By the time many homeowners know they have a roof leak, their house has already suffered significant damage to its ceilings, walls, and flooring. In addition, they might discover a great deal of mold damage in the attic or the spaces between the roof and ceilings. Once that happens, mold removal becomes critical to preventing a host of structural problems to the house and health issues for the people who live there.
Quickly scheduling water remediation services after a roof leak can help identify the root cause of the leak and arrange for any necessary repairs before replacing all or part of the roof.
How to Find a Water Leak in Your Roof
The best way to prevent a leak in your home’s roof is to periodically inspect it and make repairs as soon as you notice any damage. If you put off fixing even a minor leak, it won’t be long before you’re dealing with major problems. By way of illustration: the water volume of a leak from a 1/8-inch pipe crack can be as high as 250 gallons per day!
Signs that mold is making its way into your home through the roof include:
- Discolored spots on ceilings.
- Rotting wood or peeling paint around skylights.
- Water stains, mold, or mildew around a chimney.
- Shingles or other bits of roof debris in the yard.
- Missing, curling, or buckling shingles.
- A musty smell, especially in the attic. This is often the first symptom of mold growth.
- Damaged or cracked flashing.
- Chimney issues like cracked joints or damaged bricks.
You also might notice water dripping from the ceiling, especially during a storm or hard rain.
Any roof leak that continues over time can lead to a mold problem, often within the first 24 hours after a leak. It’s essential to call in a professional water and mold remediation company that can inspect your Central Florida home for water and mold damage. They’ll quickly identify the source of the leak and advise you about any needed repairs.
How Roof Leaks Cause Mold
Insurance companies in the U.S. pay out roughly $2.5 billion annually in water damage and mold-related costs, with the average cost of a home water damage claim being nearly $7,000.
Roof leaks cause both direct and indirect mold growth in a house. If the leak is in your attic, condensation is typically the leading cause of mold, as the puddles that form cause fungi to produce spores that spread and start attacking other areas of your home.
- Direct mold growth refers to water leaks that cause enough moisture buildup to cause mold to spread through the entire attic. Mold remediation is extensive in these cases, and it takes professional assistance to restore the good condition of your property.
- Indirect mold growth is caused by high humidity levels or condensation. If a home is adequately ventilated to prevent condensation, moisture will typically only accumulate in the immediate area of the leak. The work to kill existing mold spores is usually less involved in these cases.
No matter which type you have, mold is always associated with moisture. And some varieties contain toxic compounds which can affect your Central Florida home’s indoor air quality and everyone’s health. That’s why mold is a problem every homeowner should take seriously. What’s more, mold spores can spread incredibly fast, moving from your attic to the living spaces below in just a few days.
Health Dangers of Roof Leak Mold
Not only is mold unattractive, but it can also jeopardize your entire household’s health. Molds come in many colors, some smell terrible, and a few have fuzzy textures. What they all have in common is they can contribute to some pretty severe health issues. For instance, mold in the home can make it easier for people to suddenly develop respiratory problems like wheezing, shortness of breath, or constant coughing.
Other mold-related health concerns include infections, allergies, and asthma.
Another awful thing about mold is that it has a nasty habit of not staying in one place, moving quickly through your home instead. And since mold spores are so tiny, they can typically move past and into areas you might not think to look, such as shingles and siding. Left unaddressed, the structural and health issues mold can cause will only get worse.
What is Water Damage Remediation?
Water remediation involves tasks like cleaning and repairing water damage from a flood, burst pipe, or some other water incident. Trained specialists use professional tools and techniques to extract water from your home and dry, clean, and sanitize it, so it’s restored to its previous condition.
You should undertake water remediation services before starting any restoration work, including replacing your home’s roof. It’s the best way to make sure your home is adequately dry and in the same sanitary condition it was before the leak occurred.
Water remediation services include:
- Inspecting the entire home, including in places you can’t see, for signs of mold damage.
- Removing residual water from ceilings, floors, drywall, and carpeting.
- Moisture monitoring to identify and address hidden moisture pockets.
- Cleaning and sanitizing all water-damaged materials and surfaces.
- A final drying process, which could take several days or more to perform.
- Pre-restoration repairs to ceilings, drywall, and flooring, with any materials that can’t be salvaged disposed of.
Your home and its contents are then inspected for additional damage, and there might be another round of cleaning and repairs done.
