Learn the Important Things About Water Damage
When water damage occurs in your home, whether it is due to a leaky pipe, water backups, or a flood, it can be extremely stressful. There might be a lot of questions that run through your mind. What to do next? Can I still salvage my stuff? What risks are you dealing with? Will your homeowner’s insurance cover the damage? All of these are very important questions. But, being able to know the situation helps you on how to better address the problem. This article will let you understand three important things you need to know about water damage in homes.
1. Once water damage occurs, you have to get it fixed fast!
When your home suffers from water damage, there should be no time wasted. In most cases, you only have 24 to 48 hours to clean up water damage. Otherwise, you might be facing secondary damage from mold growth.
One of the immediate consequences of water damage in homes is mold growth. Mold can pose serious health risks such as allergies and respiratory illnesses. Mold grows where there is moisture and food source. Your water-damaged carpets or drywall offer that kind of condition to mold. They can begin to thrive in damp areas within 24 to 48 hours and can spread quickly inside your home. Thus, it is important to act fast.
To prevent mold growth in your home, you have to remove any standing water and dry your home immediately. Though you can always try to dry your water-damaged property and items using DIY techniques, there is no guarantee that they are completely dry. Thus, no matter how big or small the damage is, it is always best to hire a professional restoration company. They have professionals who utilize only the best and most effective tools and methods for removing and drying your water-damaged property and personal belongings.
2. Not all types of water damage are the same.
There are different levels of water damage and they are categorized depending on the level of pollutants involved in the water.
While Category 1 involves clean water that does not contain any pollutants and does not pose any health risks, Category 3 water is considered the dirtiest. The water contains a lot of harmful bacteria, and pathogens and is highly polluted which can pose serious health risks when exposed and ingested. Furthermore, category 2 has some level of contaminants, and exposure to it may cause some health illnesses. Some sources of category 2 water damage are water discharge from washing machines or dishwashers, sump pump failures, and toilet overflow with urine.
Though you may start out with clean water, for instance from a burst water supply line, the water will not stay the same. Once the clean water comes into contact with contaminated materials like dirty carpeting, it can be considered as category 2 or can even be considered as category 3 when it touches anything that is highly contaminated such as water from an overflowing toilet. Allowing the water to stay longer, and with all the bacteria that continuously thrive, can cause your property to become even more contaminated. Thus, repairing the damage may require professional help.
3. Your insurance may or may not cover the damage.
Having a homeowner’s insurance can be a great help in terms of covering the cost of cleanup and restoration. However, your insurance provider will not always cover the water damage in your home. For instance, the water damage that happened due to lack of maintenance or from a gradual leak. Standard homeowner’s insurance policies usually cover water damage that happened suddenly such as an accidental overflow of a washing machine or a dishwasher, or water damage from rain or snowstorm. In some cases, you may need to purchase a separate policy for flood damage.
Thus, it is important that you take some time to check and review your insurance policy and be sure to familiarize yourself with the kind of damage excluded from your insurance coverage.
Furthermore, it is a good idea to contact your insurance provider as soon as you notice water damage in your home. This way, your insurance agent can begin processing your insurance claims and guide you throughout the process.
Professional Water Damage Restoration
Water damage can be very destructive and even expensive. But, knowing how to address the problem can reduce your chances of dealing with a costly repair. Yet, when water damage occurs in your home, it is always best to hire a professional restoration company. A certified restoration company, like Superior Restoration, understands how damaging water can be to your property. These companies will take the proper and quick actions to clean, dry, and restore your home and its contents to their pre-damaged state.
To know more about restoration services, contact us today at 951-221-4347 or visit our website at superiorrestore.com.
