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How Long Does It Take Mold to Grow in a Flooded Home?

mold growth on wall

Water damage from flooding, leaks or high humidity can not only compromise the integrity of your home and its contents, but also cause mold growth. Mold can grow quickly after water damage, making the restoration process more difficult. Even a small amount of moisture, if not handled quickly and properly, can turn into a large mold infestation.

Mold spores – tiny airborne particles that are not visible to the naked eye – exist everywhere in nature, and they can grow into visible mold after a water damage incident. When it starts invading your home, mold can threaten the health of its occupants. Mold exposure is especially dangerous for people with breathing problems caused by allergies or asthma.

However, you can avoid mold growth in your home if you act fast. All it takes is eliminating the moisture before mold has had the chance to start growing. But how quickly does mold grow after a flood or moisture problem?

How long after a flood does mold grow?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), mold typically takes 24 to 48 hours to grow after a flood if the right conditions are met. However, it depends on the type of surfaces and materials, amount of moisture, and temperature. Indoors, mold generally grows faster on softer surfaces in darker, warmer (70 degrees or more), and more humid environments.

The chance for mold spores to spread from one area to another also increases with time. These microorganisms can quickly fill the air and spread throughout your home, affecting more and more areas and endangering your health with every passing hour.

Mold spores that start to colonize on surfaces within 24 hours become visible in about 18 to 21 days of the flooding. But that happens if nothing has been done to dry the water and restore the affected surfaces.

For these reasons, it’s essential to deal with water and moisture issues as soon as you have a flooding incident. The faster the cleanup and drying takes place, the smaller the chances of major mold growth.

DIY or call a professional?

If you have a lot of water in the house, hiring a water damage restoration company may be your best bet to get your home back in order as fast and as cost-efficiently as possible. Restoration companies have the right equipment that’s needed to dry out your place quickly.

A restoration professional is even more critical for saving your home if it was flooded with more contaminated water like sewage. This type of water is extremely hazardous and best handled by trained and certified water damage cleanup professionals.

Furthermore, if mold has started growing in your home following a flood, it’s likely that there’s even more mold hiding in unseen areas, such as inside walls. Mold removal experts have the necessary tools to detect hidden mold in areas where the eyes can’t see.

For professional mold removal services and water damage restoration, contact your local PuroClean office.