The dank smell of wet carpet and a few centimetres of sodden drywall along a single basement wall may be all that lingers in some of the southern Alberta homes that sustained water damage after recent floods and swamped sewer systems.

Dismiss that smell as an annoying and potentially seasonal side effect of too much rain and you set yourself up for a much bigger battle with mould and possibly even structural damage, says Scott Templeman, senior project manager with Calgary's Servpro Disaster Restoration.

Like others in the business of cleaning up property damaged by water, Templeman says it's easy to pinpoint the No. 1 mistake homeowners in the aftermath of a flood. While the hardest hit are the most apt to call their insurance companies, shoot photographs or video of the damage and call in specialists in disaster restoration, those with less noticeable damage often don't do enough.

When water from the outside infiltrates a home, it also brings in bacteria and other microbes. The southern regions of Alberta may be among the nation's driest, but even here, mould needs just 48 to 72 hours to grow, warns Templeman.

Photo courtesy of Monica Moody
Flooding will make cleanup of this High River home's basement an extensive undertaking.

Mould damage is not covered by homeowner insurance, adds insurance agent Jacqueline Heninger of Van Helden Agencies Ltd. That exemption underlines the need for homeowners to take mould seriously in its earliest stage.

Templeman agrees. His bottom line? If there's water between the plastic vapour barrier and your wall, you've got a problem that needs fixing.

"The biggest problem we find is a lot of homeowners downplay the damage and try to do the cleanup themselves," agrees Shane Field, manager of the disaster services division for Magiclean Cleaning Services Inc.

He urges homeowners to seek a professional assessment for the water damage. Since insurance rarely covers water damage, unless linked to sewer backup, a homeowner may opt to do the work him or herself. Working with a professional assessment at least ensures you have the best information, says Field.

He also cautions against a tendency to "cover up" water damage, or to equate disaster restoration services with renovation services. That's a costly mistake, says Field, who estimates the cost of a future mould cleanup "is probably 10 times the amount of a water (damage) restoration job."

Those with rental properties may want to pay particular attention to water damage - and visit their investment even if tenants don't report a problem. In the months and years to come, a mould report could lead health officials to demand a cleanup within a particular time frame. "It's always cheaper to fix it straight away," notes Field.

Homeowners should also recognize that different approaches are required to restore fresh, grey or blackwater damage, adds Jamie McDonald, owner, First General Services, a restoration company that focuses on insurance claims.

McDonald says disaster restoration protocols, based on the science of microbial activity, dictate what happens when different classes of water flood into a home. With blackwater (sewage), anything made of particle board or stored in cardboard boxes should be discarded.

Even fresh water damage may be too much for carpets if they're not professionally dried and the work required to dry underpads may not be worth the effort (and price), says McDonald.

"Water can be your friend and water can be your enemy," adds homeowner Cam Crawford of High River. "If there's water in your walls and underneath carpets, you might have issues that might not arise for years."

David Lazarowych, Business Edge
ServPro's Scott Templeman collects a sample that will be checked for mould.

Ten years ago, Crawford's home in Beachwood Estates sustained significant water damage. .

Professional disaster restoration staff treated the affected areas with anti-bacterial agents and, as per the accepted restoration protocol, replaced the lower 130 cm (four feet) of basement drywall.

Putting experience to work, Crawford altered his landscaping to increase flow away from this home. He also kept 300 burlap bags in his garage. This year, they were filled by volunteers, then used to fortify his home.

Because Crawford ignored an evacuation notice and stayed to monitor the water's rise, he was home when one basement toilet backed up. It was a mess easily contained.

His bigger fight now is with a Town of High River flood'-mitigation strategy that he and fellow Beachwood homeowners say negatively affects their property. Still smarting from this year's tax bill - featuring a 40-per-cent jump - Crawford says he's pleased the council is engaged in an "active dialogue" with the homeowners' association.

He's hopeful they will devise a new strategy to minimize flood risks - well before the next record-setting rainfall.

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Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. offers a few tips to help restore a home after water damage - and after you've phoned your insurance company and recorded damage with photographs or video.

* Plan: Set up a step-by-step plan of action. What stays? What goes?

* Supplies: Assemble gloves, masks, pails and mops, chlorine bleach, plastic garbage bags, non-ammonia dishwashing detergent and large containers to soak bedding and clothing.

* Store papers: Place valuable papers in the freezer until you have time to work on them.

* Cleanup: Add a small amount of chlorine bleach to standing water, then remove that water with pails, mops and a wet/dry vacuum.

* Remove: Remove all soaked and dirty materials, including wet insulation and drywall, furniture and appliances.

* Top-down: Working from the top down, remove all materials at least 50 centimetres above the high-water line.

* Wash: Thoroughly rinse (hose) all surfaces wet by the flood water. Wash and wipe with a chlorine water solution (1:1) mixed with a small amount of non-ammonia detergent. Rinse again.

* Ventilate: Dehumidify the house until completely dry.

(Joy Gregory can be reached at joy@businessedge.ca)