More than one meter of flooding can cause serious damage to a home's infrastructure, including its foundation and structure. This level of flooding can lead to damage that is too severe to be repaired. Outdoors, water can cause lasting damage to water wells, as well as to sewer and plumbing systems. Water is an essential part of life, but it can be destructive to the various materials in your home.
In other words, it doesn't take much water to cause damage, although this largely depends on the areas affected. Hardwood floors, for example, are damaged if any amount of accumulated water is allowed to sit for about a day, causing the boards to bend and other repair problems. Drywall works a little better, since there are processes to dry it, but if the components retain more than one percent moisture, they need to be replaced. As for mold, it begins to grow within 24 hours after moisture is introduced into the air, even with minimal water damage.
If the water is clean water, such as from a water heater or washing machine, standing water in affected areas is much less of a concern. Many homeowners and business owners are surprised to discover that water damage and flooding are two different types of problems. If you leave water damage untreated for too long, your insurance may not cover it and the cost of water damage in your home may be high. The best way to prepare for a flood is to know where the water comes from and how much water enters your home.
If possible, restoring water damage should begin 24 to 48 hours after you have been allowed to re-enter your home. Destruction caused by a flood usually affects two or more properties, while water damage usually affects a single property. Gutters protect your home from water damage by removing rainwater from the roof and away from the foundation of the house. Water and moisture can damage hardwood floors quickly, so this process should be started as soon as possible. They will assess the level of water damage and evaluate the amount of work needed to make your home safely habitable again.
In severe cases, water damage can compromise the structural integrity of your home or foundation, so it's best to address them head-on. Old water damage will have rings of dry water around the site; the more rings, the longer the water damage is likely to have been there. Before starting the process of eliminating water damage in a flooded home, be sure to document all damage first. If you've only found a small leak under the sink, for example, it's fairly easy to remove all the objects affected by water damage to assess if they can be saved. While the exact amount of time it takes for water to damage foundations depends on several factors, such as the type of foundation you have and the amount of water present, destruction can happen quickly.
Damage caused by untreated water can also ruin electrical systems, corrode pipes, destroy roofs and walls, and cause mold growth.
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