Understanding the Threat of Water Damage in the Home

Water – a common catastrophe

In Canada and elsewhere in the world, water damage is one of the most common and problematic forms of disaster damage that is experienced by home and business owners. Water damage is caused by all sorts of conditions, from hostile weather and natural flooding to man-made issues like leaky pipes and firefighting collateral.

Water damage is as destructive as it is common. Unwelcome water in your home or business can affect almost every part of your property. Water can rot wooden floors, furniture, siding, and landscaping ties. It will rust any steel and metal surfaces, de-laminate your plywood, and eat away at your concrete foundation. Drywall weakens on contact and eventually crumbles into a useless damp mess. Worst of all, water destroys electronics. In this increasingly digital age, damaged electronics have far-reaching implications. You could lose your livelihood if your laptop and other equipment is damaged, while precious memories can be washed away if USB sticks and digital camera are submerged. The same holds true if photo albums, business documents, or antique books get wet. Losing your furniture or appliances is an expensive inconvenience, but losing these kinds of priceless items is a tragedy.

Understanding water damage classifications

They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and this is certainly true of water damage. Steamatic’s water damage restoration services have proven themselves capable of helping even the most water-logged of homes recover. Steamatic’s mold remediation, water clean-up, and restoration services have been calibrated over 40 years of service to give you the best results, but nothing beats prevention. Prevention is only possible if you know your enemy, however.

The first classification of water damage is Clean Water. As the name would have you believe, clean water damage does not pose a significant health risk to humans initially. When a sink or tub overflow and spill out onto the floor, you are dealing with clean water damage. Though not initially harmful to people, clean water spillage can still contribute to the growth of harmful mold and bacteria, cause certain materials to degrade, and poses an electrical shock hazard in certain areas of the home.

Grey water is the second tier in the water damage classification system. Grey water is significantly more dangerous than clean water, as it contains traceable amounts of chemical, biological, and physical pollutants. If people are exposed to this kind of water, or accidentally ingest it, they are at risk of serious illness. Washing machines, toilets, and dishwashers all produce grey water. Grey water is also much more likely to house the bacterial cultures needed for dangerous mold growth.

The final classification for water damage is Black Water. Black water is highly unsanitary. Brimming with bacteria, fungi, and other pollutants, exposure to black water is severely toxic. Sewage leaks, seawater, and contaminated river water are all typical sources of black water damage.
 

Water damage restoration options

All classifications of water can wreak havoc on your home, business, documents, and electronic devices. Each of these scenarios requires its own unique forms of treatment, but generally speaking, the most important piece of advice you will hear is that you need to act fast. Time is not on your side during watery disasters. You will incur much more serious damages if you hesitate to seek help, as each passing minute moves you further away from the chance of a full recovery. Any delay will put you at greater risk of mold damage, and any documents exposed to water will become much more likely to perish.

Steamatic makes their emergency response team available 24/7, so that you can treat any water damages fast, and put yourself in the best possible position for a full recovery. Call 1-888-767-7616 at any time for immediate restoration service. Steamatic offers solutions for every kind of water damage problem. Freeze-dry and restore your documents; clean, dry, and restore your property; rid your home or business of mold in a safe and environmentally-friendly fashion – it is all possible with the Steamatic team on your side. Be sure to call within 24 hours to avoid the onset of secondary problems like mold and material erosion.