Removing Odors After a Flood

3/5/2019 (Permalink)

Removing Odors After a Flood

Flooding can cause a lot of damage, and air quality can be one of the biggest casualties of this type of disaster. You can pump water out of a flooded area, clean obvious mold growth and set up drying machinery, but it takes a lot of work to dry your commercial property of offensive odors. Here’s a look at the process used by experienced remediation contractors when working to restore a scent-free environment to buildings in the aftermath of a flood.

The Causes of Odors

Before addressing the problem, your contractor will first need to determine the cause of the offending scents. The most common reason for musty odors is excessive moisture that encourages mold growth , which is why it’s important to fully extract all fluids before rebuilding. Besides spores, there are a few other common causes of smelly conditions:

Bacteria growth in clean standing water
Black water from sewage loss
Chemical spills

The Deodorizing Process

Once the underlying causes of the odors have been identified, technicians will get to work deodorizing the entire area. After setting dehumidifiers up in the space, the workers will use appropriate chemicals to remove odor-causing spores so they won’t grow back. If the affected region is small enough, you might be able to handle it on your own, but anything larger than 10 square feet should probably be cleaned by a professional. 

The Importance of Oder removal

In the wake of flooding, you want your employees and customers to think of your building as a safe place to visit, and musty odors from mold growth could work against you. The unpleasant scents that often follow after flood water recedes are an indication of a problem, but they can also be used to track down stubborn spores that would otherwise evade detection. By hiring a team of experienced remediation professionals to address these issues, you can get back to business with the flood’s destruction safely in your rear-view mirror