Mold Fear After a Flood? What to Look for & When to Call in the Experts

Utah’s arid climate can be misleading. While the dry air helps with surface evaporation, it can also cause homeowners to believe an area is fully dry when moisture remains trapped inside walls or under flooring. Rapid temperature swings can also create condensation within building materials, while heavy winter snowpack leads to significant spring runoff and saturated ground, increasing the risk of basement and crawl space flooding.

Get help with water damage whenever there is an accident, a leak, or an appliance problem that gets anything wet in your home. It doesn’t have to be visibly wet to lead to serious damage. 

If wood or other organic materials are at 17% moisture content or above they are at risk of growing mold. If they stay wet for more than a few days mold can grow. Once mold grows, the same drying options are not available and more demolition is necessary. Whenever you have a water damage event have it checked out to avoid more serious damage.

Yes, properties near rivers, lakes, or in areas with high water tables are at a greater risk. The soil is often more saturated, leading to higher ambient humidity in basements and crawl spaces and an increased likelihood of water intrusion during heavy rains or snowmelt. Homeowners in these areas should be hyper-vigilant about foundation waterproofing and humidity control.

Our free mold assessment is a comprehensive, non-invasive visual inspection of your property. A certified technician will visit your home, discuss your concerns, and use professional tools like moisture meters and thermal cameras to identify areas with excess moisture where mold could be growing. We will then provide a clear explanation of our findings and recommend a plan of action if remediation is necessary, all at no cost to you.

Some common items that are often overlooked are: 

Absolutely. Ice dams force water up under your shingles, and into your attic and wall cavities, a path water isn’t meant to travel. This moisture gets trapped in insulation and wood framing, creating a hidden mold factory. Remediation often requires removing wet insulation and treating attic structures, a much different process than addressing a basement flood. This is a common Utah winter challenge our team has extensive experience with.

Refrigerator: The refrigerator is often overlooked after a fire. Carefully inspect the inside of your refrigerator before compromising your family’s health. You should never store food in a refrigerator affected by smoke damage. 

Plants: House plants can suffer long-term effects after being exposed to smoke. In most cases, simply wiping down the plant can be helpful. Leaving the plants outdoors to help regenerate affected cells can help restore your plant’s health. 

Clothing: A fire may have happened on the other side of your property; however, smoke travels further than flames. Be sure to clean all clothing that may have been exposed to smoke. 

Yes. In Utah, you have the legal right to choose the restoration company you trust. While your insurer may offer recommendations, you are not obligated to use them. We work with every insurance company and are experts at navigating the claims process, often billing the insurance company directly to reduce your stress. Our priority is to act in your best interest and restore your property correctly, a principle that guides our insurance claim assistance.

Our goal is always to restore your property with minimal disruption. We use targeted demolition, removing only the materials that are not salvageable. By precisely identifying the affected areas, we can often save large portions of drywall, flooring, and cabinetry. We believe in surgical removal, not widespread destruction, to get your home back to its pre-loss condition swiftly and efficiently.