Few repair issues in a building demand immediate attention as much as water damage. If you're worried that your place has water damage, you should be aware of the importance of acting quickly for the following four reasons.
Evidence Trails Damage
Unless a building has experienced an obvious disaster like a floor or rainstorm, the damage may not be immediately evident. Suppose a water pipe is leaking inside a house's interior wall. It could take years for the damage to seep through the wall and become evident to the homeowner. In the meantime, the damage is spreading throughout the wall or even to other parts of the house. The evidence of water damage in slow-developing cases tends to be a trailing indicator that something is wrong.
Mold
Mold doesn't need much to start multiplying rapidly. In fact, the thing it needs the most is water. Within a couple of days of water damage developing in a building, mold will start growing. This presents an indoor air quality issue even in regions that are relatively dry. However, it can downright explode in a humid environment.
Growing mold also can compromise the structure. The combination of mold and water damage will soften many types of materials, but wood and drywall are particularly vulnerable. By the time you see a mold patch bursting through the paint, there's likely to be extensive damage throughout the wall.
Warping
As water stays on wood, it'll warp the materials. Especially if you have hardwood floors, this can leave them severely deformed. In the best-case scenario, a flooring contractor might be able to sand the surface flat and reseal the floors. The worst outcome is that the floors will be too damaged to be repairable.
Even if you spot the water damage right away, you should ask a professional to handle it. Using off-the-shelf solutions like box fans and dehumidifiers can accelerate the warping process by drying the wood too rapidly. A water damage contractor will have purpose-built fans and dehumidifiers that can slowly draw the water out of the wood. This can significantly reduce the risk that the surface will warp or crack.
Insurance
Insurance companies want to know that any reported water damage fits within a customer's policy. Drawing a direct connection between covered problems and the damage is easier if you address the situation sooner. An insurance adjuster will have an easier time seeing and documenting what happened.
For more information, contact a local company, like Restore All.
Share25 May 2023
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