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Mold that starts after water, and what is done about it

Inspection, removal and drying checks for mold that started in walls, floors or framing after water damage in Champaign and Urbana.

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  • Storm runoff and flooding
  • Basement water
  • Burst and frozen pipes

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Mold After Water

Mold After Water Damage: what it covers

Quick answer

Mold after water damage is growth on wet paper, wood, drywall or insulation that has stayed damp for days. It is removed after the structure is dry and the source is stopped, not painted over. Champaign Water Damage Restoration takes calls 24/7 and sends a local crew as soon as one is free.

Mold After Water Damage illustration for Champaign, IL

Mold needs moisture, a food source such as paper or wood, and time. Water damage supplies the first two and the wait supplies the third. A wall that stays wet for several days behind its finish, a carpet pad that holds water under a floor or a stack of wet cardboard can all start to show growth. The growth may show as a dark spot, a fuzzy patch or a musty smell, and it often appears on the back of a board before it reaches the face.

The first priority is to dry the structure and stop the source. Growth on a surface that is still wet will keep spreading, and a surface that is cleaned and then left damp will grow again. The crew measures the moisture in the framing and the materials and dries them to the goal. Only after that does the question of removal arise.

Removal is a separate step. Hard surfaces can often be cleaned, and porous materials that have grown mold are usually removed, because cleaning does not reach the growth inside them. The crew records what it found, what it removed and what it cleaned, so the owner has a record of the work.

Service area
Champaign & Champaign County
Availability
Phones answered 24/7
Warning signs

Signs you need mold after water damage

Do not disturb a large area of visible growth, and keep the room closed if you can. Do not dry-sweep or use a high-pressure washer on growth. Wear protection for eyes, skin and airways if you enter the area. Keep children, older residents and pets out of the room until the crew has assessed it. This is not medical advice, so speak to a doctor about any health concern.

  • A dark or fuzzy patch on the back of a board, on a wall base or in a cabinet
  • A musty or earthy smell that is strongest in a closed room
  • Discolored paint that is blotchy or spreads in a band
  • Growth on stored paper, cardboard or fabric in a damp room
  • Peeling wallpaper or a bubbling finish near a wet area
  • A smell that returns after a room has been cleaned and aired
Our process

How our mold after water damage visit works

  1. Stop the moisture

    The source of the water is found and stopped first. Mold cannot be removed for good from a surface that is still getting wet, so the crew confirms the moisture is under control before it begins any removal.

  2. Dry and read the structure

    The framing and the materials are dried and read until they reach the dry goal. The readings show whether the moisture is still moving into the structure.

  3. Assess the growth

    The crew looks at the growth, its location and its extent, and it notes the materials it is on. The assessment decides whether the growth can be cleaned or the material has to come out.

  4. Remove or clean the affected material

    Porous materials with growth are removed and bagged for disposal. Hard surfaces are cleaned with appropriate methods, and the work area is kept closed so the spores do not spread through the building.

  5. Check the result

    The cleaned area is read again, and the drying is confirmed. The log records the work, the readings and the areas that were cleaned or removed.

Can mold be painted over?

No. Paint over mold on a surface that is still damp will hide the growth for a short time and let it continue under the paint. Mold is removed or cleaned after the moisture is stopped, and the surface is dry before it is finished.

A painted surface that is damp underneath will bubble, stain and show the growth again. The moisture and the growth have to be dealt with first, and the finish comes after the readings are at the goal.

If a trade offers to paint over growth without drying the structure, ask for the readings first. A finish on a wet structure is the outcome this process is designed to avoid.

Is mold cleanup a job for the homeowner?

Small areas of surface growth on a hard surface may be cleaned by a homeowner who has the right equipment and protection. Larger areas, growth in a wall cavity or growth on porous materials are a job for a crew, because the spread of spores and the removal of material need controlled work.

