Water damage can cause significant problems for your Long Beach Island home. Depending on the level of water damage, additional steps may be necessary in order to successfully restore your home and remove any potentially harmful contaminants that may have resulted from the water damage. The IICRC certified technicians at Stretch Cleaning are able to identify the type of water damage that your home has sustained, and, depending on the level, come up with a plan of action to get your home restored as quickly as possible. Here are 4 main levels of water damage that will determine the restoration process that your home will need.
In cases where affected materials have had little water absorption and small evaporation load, the damage is considered level one. This means that porous materials (i.e. wood, carpets, drywall, etc.) make up less than 5% of the affected area, so not as much water has been absorbed. Water damage in this level often affects materials that are easily evaporated like concrete, plaster, and masonry. Since these materials do not hold on to as much water, the drying portion of the restoration process goes much quicker. Small amounts of water, or water that has not been present long enough to be absorbed into materials make up level 1 water damage.
In this level of water damage, there has been a middle range of water absorption and evaporation load, making it more serious and significant that level 1. So for those porous materials, the wood, carpet, and drywall, water intrusion can range anywhere between 5% and 40%. While the low evaporation materials like concrete and masonry are still hardly affected, this level will still require more time to adequately dry out affected materials.
When porous materials make up more than 40% of the water-damaged area, it is considered level 3 damage. The low evaporation materials still have great odds of being adequately dried and restored, but porous materials at this level need immediate action if the damage is to be reversed. This level of water damage requires the use of commercial-grade equipment like air movers, dehumidifiers, and moisture monitors in order to remove all the water. Unfortunately, even with the best equipment on the job, some materials may not be salvageable at this level of damage.
When major water damage or flooding occurs, it is considered level 4 water damage. This type of water damage describes deep, unmoving water intrusion so all materials exposed to the water will be affected. Even low evaporation materials have absorbed serious amounts of water in this level of damage, and many items and materials will need to be removed and replaced during restoration. Adequate drying and ventilation will take a longer time, and needs to be monitored by trained professionals in order to ensure thorough drying has been achieved.
Regardless of the level of water damage, your home may be facing, Stretch Cleaning and Restoration is ready and equipped to provide you with the best results, in the least amount of time. We have experience dealing with water damage at each level, and will be sure to take the necessary steps to get your home restored following water damage.