Why Is Mold Such a Concern After a Storm?

7/24/2020 (Permalink)

Storms pass through St. Michael, MN, often. When these chains of weather are particularly nasty, your commercial building may get beaten down and damaged. Storms can lead to hail, water or wind damage, but often the problems caused by storms are associated with mold growth. There are several reasons why your building may be at a higher risk for mold after a storm.

4 Reasons Why Mold May Grow After a Storm

• Less protection. When winds tear your roof off, your building is open to all sorts of issues. Even light rain can cause water pockets to form in your attic or down your walls. Storms have a way of weakening the protection your building has, which could translate to more water problems and fungus growth.
• Standing water. Some storms are accompanied by large amounts of water. If your basement is left flooded after bad weather rolls through, you need to get the issue addressed as quickly as possible. Storm water is often full of contaminants, which can cause mold to start growing in as little as 24 to 48 hours after the initial flood.
• Passing time. Bad weather has a way of making normal activities hard to do. If the storm caused roads to shut down or your building to be unsafe, it may take a while for you or a remediation team to get into the building. This passing time increases the chances that bacteria and mold spores will cause bigger issues on your property.
• Missed issues. Even if you were able to address roof repairs, broken windows and flooding right away, there is always the chance that a small problem was missed during the restoration. Even a small hole in the siding of your building can grow and cause a bigger mess. This small hole, for example, could let water in between your siding and sheathing. When this happens, mold growth is likely.

Mold growth does not always happen after storms. If you suspect fungus could be growing in your commercial space, it may be a good idea to get it looked at as soon as possible.