Water Damage: Dealing With Unpleasant Odors

A common side effect of water damage in home and/or buildings are unpleasant odors. Bad odors can also indicate an actual health threat present in the indoor environment like mold. Down below are a few general practices that can help you deal with unpleasant odors that come from water damage:

1. We all know moisture is an activating factor for unpleasant odors in your home, in fact, having an odor-free environment is a key determining factor professionals use to confirm water damage. If you end up trying to dry out your home yourself, you can still have those odors in your home. Water damage inside a structure can trigger chemical and bacterial reactions that result in smells you’d rather not have in your home. The continuing presence of unpleasant odors like mildew or chemical vapors should be a red flag that moisture is still present in the structure.
2. Mold is a major contributor to unpleasant odor. Without professional water remediation, residual moisture inside a home with a history of water damage will trigger mold growth. Active mold releases microbial volatile organic compounds that produce odors that are pungent which can be described as decaying wood or dirty socks. Usually mold odor will penetrate the whole home. Once you have started the professional mold remediation, this will include air sampling and testing to determine the type of mold, the extent of contamination, and location. To eliminate the mold odors, a complete removal of all mold accompanied by sterilization of areas where growth occurred.

DIY attempts to eliminate odors associated with indoor water damage are only over-ups and are ineffective. Making sure to identify and eliminate all moisture sources is necessary to permanently eliminate odors from enclosed structures. To ensure an odor free environment, it is essential to have growth confirmed and professional testing for the presence of mold.