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The Timeline of Water Damage and Its Destructive Effects | SERVPRO® of East Lansing/Haslett
5/24/2022 (Permalink)
SERVPRO of East Lansing/Haslett is your 24/7 water restoration expert. Call us right away if you need immediate service.
Small spots of water spots and barely leaking faucets can seem basic and are often overlooked. However, you should never underestimate the damage caused by moisture in the home. An average household leak can waste up to 10,000 gallons of water in a year.
The damage brought on by standing water progresses fast, seeping into your walls, soft surfaces and floors. It’s most important to begin dealing with the issue immediately to get the best restoration results.
This timeline gives you a good synopsis of water damage:
If you live in a house, there is a one in four chance of a flood damaging your home within a 30-year period in a high-risk area. Knowing what to do next is essential.
The first 24 to 48 hours after flooding or water damage are crucial. Certain items will immediately fall victim to water’s disastrous effects.
Soft and absorbent items like fabric furnishings and upholstery will soak in the water. Wooden structures can swell and become deformed as well.
Even scarier, your personal belongings such as books, photos and important documents are at risk of warping beyond repair. During this timeframe, mold begins to develop, so taking action fast is essential.
At SERVPRO, our expertise, combined with a “restore vs. replace” mentality, can help you save money while keeping your precious and irreplaceable memories safe. If any items are unfortunately beyond restoration, we will communicate this to you. These items will be removed quickly to prevent the spread of moisture and lessen the drying time of the ones we can restore.
After the first 24 hours, water damage will progress further and quickly. Mold growth will explode at this point if in the presence of moisture; as the mold sets in it can even damage your home’s structure.
Additionally, porous surfaces, such as wood surfaces and walls will become increasingly compromised, and metal surfaces will start corroding.
At all costs, you must avoid allowing moisture to stay present for long periods of time. Standing water and moisture can cause extremely destructive and irreversible effects.
As time progresses, the effort required and the costs of restoration will increase exponentially, along with the risks of significant structural damage.
We begin the SERVPRO restoration process with our first call, hopefully within the first 24 hours. Service work typically starts with a full-scale extraction of standing water, helping to prevent the spread of moisture further into your home.
It’s very likely that your furniture, floors and personal belongings that have been affected will need deep cleaning, sanitizing and deodorization. Once we remove most of the water, our experts will use industry-leading equipment that helps get rid of the water that can’t be seen.
After these initial steps, your home may need construction work to get your property back to its preloss condition. This step could include minor repairs or rebuilding entire areas of your home.
At SERVPRO, we like to simplify the restoration process by taking care of the initial damage mitigation, as well as rebuilding the affected areas of your home or business. We keep you up to date on every single step, doing our best to get you back in action as soon as possible.
Regardless of the type of water damage sustained, SERVPRO has the tools and teams to help your home or business recover. Contact us 24/7 when you need a dependable team to help you recover.