Experts warn of mold growth as flooding plagues Minnesota homes

Homes getting fixed following floods

Homes getting fixed following floods

Minnesotans battling home flooding are looking out for dangerous mold as the cleanup continues.

“It makes me a bit nervous to see water in here,” said Roy McGuire of Shakopee.

McGuire just decked out his basement with plush carpet and fresh paint, but flooding forced him to reverse the makeover.

“It was one of my worst fears to see water in here because I didn’t expect it,” McGuire said. “I put everything in place.”

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Howard Lake, steps away from the McGuire home, just became a sworn enemy. The recent heavy rain caused water to pour into the family’s basement.

“There was water coming up along the base of the baseboards. It was, it was — the furniture was just sitting in water,” McGuire said.

360 Water Damage, a water repair company, has been draining water out of homes nonstop.

“We are busy from sunrise to sunset,” Millan Bindas with 360 Water Damage said.

Water repair experts said mold is a big concern for residents.

“Mold looks like Picasso — a big, beautiful picture on the wall, but it’s very dangerous for you,” Bindas said.

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Experts explained high humidity plus water damage is the perfect recipe for mold to grow.

When flooding happens inside the home, Bindas is urging residents to call water damage repair immediately because once mold grows, the only solution is demolition.

“We received lots of phone calls that customers tried to do the jobs on their own and later find out five years later, they have started growing mold on their walls, Bindas said.

McGuire said the flooding is a headache but it won’t drive him out of Shakopee.

“This is the first time this has happened, so we’re not too concerned about it,” McGuire said.

Experts said mold exposure could lead to allergy-like symptoms of sneezing, coughing and itchy eyes.

Some water repair companies, including 360 Water Damage, have devices to come in and test for mold because it’s better to be safe than sorry.