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Carpet water damage mold and black mold in carpet can develop anytime your carpet has become wet and stayed wet for a while without the opportunity to dry out thoroughly. If your home had some flooding and the carpet was damp for more than 24 hours, you probably have some black mold in carpet. Carpet water damage mold carries many health risks and can be a great deal of work to clean up. Health Risks of Stachybotrys Chartarum Black mold, technically known as Stachybotrys chartarum, carries many known health risks, which is why you don’t want it in your carpet. Health risks of black mold in your carpet include: difficulty breathing frequent respiratory infections asthma attacks development of asthma in people previously not diagnosed with the condition coughing sneezing itchy, watery eyes headaches depression fatigue trouble concentrating Health risks of Stachybotrys chartarum are of greater concern for some people than others. Infants, young children and the elderly are at increased risk for health problems. So are pregnant women, anyone with a history of respiratory problems like asthma and people with compromised immune systems, such people with HIV or AIDS. Cleaning up Black Mold in Carpet Once carpet water damage mold has taken hold, there’s often no cleaning it up. You can shampoo your carpet but that probably won’t remove mold from the floor or padding beneath the carpet. This is another of those situations in which you can attempt the clean up on your own but would be wise to call in a professional to handle the job for you. Getting Started If you are going to try to clean up the carpet water damage mold on your own, start by obtaining the proper protective clothing. You’ll need long pants and a long-sleeved shirt that you can wash as soon as you finish handling the mold-contaminated carpet, goggles, rubber or vinyl gloves, and an N-95 respirator or other face mask. Once you’ve determined you have black mold in carpet, do not attempt to dry out the carpet before handing it. Dry mold spores become airborne much more easily and you can easily transport them to other parts of your house or breathe them into your lungs. In fact, mist the carpet with cool water if you need to in order to keep it damp for handling. You should also contain the entire area with plastic so none of the mold spores can get to the rest of your house. Cleaning Up Carpet Water Damage Mold Cleaning up water damage mold from your carpet is a lot of work. If you want to tackle the task yourself, you’ll need to remove some areas of carpet and padding that cannot be dried out and saved, then scrub the floor to remove mold from the wood or sand the wood to remove mold if scrubbing doesn’t do the job. Once all traces of mold are removed, allow the area to dry thoroughly with the aid of a fan or two. Then replace damaged carpet and/or padding with new. Fixing Any Leaks Of course, you’ll also need to fix any leaks or sources of moisture that allowed the carpet to suffer damage in the first place or you’ll just end up with black mold in carpet again and again. Look for leaky roofs, pipes, leaks around door or window frames, or places condensation may build up on cooler outside walls. If you’re not sure where the moisture is coming from, call in a professional for a free assessment of the area. You can hire a professional to handle the entire task if you want, but even if you decide to try doing the job yourself we recommend you consult with a licensed mold remediation contractor. A professional will give you a free assessment, recommendations, and valuable advice along with their estimate. They may also find some additional mold you didn’t even know was in your home. You can follow this link to get a list of local Mold Removal Specialists in your area. For more information, you may visit the links below: flood west auckland
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