Why You Need Water Remediation Services
Many homeowners believe that once their leaky roof is repaired, all the damage it caused is fixed, too. But roofers don’t handle the same issues as water remediation specialists do. That’s why you need to quickly call in the right people to repair the leak, the roof, and the water damage before it causes mold problems. Plus, some insurance companies deny water damage claims if homeowners don’t take immediate steps to mitigate any damage.
Can you dry the water damage yourself? You can take some steps to protect your house and family, but professional water remediation services ensure all mold is found and further damage is limited. To help prevent mold growth after water damage, try these measures while you wait for the pros to get to work.
- Dry wet areas immediately: The more quickly you clean and dry wet areas, the better your chances of limiting mold growth and spread.
- Know the warning signs: Once you clean and dry up any visible wet areas, trust your nose to lead you to hidden spots by being sensitive to musty odors in the affected area.
- Take a look outside: Is there water accumulating around the foundation or near a crawl space? Saturated soil is a prime breeding spot for mold that can then make its way into your home. If possible, drain the water away from your property.
- Remove damaged materials. Any materials soaked with water can promote mold growth. Remove them from the house as quickly as possible. If you have exposed attic insulation and it’s wet, it should be removed and replaced with new, mold-resistant insulation. This job, however, is often best left to the professionals.
When dealing with mold, use a mixture of common sense and caution. If something looks or smells bad, assume it needs to be removed.
The Difference Between Mold Remediation and Mold Removal
Some companies specialize in mold removal, others in mold remediation. CFRS offers professional mold damage restoration, mold removal, and mold remediation services. As Central Florida’s premier mold restoration company, you can depend on us to provide professional-grade, safe, and effective mold remediation services.
How do you know if you need mold removal or mold remediation services? First, be aware of any company that tells you they can remove 100% of mold from your home. The truth is, mold spores exist almost everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. It’s impossible and even undesirable to remove all mold from your house. The goal with mold remediation services is to get your home back to where it has normal, healthy levels of mold in it.
If your home has a harmful type and level of mold, you probably need both removal and remediation services. In fact, most mold remediation services include some amount of mold removal. Professional mold testing of surface and air samples is used to determine your Central Florida home’s level of mold infestation. Only then can we devise a plan to restore your home to a safe and healthy condition.
In addition to the steps outlined above, CFRS’ remediation services include:
- Our comprehensive mold-testing process – We collect samples from the air and various surfaces that might contain mold. These samples help us determine what types of mold you have and their infestation levels. We also look for any underlying issues that might be causing mold to spread.
- Personalized service – Every home’s mold problem is unique. We provide you with a thorough estimate and answer all your questions about the mold remediation process as it applies to your home’s specific needs. We’ll also assist in dealing with your insurance company to help your project go as smoothly as possible. We even provide removal, cleaning, and storage of your personal property from affected areas until mold remediation is completed.
- First-class solutions – Important steps like containment, air scrubbing, and vacuuming are vital for keeping mold from rapidly spreading during the remediation process. Once we determine the extent of mold infestation in your home, our team gets to work preventing cross-contamination from happening while cleaning affected areas.
We use state-of-the-art equipment and techniques to ensure all visible mold growth on porous materials is safely removed from the premises. Framing or substrate mold growth calls for mechanical or chemical removal that either eliminates the mold spores or removes them from the surface to allow them to be collected by the air scrubbers or HEPA vacuumed.
Once all visible mold’s treated or removed, we vacuum walls, ceilings, floors, and any other surface that can be physically touched, and a final wipe-down of every surface is performed. This is typically followed by a second round of vacuuming. HEPA air scrubbers are usually left on-site for at least 24 hours to finalize the air cleaning process.
Turn to Central Florida Restoration Solutions for Water Remediation Services
Life would be much easier indeed if your home’s water damage magically vanished simply by replacing the roof. Unfortunately, water is a powerful force that can cause significant structural damage and other issues, including mold growth and damage.
For more than 25 years, CFRS has served nearly 1,000 customers throughout Central Florida, providing them with the home restoration and remediation services they need to maintain a healthy home. We retain relationships with a network of highly-qualified professionals, including roofers, who work with us to resolve any water damages or mold issues in our customers’ homes. We’re proud to say that much of our business comes from referrals from our satisfied clients! Contact us online today or call or text us at 407-988-6101 to learn more or schedule water remediation services.