DISASTER QUICK TIPS:
Mold Prevention Checklist
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DISASTER QUICK TIPS: Mold Prevention Checklist (PDF: 33KB/2 pages)
Act Quickly to Prevent Mold
- Mold growing on building materials and home furnishings is a common hazard after floods. It may cause serious health problems and economic hardship.
- Mold can begin to grow within 24 hours on items that contacted floodwater.
- To avoid or reduce mold problems, find and fix the conditions that allow mold to grow.
- Early action to prevent mold problems can protect health and save money.
Plan and Track Your Work
- Throw Out: use the list below to decide what should be removed and thrown out.
- Keep and Clean: see items below that might be saved if cleaned and dried quickly.
Throw Out
Remove and throw away these items if they are water-soaked:
- Carpet and pad
- Linoleum or laminate flooring
- Sub-floor / underlayment (pressed-wood, plywood, OSB)
- Drywall, OSB, pressed-wood paneling on walls or ceilings
- Insulation
- Upholstered or particle board furniture
- Ceiling tiles
- Wall paper, inexpensive wall coverings
- Paper materials
- Non-metal materials in ductwork
- Anything else that has soaked up water
Keep and Clean
If structurally sound, the following may be cleaned, disinfected and dried:
- Flooring (stone, tile, vinyl, concrete, wood, rubber)
- Subfloor/underlayment (concrete or solid wood)
- Walls (concrete, brick, solid wood, lathe and plaster)
- Furniture (wood, metal, plastic, glass),
- Laminated furniture if undamaged
- Foam insulation
- Unlined, uninsulated metal ductwork
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