The Four Levels Of Home Water Damage

You have just returned from your winter vacation and pulled into the garage.  Everything seems fine until you open the door and come across….water damage. When a water disaster happens, there are four main types of damage that could happen. It’s important to know which you are dealing with so that you know how to handle each situation the best way. Here are the top four types of water damage you may come across.

• Minimal Water Absorption:  Level One issues usually revolve around minimal damage. Fiberfill insulation, carpets, wall, and ceilings are the most common locations for water absorption. Because this is a level one situation, it usually means that evaporating water from the damaged areas is rather simple and minimal in costs.

• Mid-Tier Water Absorption:  Level Two issues are more serious. Invasion by water towards the above prime areas mentioned could go anywhere from 10%-40%.  Because many of the materials are of low absorption rate, it usually means that they would be unable to drink up more than the bare minimum of water.

• Highest Water Absorption:  This is when your porous materials represent more than 40% of the affected area. Still, the low evaporation materials and assemblies have absorbed little moisture.  
• Water Intrusion:  Your low evaporation tools have swallowed as much water as they can. The situation is now critical. Drying and venting will take much longer than usual. So much longer that it would be best if you get in touch with a professional cleanup crew.  And, if the water damage is extensive enough, it is possible that you might have water drinking into the very foundations of your home.  

Now that you know what various levels of water damage might occur within your home at any opportunity, you need to take precautionary measures to hopefully reduce as much damage possible. Simple procedures like routine checks inside and outside of your home to ensure that it is strong enough to handle large amounts of water. Roofs would need to be inspected to make sure that they are up to code and that no tiles, clay, or construction, are loose. If that happens to be the case, get in touch with a professional immediately.  If you live in areas where heavy rains are prominent, make sure that you photograph any and all important items within your home that are expensive or sentimental to you in order to reimburse them via your insurance company.

No matter how it happens, be aware that water damage is always a potential threat. When it happens, it is important to get in touch with a professional water cleanup company. American Cleaning & Restoration in Tulsa and the surrounding areas provide 24-hour services, including for emergencies. These professional teams will assist you in removing water from your home no matter how extreme the damage may be.  Their services include:

• Removal of water, including 24-hour emergency response (the first 48 hours of a flooding event are critical)
• Complete cleaning and drying of carpets, furniture, drapes, curtains, etc.
• Mold detection, removal, and prevention services, including any flooring or wall materials that must be repaired or replaced.
• Final cleaning services.