Water does a lot of damage to your home, whether it came from a short event or because your home was flooded for days. There are several ways water can hurt your home and destroy your belongings. Here's a look at some problems you face when dealing with water damage.
Soaked Fabrics
Unless you can dry out fabrics such as carpet and furniture right away, these items may need to be discarded, or they may hold a mildew odor. A water restoration company might be able to pull water out of fabrics with an extractor and combine that with fans or putting the items in the sun to dry. However, water and mold break down fabric fibers, so if the items have been wet very long, you may need to start the water damage cleanup by discarding your furniture and carpet.
Hidden Water
One problem with cleaning up water damage yourself is that it's easy to overlook hidden water. You may bail water and mop the floor dry and think the problem is solved. However, water can seep underneath the flooring, get behind walls, and flow under the carpet without you knowing it. This leads to problems with mold and structural damage. One task of a water damage cleanup crew is to extract water from hidden places in your home and use commercial fans and dehumidifiers to make sure your entire house is dried out.
Damaged Building Materials
Replacing damaged building materials is one of the biggest jobs of restoring water damage. Drywall soaks up water and expands and warps, so it has to be torn out and replaced. Wood flooring or the subfloor might be permanently damaged and need to be replaced or refinished. In addition to replacing damaged flooring and walls, your home might need extensive cleaning if the water damage is from a flood. This could entail cleaning up mud and debris.
Whether the water was from a contaminated source or from one of your faucets, it can cause mold within a few days. Building materials might need to be removed due to mold and the hard surfaces in your home that are saved will probably need to be sanitized once the water is removed.
If the water damage comes from an overflowing tub or a busted plumbing line and you see it when it happens, then you should act quickly to get the area dried out before major damage is done. Call in professional help so you can prevent mold and problems later on from hidden water. If your home has been under water for days due to a flood, then you want help due to safety concerns when it comes to cleaning out the damage and restoring your home back to its original or better state.
For more information, contact a company like Kiser Construction Inc.
