Water Damage and Its Progression in Your Home | SERVPRO® of Barron, Dunn & Rusk Counties
5/5/2022 (Permalink)
A slow drip, a leaky faucet or a small water spot may seem unimportant or be overlooked in your home, but do not underestimate the damage long-term moisture can have on your home. An average household leak can waste up to 10,000 gallons of water in a year.
Water damage can move quickly, seeping into walls, floorboards and softer surfaces like carpet or permeating under vinyl. It is so important to address the issue as soon as you can to give your home the best chance of drying out properly.
Here’s what you need to know about the timeline of water damage:
If you live in a house, there is a one in four chance of a flood damaging your home within a 30-year period in a high-risk area. Especially with the change in seasons and the snow melt in Wisconsin, unexpected water in your home can lead to a mess if not properly cared for.
The first 24 to 48 hours after flooding or water damage set the tone for the following days and weeks to come. Unfortunately, even the quickest of responses will cause certain items to immediately fall victim to water’s disastrous effects.
Books, photographs, and other soft or fragile materials are especially vulnerable to immediate and irreparable damage. They can warp, swell or just simply be ruined by the water.
SERVPRO’s expertise and “restore vs. replace” mentality can help you save money while preserving those precious memories and keepsakes in your home. We do our very best, but if any materials cannot be successfully restored, this will be communicated to you. That being said, these types of things are usually removed first to expedite their drying process.
After the first 24 hours, water damage will progress further and quickly. Mold can spread like wildfire if left untreated. As mold sets in, it can even damage the home’s internal structure.
Additionally, porous surfaces such as wood surfaces and walls will become increasingly compromised, and metal surfaces will start corroding.
Avoid letting excess moisture sit for an extended period of time to help prevent irreversible damage. As time goes on, it gets more expensive and requires more extensive effort to restore the structures in your home. Don’t take the risk with increased structural damage!
SERVPRO’s restoration process begins with the first call, with our goal to be responsive within 24 hours. We start with a thorough extraction of water and then move on to cleaning, sanitizing and deodorizing your floors and furniture.
After the bulk of the water has been removed, our specialists will use industry-leading drying equipment to remove the water you can’t see to prevent lingering, unnoticed moisture.
After these first few steps, your home may need additional construction work to get your space back to its preloss condition. That includes minor repairs or massive rebuilds of rooms in your home, depending on the severity of damage.
We can simplify the restoration process by handling both the initial damage mitigation and rebuilding the affected areas. SERVPRO of Barron, Dunn & Rusk Counties will keep you up to date on every step and have you back in your home or business in no time.
Regardless of the type of water damage sustained, SERVPRO has the tools and teams to help your home or business recover. Contact us 24⁄7 when you need a dependable team to help you recover.