Water damage, like a flooded basement, is obviously easy to see but there are situations when water damage in your Central Florida home seems minimal, particularly to an untrained eye. Many homeowners clean up the visible puddles and don’t feel the need to call in a professional water damage restoration company.
Major storms, fires, and other catastrophic events can cause incredible water damage in our home, but so can seemingly minor events like a leaky roof or burst pipe. In most cases, if water has intruded your home, it’s a good idea to contact a reliable water damage restoration company.
The High Price of Water Damage
Water damage is the second most common filed insurance claim in the country, and it’s estimated each day, 14,000 people in the U.S. face a water damage emergency. And those damages come at a high price. Water damage and removal costs total $13 billion per year, and the average home insurance claim is more than $10,000.
If you want to prevent more extensive damage to your home from a water incident, calling in a professional water restoration company is the best way to protect its structural integrity.
Why Untreated Water Damage is Dangerous to Your Home and Health
There are undoubtedly times you can handle a small water leak on your own. But if there’s any question as to whether water has worked its way into your home’s structural components like the walls, roof, or foundation, working with a professional restoration company can potentially save your home, your health, and your bank account.
When water enters your Central Florida home, it starts the clock on just how extensive the damage will be. There are critical reasons not to leave water damage untreated. Here’s a closer look at just some of the things that can happen if you do.
Structural Weakening
Wood may be hard, but it also acts like a sponge. Because of its absorbency, the longer you wait to clean up water-logged floors and walls, the more the moisture spreads through them, warping, buckling, and weakening these surfaces. Drywall doesn’t need too much water exposure for it to swell, become brittle, and become a breeding ground for mold. Wait long enough, and your home’s structure can be significantly compromised.
Much structural damage is evident to the naked eye—if you know what to look for. After a water intrusion incident, check your home’s critical components like the roof and bearing walls. If there are obvious signs like a sagging roof or windows and doors that won’t open or close correctly, you likely have a serious water damage problem. Other less apparent signs you might miss include:
- Staining or discoloration on the ceiling, around vents, or near baseboards.
- Foundation cracks.
- Damaged wires, pipes, or lines.
- Water seeping out of outlets.
- Wet insulation.
These are usually signs of larger underlying problems, and as long as they go unaddressed, they will continue to compromise your Central Florida’s home structure.
A quick note about natural floods: Even if water doesn’t enter your home during a flood, it can create groundwater pressure that pushes into your home’s foundation, causing cracks or, in worst-case scenarios, total collapse.
Electrical System Breakdown
Failure of your home’s electrical system is another common problem resulting from untreated water intrusion and damage. As water and electricity can be a deadly combination, it’s important not to poke around in the wrong place, touch a live wire, or flip the wrong switch. The first thing to do is shut the electricity off at the source, the electrical box. If you’re unable to reach it due to flooding, call in a professional electrician to handle the job for you. Electrocution is a serious threat and not a risk worth taking!
Here’s how electrical water damage should be handled:
- To keep the electrical system functioning normally, wires and cables exposed to water need to be replaced.
- Wiring exposed to excessive moisture or water can suffer damage from corrosion or mold buildup. Some wiring is specified for dry locations only, so it should be replaced if exposed to any amount of moisture or water. Since not all cables or wires will fail immediately after water exposure, it’s best to have a qualified electrician make the determination if any wiring or cabling needs to be replaced.
- If it can be done safely, electrical appliances and components should be unplugged or deactivated and not turned back on until a thorough examination’s been performed.
Health Risks
Water is a powerful force and poses a real danger of physical injury. But it also presents a significant threat to you and your family’s health. While structural damage and the loss of personal belongings can be devastating, there is nothing as important as protecting your health and well-being. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of the potential health effects water damage can have.
- Mold and mildew can quickly turn a house into a fungal breeding ground, so be sure to remain vigilant for the signs of a mold outbreak to help keep everyone in your home safe. FEMA advises mold can begin to grow on damp surfaces in as little as 24 to 48 hours. After water damage, mold is often found growing on building materials like drywall, flooring, and insulation. You may find it on clothing and furniture, too. The faster your home and belongings are dried out, the less likely the risk of a mold infestation. Common symptoms of mold exposure include shortness of breath, sinus congestion, headache, cough, and fatigue.
