Fast Acting Atlanta Residents Can Mitigate Flood Damage

Dec. 21, 2009 - PRLog -- In the wake of the historic floods that struck the metro Atlanta area this year, affected property owners have many concerns.  Over 20,000 homes and businesses were severely damaged by the rising waters, and many more were subjected to minor flooding.  One thing that all of the buildings that sustained water damages have in common is that they face a serious concern that may not be immediately apparent to their owners: the harmful and ongoing effects of mold infestation.

Mold in a building can create severe health problems, the symptoms of which are often collectively known as “sick building syndrome”.  Stachybotrys chartarum, commonly known as black mold, or black toxic mold, is probably the most infamous strain of potentially hazardous fungus.  The toxins emitted by this fungus can cause headaches, nausea, irritated eyes, nose, and mouth, fever, and other assorted symptoms depending on the afflicted individual.

In addition to health concerns, the spread of mold infestation is a severe threat to the cleanliness and appearance of a building, meaning it can be severely detrimental to property values.  As any mold problem a property owner discovers will only get progressively worse over time, it is essential that a building mold problem be addressed as soon as possible.

Water damage restoration and mold remediation expert Stephen Elliott of StructureMedic emphasizes that local residents are actually saving money by contracting experienced professionals to examine flood-damaged properties.  “Weighing the initial investment of paying for water removal and damage restoration, as well as dealing with any resulting mold infestation, against the inevitable financial loss that comes with family medical problems and permanent property damage, you’re going to be out a lot more money by letting water continue to seep and mold spread throughout a building.”

Elliott noted that this concern was especially pressing for business owners and property managers of buildings open to the public.  “With molds that cause sick building syndrome or water damage that may undermine structural integrity and create injury hazards in a building, there is a legal liability involved.  Employees or other occupants of a building who experience symptoms from toxic mold or hurt themselves on damaged masonry may take legal action against the property owner and/or manager, as well as their employer.  The kind of financial loss an individual or organization is faced with in a lawsuit dwarfs the cost of properly repairing the damage to their building and employing mold remediation services.”

While long-term water damage and mold infestation may not be as obvious as other effects of the once-in-a-lifetime floods that struck Atlanta, they clearly can be just as harmful.  Most homeowners’ insurance policies will cover the cost of water damage restoration as long as the policy holder proactively takes steps to address the damage by hiring professional services.

Any property owner in metro Atlanta, or anywhere else that has recently experienced flooding, should be concerned about potential flood damage to their property and should contact a flood damage restoration or mold remediation expert such as StructureMedic.  Doing so is the first step in protecting your property, and yourself, from the wide array of problems that can arise when water damage and mold infestation are left unchecked.  For additional information on dealing with these issues or to schedule an appointment with a certified technician, visit http://www.structuremedic.com.