Where water leaks, mold feasts!

The damage that water can do to a property is two-fold: it harms the property, and it can harm the tenants. Water damages property by slowly rotting anything wooden; cupboards, moldings, floors, and joists can slowly disintegrate when water leaks go unchecked. Cupboards and baseboards are easily replaced, rotting structural beams are not – and if severely damaged, the costs can be extreme (not to mention the liability). Wood that rots can be identified and repaired. The problem with standing water in cupboards, behind walls and under floors is that the rot cannot always be seen. The other issue is that where water leaks, mold feasts!

Mold forms on surfaces in areas with high humidity and poor airflow. Mold is also toxic in its many forms. It can cause or exacerbate respiratory issues and asthma. It is not uncommon, especially in bathrooms. That black stuff on your old shower curtain, that’s mold. The good news is that in many cases, it can easily be removed with bleach. However, if mold forms in areas that are not visible, like under cupboards or behind walls, it can be dangerous to health but hidden from view.

Common locations where mold forms:

-      In bathrooms without, or a poorly-working, exhaust fan

-      In attics with leaky roofs or eaves

-      Under cupboards with slow drain leaks

-      In basements with leaky foundations and/or stagnant air

-      Where a water leak was found and repaired but without remediation to the damage the water caused

There are lots of different types of mold. Some vary by geographic location and by the presence of other contaminants along with the water. With different types comes differences in the speed of growth. Some colonies grow slow but others astonishingly fast. It is not unheard of for remediation companies to find mushrooms growing down from the ceiling like stalactites after leaks from a punishing rainstorm just a week previous.

Stop the Water, Prevent the Mold

In our experience, we have found that when presented with a significant water leak, our approach is: Stop the Water, Prevent the Mold. The first thing obviously is to stop the leak. Turn off the water immediately and get a plumber out ASAP.

The very next thing to do is to take active steps to combat the damage that has already occurred. As property managers, we need to act decisively in the owner’s interest to protect the value of their property. Mopping up the water and deploying fans immediately is a must. Home Depot rents large fans for just this purpose. Middle of the night? You can buy fans at any24-hour Target or Walmart.

The next step is to initially assess how much water and damage occurred in the leak. If the amount of water from a leak or burst pipe was extensive, you may want to take stronger steps with the goal of proactively preventing rot and mold from forming. If water has penetrated baseboards and walls, or has leaked down to the floor below, mold will surely form if not allowed to evaporate. If these cases, it might be prudent to take some bold steps to quickly increase airflow and drying.

If water is leaking through the ceiling of the floor below, cutting holes in the ceiling and placing fans beneath it is an option. You’ll be repairing the ceiling already, take the initiative to start the drying before mold gets a chance to form. The same can be said of baseboards. These are not costly to replace compared to a larger mold remediation project. Removing baseboards in an affected area and drilling holes into the drywall plaster behind them and placing fans near them is a proactive and, in many cases, very effective strategy to combat mold before it forms.

Protect the tenant, protect the property, protect yourself

Mold can obviously form as a result of a burst pipe or other water leak. In other cases, however, mold can form from less obvious causes. Geographic areas of high humidity and properties with areas of low airflow can allow mold to form absent an actual water leak. Non-working, old, or clogged exhaust fans can result in mold forming in bathrooms. Regardless of cause, you must act quickly when (not if) you receive a tenant complaint about mold. Our approach is: Protect the tenant, protect the property, protect yourself.

You must act quickly to protect the tenant from harm. If a mold issue is reported, respond immediately. You do not want to be accused of being negligent to a potentially unhealthful situation in your rental. If it is determined that the mold was caused by the tenant’s actions, they can be charged for the remediation. However, the approach should be to fix the issue first, decide culpability second.

By quickly responding, you are also acting with diligence to protect the property from damage, and the owner and yourself from liability.

Water is relentless. Act quickly and confidently to water issues and protect your tenants from harm, your owner from property damage and yourself from liability from negligence.

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