Bedroom Water Damage

You find wet carpet in your bedroom and damp boxes on the floor of your bedroom closet of all places. There’s no faucets or drains in the bedroom! Where could the water have come from and what can you do to fix the problem?

Where did my Bedroom Water Damage come from?

The faucet and drain doesn’t have to be IN the bedroom to cause water damage. For one thing, your bedroom may be located next to a bathroom or kitchen, where there are plenty of things that could go wrong. The leak’s source may be in another room, but water will flow in the easiest direction it can, which may be towards and into your bedroom.

Also think about water lines inside a wall. These lines may break or leak, flooding the bedroom. The water lines to an outside water spigot may be inside the walls of your bedroom. If these lines happen to freeze over the winter, the break will usually occur between the hose bib and where it connects to the water line. The leak may not show up until spring, when you turn on the outside faucet and begin to water plants or the grass.

Your home may not have central air. If you use a window air conditioner that isn’t properly installed, instead of water draining to the outside, it may be draining inside. Window condensation can also cause bedroom water damage. As moisture condenses and runs down the window onto the wall below it, it can allow mold spores to settle there and begin to grow. This is especially true if there is a bed or other piece of furniture under the window, blocking airflow and light.

Roof and gutter problems can allow rainwater to enter a home, maybe in your bedroom. These leaks are hardly ever found before they become severe. For the most part, bedrooms are crowded spaces; a bed or two, dressers, chests of drawers, closets full of clothes and shoes. It is possible that water damage will not be found as soon as it happens and it only takes mold 24-48 hours to begin to grow. Combine wet materials, moisture, warm temperatures, and a lack of light and air movement and you have the perfect environment for mold.

How did the mold get there to begin with? It can come in with the water. It can be carried inside on clothing and shoes. It can come in through open windows. Mold is everywhere; it’s usually not a problem until it concentrates into a larger colony.

What if my Bedroom Water Damage causes a mold problem?

Many times mold isn’t discovered until its odor becomes obvious. When mold is found in a bedroom, it is best to seek professional help. Some molds can release mycotoxins, chemicals that are capable of causing serious health problems in individuals that are sensitive to them. Health affects can include memory problems, allergic reactions, eye irritation, and skin rashes. In some cases mold exposure can lead to asthma or other respiratory illnesses.

As with a mold problem in any room of your home, the first thing you must do is to determine where the water is coming from and eliminate it. You should never attempt to kill the mold, as this just leads to a different problem. A good example is if you would discover a skunk living under your deck. That’s a problem! However, if you simply kill the skunk, you will still have a problem, just a different problem, a dead skunk under your deck. The same thing is possible with mold; it may be dead, but even the presence of dead mold can still cause a health problem.

Where can I find help for Bedroom Water Damage?

This is not a time to DIY! Water needs to be removed, walls, contents, and flooring needs to be quickly dried. The longer things are allowed to remain wet, the more costly the damage becomes.

If you find mold already appearing forget about those “experts “ that say to clean the mold away with chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach may eliminate the surface mold, but it will not penetrate the surface or do anything to the roots of the mold. As a matter of fact, the water in the bleach (chlorine bleach is 95% water) will be absorbed and essentially provide water for the mold to continue growing inside your walls. Your mold problem may “disappear” for a short time only to reappear in the near future.

Mold needs to be contained and removed. If this means removing drywall or carpet, and replacing them, so be it. Removing mold can expose the person doing it to dangerous mold spores, which can be easily inhaled. Respirators, gloves, and protective clothing are required. Structural materials need to be dried before any replacement is done. The air in the areas affected by the mold needs to be “scrubbed” with HEPA air scrubbers to prevent cross-contamination. This is why professional assistance is so important.

At Water Mold Fire Restoration, our drying and mold removal experts have the training and equipment necessary to successfully deal with any water or mold damage in your home. They are nationally certified by the IICRC, an independent certifying body for the water damage industry. We can be reached by calling 800-905-0277 any time day or night, or by email at help@watermoldfire.net. Our initial inspection and estimate are always free of any charge.