Mold should delay basement renos by months: Green-Up
According to experts, basements flooded by water may continue to produce mold months afterwards. Basements need to properly dry out before work commences says Peterborough Green-Up in a press release. Green-Up consulted with air quality and building experts and advises patience and caution for people considering restoration work on flood-damaged basements. They are currently stocking fact sheets on post-flood restoration and indoor air quality in their Resource Centre. These are also available online at www.greenup.on.ca

According to Sue McGregor-Hunter, executive director of Green-Up, people rushing to complete restorations may create serious problems for the health of the building and the health of the people in the building.

Bill Boles, a consultant for Indoor Air Quality Canada, worked with homeowners after the 1997 flood that left a good deal of Winnipeg underwater. He saw too many cases of people rushing to complete restoration work and insulation on their basements. Mold growth continued after work had been completed. Some homes had to be gutted a total as many as three times due to mold and moisture.

Boles states that dehumidifiers and fans will help with basement moisture but will not solve the problem as long as outside humidity is high and the ground remains saturated. He suggests that most people will need to wait months rather than days before the basement is ready for restoration.

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