Guide Available to Help Homeowners Combat Mold Due to Flooding

First posted on 06-30-2008

FREE BOOKLETS FOR AFFECTED MIDWESTERN AREAS

A guide developed to help homeowners and contractors safely
clean up homes damaged in the recent floods along the Mississippi River is available immediately.
Creating a Healthy Home: A Field Guide for Clean-Up of Flooded Homes is a do-it-yourself
booklet that provides easy step-by-step instructions on how to handle mold removal in flooded
homes before starting to rebuild or renovate. The guide is currently accessible online at
http://www.centerforhealthyhousing.org/FloodCleanupGuide_screen_.pdf. Agencies working
directly with individuals impacted by the floods can also receive a free shipment of printed booklets
to distribute to those needing assistance. Please call the National Center for Healthy Housing
(NCHH) at (877) 312-3046 for more information.
Weeks of heavy rains have brought flooding problems to communities all along the Mississippi
River, from Iowa to Missouri. Officials in Cedar Rapids, Iowa are calling it the worst storm in 15
years. Many homes have already endured extensive damage and required evacuation and in many
places the water is still on the rise.
“Removing standing water and water damaged materials within the first 48 hours is critical for
preventing mold growth,” said Rebecca Morley, executive director of NCHH based in Columbia,
MD. “Mold exposure may cause allergic reactions, such as asthma attacks, sneezing, runny nose, red
eyes and skin rash. Even dead mold spores pose a risk, especially for children and adults with
respiratory problems,” said Morley.
In 2005, NCHH researched and wrote the guide with funding and technical support from Enterprise
Community Partners, a leading national community development organization. The instructional
guide documents a protocol that was tested on four homes in New Orleans following Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita. In a home that experienced at least five feet of standing water for at least two
weeks and had mold growth up to the ceiling, the protocol reduced the mold to non-detectable levels.
NCHH recommends the following steps for cleaning up flooded homes.
FIELD GUIDE FOR FLOODED HOMES
p. 2
• Remove standing water and dry out the building as soon as you can. Open doors and
windows. Mop up or pump out any standing water.
• Use a mild detergent and water to clean and remove mold from hard surfaces.
• Use fans and dehumidifiers to remove moisture after cleaning. Be careful not to blow mold
around while drying—point fans to blow outside.
• Throw away moldy things that can not be cleaned such as carpets and carpet padding,
upholstered furniture, drywall, wood molding, fiberglass or cellulose insulation, and ceiling
tiles.
• If there is more than 10 square feet (about 3 ft. X 3ft.) of mold in your house, consider using
a professional mold clean-up contractor. Do not hire a contractor who recommends fogging
or spraying as a way to clean up mold. Moldy materials must be removed from the building.
• Wipe dry or allow all surfaces to fully air-dry before doing any more work. Make sure that
the home is allowed to completely dry before beginning restoration.
• Additionally, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, residents are reminded not to operate
generators within buildings. In the case of power outages, generators should only be operated
outside of an enclosed space.
National housing organizations Enterprise Community Partners, NCHH and
NeighborWorks®America partnered with NeighborWorks Organization and Neighborhood Housing
Services of New Orleans to develop the clean-up protocols. Columbia University and Tulane
University provided expertise for the demonstration project. The guide is being reprinted for
distribution across the affected Midwestern states through the generous support of The Home Depot
Foundation.
###
The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) is the only national scientific and technical non-profit
organization dedicated to creating healthy and safe homes for America’s children through practical and proven
steps. NCHH develops scientifically valid and practical strategies to make homes safe from hazards, to alert low-
income families about housing-related health risks, and to help them protect their children. NCHH also works with
governmental and non-governmental organizations to develop standards and programs and guide their
implementation through insurers, lenders, federal and state laws and regulations, community organizations, and the
courts.
Enterprise is a leading provider of the development capital and expertise it takes to create decent, affordable homes
and rebuild communities. For more than 25 years, Enterprise has pioneered neighborhood solutions through publicprivate
partnerships with financial institutions, governments, community organizations and others that share our
vision. Enterprise has raised and invested more than $9 billion in equity, grants and loans to help build or preserve
more than 240,000 affordable rental and for-sale homes to create vital communities. Enterprise is currently
investing in communities at a rate of $1 billion a year. Visit http://www.enterprisecommunity.org and
http://www.enterprisecommunity.com to learn more about Enterprise’s efforts to build communities and