If you clean a small area yourself, wear protection for your eyes, skin and airways, and do not dry-sweep or use a high-pressure washer, since both can spread the growth.

Do not disturb a larger area of growth. Keep the room closed and call the line, so the crew can plan the containment and the removal.

Does this work include health advice?

No. This company does not give medical advice and makes no health claims about mold. If anyone in the building has a health concern, speak to a doctor. The crew can describe the materials and the work, which may be useful to that conversation.

The crew records the locations, the materials and the work it does, so the building owner has a record. It does not tell you what any growth means for a person's health.

If the building is a rental, the tenants and the owner should both be told about the growth and the work. The crew can set out the facts for both parties.

Does the insurance cover mold?

That depends on the policy and the cause of the water, and the insurer decides. Many policies limit or exclude mold, and some treat mold that follows a covered water event differently. Check the wording with your insurer before the work begins.

This company does not decide what a policy pays. The readings, photographs and the list of removed materials are kept so the insurer has the same facts as the crew.

If a claim is refused or limited, the Illinois Department of Insurance takes complaints about insurers. Keep the records and raise the question with the insurer first.

How is the price of mold work set?

The price follows the area affected, the materials that must be removed, the containment needed and the drying. No figure is given over the phone, and the scope is explained and approved on site before the work starts.

A small area of growth on a hard surface is a smaller scope than growth in a wall cavity that needs containment. The crew explains which of those it is and what it will remove.

Repairs after the removal, such as the new drywall or the finish, are quoted separately by the trade that does them.

Options

Types and options for mold after water damage

Growth on drywall after a leak

Drywall that has been wet for several days can grow mold on its back paper and its face. The board is removed if the growth is on the paper, since cleaning the face does not reach it.

Growth in a crawl space or a basement

Growth on joists, subfloor and insulation in a damp crawl space or basement is common where the moisture stays high. The insulation is removed, the joists are cleaned and the space is dried to the goal.

Growth on stored items

Paper, cardboard, fabric and wood in a damp room can grow mold quickly. The items are photographed and recorded, and those that have grown mold are removed rather than cleaned.

Champaign County

Why mold after water damage is different in East Central Illinois

Mold after water damage in Champaign and Urbana follows the same pattern as anywhere else: it starts where a material stays wet longest, which is often the wall base, the rim joist, a crawl space or a stored box in a basement.

A building near the upper Embarras or the detention ponds can take in water that stays in the ground for days after a storm, and that water can keep a lower room damp long enough for growth to start. The readings in the lower room show when the moisture is coming down.

The December 2015 flood record in the upper Embarras basin is a regional record, not a record of growth on any one building. The crew treats each building on its own readings.

Skip the guesswork. Call for a straight answer.

Tell us what's happening and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a quick fix, and what mold after water damage should cost.

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Where we work

Mold After Water Damage across Champaign County

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Related

Hidden Water Leak Detection

Locating concealed water leaks behind walls, under floors and in crawl spaces in Champaign and Urbana.

Guides

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FAQ

Mold After Water Damage FAQs

How do I know if the growth is mold?

The crew can assess the growth on site and describe what it sees. A test is not always needed to decide the work, because the cause is the moisture and the work is the same: stop the water, dry the structure and remove the growth.

Will the crew remove the drywall with the growth?

Drywall with growth on its back paper or in its core is usually removed, because cleaning does not reach the growth. The crew records the area and the board that came out.

Can I stay in the house while the mold is removed?

That depends on the size of the area and the containment. The crew will say which rooms can stay in use and which should be kept closed during the work.

What if the smell comes back after the cleanup?

A smell that returns usually means the moisture or the growth has not been fully removed. Call the line, and the crew will read the area again and check the source.

Is mold cleanup covered by a warranty?

No warranty is given by this company. The work is described and approved before it starts, and the insurer decides on any claim.

Should I call a doctor?

If anyone in the building has a health concern, speak to a doctor. This company does not give medical advice, and it describes only the building and the work.

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