One of the very most common ills of home ownership everywhere is water damage. It’s the name of the game; anywhere that you have a structure that has water running through it to help it (and the people who live inside) to function and live normal lives, you have danger of water escaping the framework designed to hold it back and damaging your Long Beach Island home. In addition, natural disasters or eroding of roofs or walls can cause water that exists outside of your home to find its way in and do the same thing. So, what are some of the worst effects that potentially can occur as a result of a water damage emergency? Here’s a small list of a few common ones:
The water that finds itself in your home where it is not supposed to be, can come from various sources. Experts have categorized water into three categories: clean water,gray water, and black water, based on how dirty the water is. If the water comes from a burst sewage pipe, for example, you have highly contaminated, black water. If it comes from a washing machine with some chemicals and whatnot in it that would make you sick if you ingested it, it is considered grey water. If it is water to the kitchen sink, it is considered clean water. However, even water that looks clean, unless you’re sure where it came from, can be black, just based on what is inside of it. Furthermore, the danger with black water is that clean or grey water that is left standing for long periods of time may begin to grow harmful bacteria, making it worse (and therefore darker on the scale) as time goes on. That makes it harder to properly clean up. When your home stews in black water and needs to be cleaned up, you’ll likely need to dispose of a lot of your property and the costs will be higher, as those cleaning up need to take precautions against tetanus and other harmful illnesses that could be caused by agents in the water.
Did you know that mold can start to grow in your wet home just 24 hours after flooding or other water damage occurs? Without proper (and prompt) water damage cleanup, the growth of mold in the nooks and crannies is inevitable. And, of course, that leads to musty smells, unsightly spots, health risks, and, in some cases, structural damage.
If outlets and electrical wiring have been submerged in water, you’re going to want to ask a professional about getting those assessed to make sure your family’s electricity moving forward is safe and reliable. Of course, calling water damage experts (and electricians or other professionals where applicable) to assess and help clean up damage is an important step of cleaning up after a flood. Doing so will minimize your chances of sustaining longer-term damage from a flood in your home. For flood and water damage emergencies in the Long Beach Island area, call Stretch Cleaning today!
