Topic: Severe storm damage-water pouring into house- steps to prevent mold???
cantgiveupyet
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8165
posted
three five gallon buckets of water were filled today from the water pouring into the house- even with a tarp on the roof..everything smells damp and to me moldy-
initial storm which meterologists are saying was Derecho due to the pattern of the trees being uprooted in a straight line..
Just wondering what I should or can be doing to keep mold levels low- would a dehumidifier be enough??
the floor in the one room is wet...a total mess
The roof was patched a few hours ago..but we still dont know if it will prevent further leaks..and one part of the roof could not be patched.
the worst is the insurance adjuster was out last week and acted like all was well and no big deal..even after seeing daylight thru a huge hole in the ceiling... said 'oh we will just patch that section, just seeing daylight thru the tarp"
---------------------------------- full story below if you have time to read it.
We had a pretty bad storm in my small town.. some swore it was a tornado... I was in my car during the storm heading to a dr appointment had just left my house...and my was swept sideways...hail and high winds(85mph+) hitting my car- I thought I was going to die.
after the hail stopped I had to drive under down power lines..and realized i was trapped...downed lines in one direction 5 plus inches of water in the other. I am just very lucky with all the trees we lost that I was not killed.
If that wasnt horrific enough to go thru- got home to a HUGE tree down on the roof...power out..news media scurring about..streets closed etc... complete devestation. Very old trees were just uprooted..tops of power poles snapped.roofs ripped off buildings and homes...
Due to the massive amount of damage it took 3 days to get a tree service to remove the tree from the roof... and then what was found was the tree knocked off the two ton chimney and that was hours away from crashing thru the house into the basement(per the chimney contractor) the house was roped off with caution tape...NO hot water for a week as a result. and I demaded a hotel room...
Homeowners is a complete waste of money, much like long term disability I have had to fight for everything.even had to pay out of pocket for the chimney to be reomoved(money I did not have).... so I had to hire a public adjuster to represent me to ensure I get what I am entitiled to. Of course he will get a percent of what ever he can get from insurance co.
This is nothing short of a living nightmare- financially strapped enough..health in the toilette and now dealing with this added mess.
-------------------- "Say it straight simple and with a smile."
"Thus the task is, not so much to see what no one has seen yet, But to think what nobody has thought yet, About what everybody sees."
-Schopenhauer
pos babs, bart, igenex WB igm/igg Posts: 3156 | From Lyme limbo | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
ACK-What a nightmare ! I have no words of wisdom for you- but I do think a dehumidifier and a fan should help to dry things out.
The problem lies more in the water you can't see-that may have leaked down behind the walls or under the floor.
I'd say all carpeting has to be pulled, too.
Stressful, very stressful. I hope the roof gets fixed properly for you.
Watch Holmes on Homes on HGTV-he runs into a lot of mold issues. Wonder if your insurance will pay for testing?
Posts: 365 | From Sylvania | Registered: Aug 2008
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posted
I would get a professional water cleanup company to come clean it up. We had a babysitter flood five rooms of a brand new house (she didn't know how to turn off the water by turning the knob at the base of the toilet and had to wait for her mother who couldn't tell her how to turn it off over the phone to drive to our house). We tore up the carpet ourselves that night and put fans under it.
The cleanup crew came the next day and brought more fans in. Then we had the carpet cleaned and re-layed.
No mold. The professionals said the carpet would have been a total loss if we hadn't ripped it up and put fans under it.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
For what it's worth, TKO Orange, also known as Orange Guard, is very good against mold. Put a little in a spray bottle, fill with water and spray away. Smells like oranges for about a half hour as it evaporates.
It's also my chosen tick repellent for clothing and ground area.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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