Protect Your Home After the Flood

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Protect Your Home After the Flood

Canada NewsWire - Canada

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2007/23/c8299.html

CALGARY, April 23 /CNW/ - Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

(CMHC)has information available on mold prevention for home owners

affected by flood waters and water infiltration.

After a flood it's critical to restore homes to good order as soon as

possible to protect the health of home occupants and prevent further

damage to homes and belongings. Homes and furnishings are less

likely to grow mold if they are dried within 48 hours.

The CMHC website (www.cmhc.ca) has several publications available on-

line that deal specifically with what to do after a flood. These

publications provide a checklist for homeowners as they begin the

process of clean up, outline how to prevent mold and how to work

with your insurance company after water damage has occurred.

" The faster the water can be cleaned up and dried the less likely

mold will grow, " says Cam Dupuis, Senior Researcher at CMHC, " Take

photographs or video of the damage for your insurance company prior

to starting, and then it's crucial that people get the water cleaned

up as soon as possible. "

There are over 270 species of mold that can grow in Saskatchewan

homes.To determine whether there is mold present, put a drop of

household bleach on the area where you think there might be mold. If

the colour bleaches out of that spot, there is mold and it needs to

be cleaned up.

Using household detergent and hot water on most surfaces is

effective. On concrete, use 1 cup of Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) in

one gallon of warm water to scrub the concrete surface. Rinse the

surface twice with clean water and then let the area dry thoroughly.

Painting over a moldy surface does not prevent mold growth.

" For their safety, people should ensure they are wearing gloves,

safety glasses and a N-95 CSA rated mask when dealing with mold, "

says Cam Dupuis, Senior Researcher at CMHC Calgary.

For more information call CMHC at 1-800-668-2642 or visit our

website at www.cmhc.ca and do a key word search for " Flood " . For

more than 60 years CMHC has been Canada's national housing agency,

and a source of objective, reliable housing expertise.

For further information: Cam Dupuis, CMHC Senior Researcher: (403)

515-2958; Michele Klein, CMHC Marketing and Communications, cell:

(403)

585-2058 or (403) 515-2903