How Fast Can Water Damage Ruin A Home?
Floods can be devastating to your home. Water is utterly destructive, and a flood is not the only potential cause of indoor water damage. Accidental spills, roof damage, burst pipes, broken appliances, and plumbing leaks can all cause water to drip, stream, and flood into areas where it should not. Clean water also becomes eventually contaminated and can pose health risks to you and your family.
Water damage restoration companies, like Restoration 1 of Greater Minneapolis, specialize in the most common types of water damage. It takes a different kind of proficiency to effectively assess and manage water damage, efficiently dry affected areas, and remove mold. Thus, it is vital to call or hire the services of a 24-hour water damage repair team at the first sign of water damage in your home such as visible flooding, moldy odor, or soft building materials and equipment. Ultimately, water can devastate homes fairly fast. So, how fast can water damage ruin a home? Let us dig deeper.
Does Water Damage Happen Right Away?
Water damage occurs quickly. If left unaddressed, it can lead to structural damage and mold growth which are precarious to homeowners in the property. For the safety of those living in the building, it is integral for the water damage to be cleaned up with immediate effect through the restoration services of a reliable water damage restoration company. However, unchecked water damage can spread rapidly and lead to an enormous amount of water damage in a short period.
Depending on the destruction severity, the effects of water damage on a property can be noticed within minutes, or not until days, or weeks later. Comprehending how fast water damage spreads can help business owners and homeowners promptly address the issues sooner rather than later.
Water damage can happen quickly, within minutes
Within minutes or a few hours, drywall, wooden cabinets, wooden furniture, and carpet can absorb huge amounts of water, and the drying process can be less effective. Practically, any porous surface can soak in water and be compromised. There are water removal experts who utilize professional techniques to dry furniture and building materials or equipment. The sooner you call or hire their service, the better your chances of saving your valuables.
It may take days or weeks for you to notice the water damage
Visible fungi can appear after many hours, within a couple of days, or weeks. At this point, the rotten smell is tremendous. Materials including furniture and hardwood begin to buckle, swell and distort the shape. You will also notice your wallpaper and wall paint start peeling away. By this point, the structure of your home is compromised. Crucial structural pieces made of wood begin to swell, warp, or split when wet. Inhabiting your home at this point is not an option. You will have to leave immediately because important structural elements can collapse placing you and your family in danger.
If a week or a few pass by, your home will be essentially ruined. Mold growth will develop and eat away at ceilings, exterior materials, walls, floors, and structural planks hence breaking them down beyond repair. At this juncture, the only way of saving your home is to gut and renovating the whole structure.
Causes of Water Damage
Storm and Natural Calamities
Storms and hurricanes are the most common natural causes of water damage. Hence, you must build a sturdy home if you reside in an area where hurricanes and storms frequently occur. However, disaster-prone homes are not the only structures that should be prepared for natural calamities. The impact of any natural force on your home can be too serious that the damage can be noticed immediately. If your home has a poor structure it can easily turn out to be a water-damaged property. Natural calamities can be too sudden that you will not have adequate time to prepare for them. Therefore, you should prepare for these natural disasters as they could happen at any moment.
Plumbing Failure
In most cases, water-damaged homes happen as a result of plumbing failure. Whether it is a slow plumbing leak or a burst pipe, the resulting water damage can be long-lasting and severe. However, there are other causes of water damage plaguing residential and commercial structures including continuous rainfall, leaking household appliances, sudden downpours, flash flooding, and groundwater flooding.
Your homeowner’s insurance cover should protect you from any sudden or accidental damage. However, this may not benefit you in case of flooding or gradual water damage. Therefore, you will require a separate insurance policy or incur high-cost cleanups.
Areas in the House Prone to Water Damage
Certain areas of your home are prone to water damage like the basement, gutters, attic, and other areas that are deep and shallow like the roof gutter. Such areas trap more water and can easily store it for a long period, thereby causing water damage. Additionally, these spaces in your home are hardly visible and seldom frequented, allowing excess standing water and moisture to easily migrate and cause severe damage to your home.
Water Damage and Mold Problem
Water damage causes severe structural damage to your home, hence placing it in danger of subsequent collapse. Mold growth also happens due to excess water and moisture, and can easily spread throughout the home. Mold releases spores in the air, which if inhaled can cause damage to your health: allergies and respiratory infections. These mold spores also feast on organic materials – eat away your drywall and wood, destroy or ruin the carpet, and weaken the walls and floors. Eventually, portions of the structure will collapse from the combined damage of both water and mold growth. Mold also causes water contamination. It can easily affect your supply and expose you to fungi. Moreover, it emits an unpleasant odor that can make the air difficult to breathe over time hence causing damage to your health and wellness.
Contact the Water Damage Restoration Experts in Greater Minneapolis
In case of water damage on your property, speed up the restoration process to avoid potential dangers and high-cost cleanups. Figuring out the extent of water damage to your home and what to do next can be difficult. Therefore, it is better if you call or contact a restoration company and hire the service of a water damage restoration professional to assess your home and recommend the next ideal course of action. Typically, it is safe to stay at home if you are not exposed to safety and health hazards that you are unaware of such as contaminated water.
Cleaning up water damage on your own is never a good idea, irrespective of how small the damage appears to be. Hence, it is integral you call or use the services of water damage restoration professionals immediately after you discover water damage on your property. This will help lessen the potential damage and reduce the costs that come with cleaning up water damage. So, if you are looking to clean up water damage after burst pipes, broken appliances, hurricanes, or leaking roofs, do not hesitate to contact us.