Problems That Water Damage Can Cause In Your Home
Water damage has many effects that could be devastating to your home and yourself, either immediately or later in time. This is why handling it quickly is so important.
Water can ruin your home pretty quickly if there’s a lot of it. On the other hand, small, unnoticeable leaks are less destructive initially, but very dangerous along the line. Some of the damages you’ll notice right away, and some will annoy you for weeks. Especially so if this is not handled by a professional.
Here are some of the effects of water damage in your home.
Mold
Mold is one of the worst things that can
happen in your home. And the effects on your health can be felt almost
immediately. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen right away. It’s the most evident
when allergies start to bother you and especially so on children. Mold adores
water and it will appear wherever the water has been untreated and undried.
This is why quick drying after any water damage is so important. You can learn
more about mold and health issues here.
Not to mention, mold looks disgusting. It
leaves marks all over the place and it can range from mildly disturbing to
really ugly. Some of it can look greenish and appear like moss on the surface
of your walls.
You can expect various issues like respiratory
problems, asthma and so on. While some may feel this immediately, some will
suffer the consequences after many weeks or months go by.
The smell caused by mold will not disappear
that quickly either. It will linger on, especially if mold has caught on to
some furniture or a painting, for example.
Once the mold starts growing, you will likely
feel the decrease in air quality almost instantly. Be aware that water that you
drink or use for bathing can get contaminated also. It leads to allergies on
the skin and you will be exposed to numerous bacteria. Follow this link to find
out how to tell early on that there is mold in your home: https://www.insider.com/is-there-mold-in-my-house-2018-12
Damage to the appliances and
furniture
If a flood happens, your appliances and
furniture will be the first thing to break down. Within minutes, half of your
things could be permanently destroyed.
Their structure will weaken and even if it
doesn’t, mold can grow on it and cause problems mentioned in the previous part.
Some furniture will swell because of water and
this usually includes your floors too. The paint will likely chip or transfer
to other areas.
Electrical appliances will malfunction right
away, but especially so if they are not waterproof or if they are plugged in
when the accident happens. As San Diego
Dry Express says, this damage is often hard to repair,
although it can still happen, depending on the damage.
Home structure
One of the biggest things that water can ruin,
whether in large volumes or in small volumes, is the structure of your house.
If you have a wooden floor, it will likely warp and swell. You’ll have a hard
time walking without tripping and it can even be dangerous.
It gets worse if your floor is carpeted
because it will be a nightmare to clean up and treat. Carpets are usually
unsalvageable. Especially if you don’t want mold to catch on. And vacuuming is
often not an option since the water can ruin the vacuum too.
If your wall is soaked, it will change its
color, start chipping and so on. You might spot yellow marks on the wall too.
What to do
If you are not sure what to do in case of
water damage, you’ll probably get confused. But, as soon as you notice any
damage made by water, you should call a professional. Until they arrive, you
need to do your best to remove the water from the home and dry it out as much
as possible. If the damage and the flooding are too high, you should leave
immediately and call someone skilled in handling this damage since water can be
a hazard both for your health and electrical hazards.
If the damage is not too big, then you can
stay in your home and try to remedy the damage as much as you can until the
professionals arrive. They will bring professional equipment and they will know
how to handle the mold and the water. Plus, this will likely be covered by your
insurance.