The following information comes from the Fall 2009 Newsletter from the Chattooga County Cooperative Extension Service
Lawn Care after a Flood
IF YOUR LAWN WAS FLOODED IN THE RECENT RAINS, TAKE ACTION NOW TO SAVE YOUR TURF.
TOO MUCH RAINFALL CAN DEPLETE GRASS OF VITAL OXYGEN AND DESTROY PLANT ROOTS. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SPECIALISTS SAY WATER?LOGGED TURFGRASS WILL BEGIN TO LOOK BROWN AND PUT OFF A RAW SEWAGE?LIKE ODOR JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER THE FLOOD WATERS RECEDE.
BERMUDA AND BAHIA GRASSES WILL TOLERATE FLOODS BEST. CENTIPEDE SUFFERS THE MOST. TO HELP YOUR LAWN RECOVER, UGA EXPERTS SAY FOLLOW THESE STEPS:
- ???? LIGHTLY RAKE BROWN TURF TO SEE IF IT HAS SURVIVED.
- ???? CLEAN DRAINS OR DIG TEMPORARY ONES TO CLEAR AWAY WATER.
- ???? RAKE TO REMOVE ANY SOIL AND ORGANIC DEBRIS. MOW OFF DEAD LEAVES.
- ???? APPLY A HALF POUND OF NITROGEN PER 1,000 SQUARE FEET TO ENCOURAGE RECOVERY.
Watery conditions lead to mold, mildew problems
With floodwaters receding from Georgia homes and roadways following recent record rainfall, mold and mildew may seem like secondary threats to the many who find their properties damper than usual. But in a few weeks, that dank smell will alert people that they have a problem.
It’s not just floodwaters that cause mold and mildew problems. The humidity is already making everything grow. The dead leaves on my plants are growing fuzzy mold. People in any area that has received a large amount of rain should be on the lookout for fungus problems, particularly its musty, earthy smell. It often appears as a discoloration, stain or fuzzy growth.
Mold will live anywhere where there’s food. You can find it growing on windows, and it’s not the glass, it’s the dirt on the window. It just needs a little food, moisture and a place to grow.
To keep mold and mildew growth at a minimum, run the air conditioner and keep the windows shut, which may be impossible for Georgians currently without electricity, she said. Air conditioning, fans or dehumidifiers will remove some of the moisture and keep the indoor humidity below 60 percent.
Turn on the bathroom exhaust fan when taking a shower and the kitchen fan when cooking. Most mold and mildew problems start in bathrooms or kitchens, especially if there’s a leaky faucet or pipe.
The other place you might find mold is in a closet on your shoes or clothing. People usually leave their closet doors shut. And closets are often jam?packed full of stuff, and there’s no air circulation. … I’ve seen little gray fuzz on handbags and shoes. To solve this problem, we suggest leaving closet doors open or switching to louvered doors, which allow air to circulate.
Keep an eye on crawl spaces. If water sits too long under a house, the chance for mold problems increases.
For homes, basements or garages that have been flooded, the problem isn’t just water damaging the floors. The water is going to be wicked up into your wallboard and insulation.
These are a few tips to get rid of mold:
1. Wear long sleeves, long pants, close?toed shoes, gloves, a mask and a hat when cleaning up large quantities of mold. Wash these clothes as soon as you’re done cleaning. Don’t wash them with other clothes.
2. Use a mild detergent mixed with water to wash mold off hard surfaces.
3. Or, use a solution of either mild bleach and water or borax and water. With both, mix one?half cup of bleach or borax with 1 gallon of water. She prefers borax because it inhibits mold growth and is a little better on the environment. Put the solution in a bottle and spray the infected area lightly before wiping clean. You don’t want to saturate the wall. More is not better. More is just more.
4. Wash fabrics infected with mildew in the washing machine. If fabrics can handle it, use the hot water cycle.
5. Tear out carpet and padding that have been in flood water. It’s almost impossible to get mold and mildew out of soft flooring materials. You will probably have to replace them.
6. Hire a certified mold removal specialist in extreme cases, especially if water has saturated the walls and insulation. This is especially important for people with respiratory problems, immune deficiencies or other illnesses.
For more information contact:
Rebecca Brewer Thomas
Chattooga County Cooperative Extension Agent
10011 Commerce Street
Summerville, GA 30747
(706) 857-0744
uge1055@uga.edu
Comments