of action, safety, and we provide special information about avoiding or minimizing mold damage.

We also list after-flood "anti-mold" procedures that do not work or are unsafe - to help you avoid unnecessary expense in dealing with mold after a building flood. If your building is already moldy or if you suspect mold related illness in your building, we link to a step by step Mold Action Guide dealing with toxic or allergenic indoor mold and other indoor contaminants: when and how to inspect or test for mold, when to hire an expert, how to clean up a moldy area, when and how to perform post-remediation mold testing. If your septic system has been flooded we link to an article outlining what to do about that system as well. Extensive, technically detailed in-depth articles on other mold detection, testing, and prevention methods are organized at our Mold Information Center

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

GENERAL MOLD PREVENTION Advice to Consider After Flood Damage has Been Repaired

• Keep unwanted outside water out of the building. This means attention to the roof drainage system (gutters and leaders), surface drainage, and at some sites, unusual levels of ground water. In buildings where I find recurrent basement water entry, most of the time the underlying cause is inadequate maintenance of gutters and downspouts, with roof spillage against the foundation.
  
  Preventing indoor mold by keeping outside water out also means proper construction of all exterior components, roofing, siding, windows, doors, trim, steps, patios, exterior light fixtures, even downspout straps, to keep water out of building walls and cavities.
  
  See vapor barriers for a discussion of vapor barriers behind vinyl siding. The importance of flashing and house wrap on conventional construction pales next to the importance of property detailing when problem-prone building exteriors such as EIFS Synthetic Stucco are used since if workmanship is not exactly correct with those materials leaks into the building cavities trap water and often lead to costly damage, rot, or mold.
  
  See Exteriors, Landscaping, & Siding - Inspection, Repairs, Product Failures for a discussion of exterior building materials and defects.
  
  
• Humidity: Maintain Proper Indoor Humidity Levels to avoid mold. See What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem?
  
  
• Leak Prevention: proper roofing and flashing details are critical to avoid longer term building leaks at the roof and at other building penetrations such as windows, doors, plumbing vents. Indoors, replace corroded plumbing traps, use burst-resistant washing machine hoses and fixture supply risers. When possible, turn off water when leaving a building vacant for some time.
  
  
• Mold-resistant Building Materials: should be used where possible, especially in high-risk areas such as basements and bathrooms. See Mold proof drywall ? You Must Be Kidding!
  
  
• Mold-Friendly Building Materials: should be avoided in high risk areas. Do not put mold-friendly construction materials (stuff on which mold grows readily) into damp areas.
  
  
• Ventilation: to avoid indoor mold, proper venting avoids build-up of high moisture in building cavities and avoids, in freezing climates, leaks into building cavities from ice dams. See Detecting and Correcting Attic Condensation and Preventing Ice Dam Leaks in Buildings
  
  
• More Mold Prevention Steps Review the building and correct leaks or moisture sources that tend to cause mold growth independent of flooding. See MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE for more details.

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP A Guide to Mold Cleanup Procedures
  FLOODS & MOLD CLEAN/PREVENT A Guide to Dealing with Flood Damage & Mold Prevention &r Cleanup of Flooded Homes
  FIRST PRIORITIES When Responding to a Flooded Building
  BUILDING ENTRY PROCEDURE How to Enter a Building After a Building Flood
  DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY PURIFICATION How to purify emergency drinking water, how to remove odors
  DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY SOURCES Where to find drinking water in an emergency
  ELECTRICAL SAFETY for Flood Damage Inspectors
  Foundation Inspection for Flood Damage
  FLOOD RESPONSE CHECKLIST Checklist of Key Steps to Minimize Mold Damage After a Building Flood
  INEFFECTIVE MOLD PRODUCTS Ineffective Mold Products and Procedures to Avoid in Mold Cleanup/Prevention
  FURTHER STEPS PREVENT MOLD Further Steps to Avoid Mold Damage After a Building Flood
  WHEN TO STOP LOOKING FOR MOLD after Flooding: When is a Mold Cleanup Job Complete?
  GENERAL MOLD PREVENTION Preventing Future Mold After a Flooded Building Cleanup
  FLOOD DAMAGE RFERENCES References on Mold Prevention and Flood Damage
  FLOOD VENTS How to Use Flood Vents for Structural Protection from Flooding - Flood Venting in Foundations and Enclosures Below Design Flood Elevation
  SEPTIC SYSTEMS & FLOODS What to Do after a Flood - Septic Flood Response, Safety, Health, Maintenance, Repair Advice
  SEWAGE CONTAMINATION IN BUILDINGS how to detect and respond to sewage backups
  SEWAGE PATHOGENS in SEPTIC SLUDGE what are the contaminants in sewage
  Wind Damage to Roofs how to assess and identify wind damage to roofs

• Repairing Your Flooded Home American Red Cross and FEMA - PDF - English
• Como Reparar su Hogar Inundado American Red Cross and FEMA - PDF - espanol
• Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. (727) 595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com 11/06
• Hankey and Brown home inspectors, Eden Prairie, MN, technical review by Roger Hankey, prior chairman, Standards Committee, American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI. 952 829-0044 - hankeyandbrown.com 11/06
• Arlene Puentes, a licensed home inspector, educator, and building failures researcher in Kingston, NY. 11/29/06

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