There are more dangerous types of mold, too, such as pathogenic molds that produce infections and toxigenic or black mold that can have serious health effects on just about everyone.
- Contaminated water can seriously endanger lives, especially if it’s mixed with sewage. A host of infectious, even deadly, diseases can be found in this type of water, so it’s important if flooding occurs in your home to take extreme care around the water. If you want to remove household items, be sure to wear protective clothing before retrieving them. The contaminated water removal, though, should be handled by professionals who have the right equipment and knowledge to do it correctly.
Lower Home Value
It may be our last example, but it’s not the least. Untreated water damage can easily ruin your home’s value, too. While some homeowners attempt to cover up water damage, professional home inspectors are skilled at finding it and will point it out to potential buyers.
Smaller plumbing issues that all homeowners deal with from time to time are not likely to have a detrimental impact on your home’s value, particularly if they’re addressed quickly and correctly by a professional plumber. But serious water damage issues can cause structural damage to the foundation, resulting in a partial or entire collapse of your home’s roof, and cause electrical problems throughout the house. If water accumulates and stands in your Central Florida home’s crawlspace, that can also lead to serious issues, including dreaded mold infestation.
It’s always worth repeating how devastating a mold infestation can be to your home. It should come as no surprise it can also negatively impact your home’s worth. Fortunately, quick action can save a home from mold damage. The key to success is locating the source of what’s causing the mold so it can be cleaned up and wiped out. A professional water and mold damage restoration company like CFRS can get the job done right.
When Water Damage Has Already Occurred
We always say a little preventative maintenance can go a long way in protecting a home against flooding and water damage. But no matter how many precautions you take or preventative measures you put in place to reduce the risk of water damage in your home, natural disaster and accidents can happen without warning. Now that you know just how devastating the effects of water damage can be, it should be clear why hiring a water damage restoration company to clean up the mess makes sense.
Are you currently in the middle of a water damage crisis? The longer you allow water to sit in your Central Florida home, the more damage it can cause. If you’re now dealing with a water disaster, you must act quickly to prevent mold from cultivating in structural elements where it can cause serious and expensive issues. Every second you delay in calling in a professional water damage restoration company, the more likely damage to your home will increase.
If the current situation involves sewage, water, or mold in an area that’s exposed to electricity, it’s best to leave your home right away. For less serious or dangerous situations, clean up as much water and save as many personal items as you can and then call in a professional to remove the water and get the restoration process underway. They’ll ensure the proper steps are taken to prevent damage from spreading.
Central Florida’s Most Reliable Water Damage Restoration Company
Finding the right water restoration company to handle your home’s water damage doesn’t need to be a complicated endeavor. While experienced, qualified professionals don’t come cheap, it’s an investment well worth making. If you find a water damage restoration company offering rock bottom problems, proceed with caution. They may also provide rock bottom services, cut corners, and leave issues unaddressed.
No matter what type of water damage your home has suffered, Central Florida Restoration Solutions is here to help. Our skilled technicians have the knowledge and expertise to get the job done right the first time. We are Central Florida’s most experienced providers of water damage, mold damage, fire damage, and smoke damage restoration services. You can always depend on us to locate and assess any and all water leaks in your home and provide the services needed to mitigate any water damage that’s occurred. Our more than 20 years of experience makes it possible for us to return our customers’ homes to their pre-water, mold, fire, or smoke-damaged condition. You get the peace of mind that comes from working with a skilled and well-equipped company that can remove all water damage, no matter where it might be hiding.
Investing in professional water damage restoration services offers big returns and helps you avoid more extensive damage and costly repairs. To learn more about how water damage restoration works or to schedule restoration services, contact CFRS today. We offer the solutions you need to keep your home and family safe from water-related damages. We also provide mold damage, fire damage, and smoke damage services, as well as 24/7 emergency services.
