How Water Damage Affects Your Home in the Long Run
Water damage is not visible at first glance so it’s easy to go for months, or even years before it becomes more noticeable. Sometimes, even before you can see any signs of water-related damage, you may notice the musty smells instead, and how it can have a severe effect on your breathing. Even if there is nothing alarming right now, try to keep up with severe weather such as rainstorms, hails, and blizzards, and keep in mind natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Pipes could burst, roofs could leak, and the plumbing system could break.
Water Damage Put in a Time Frame
- Minutes
Within minutes that water enters the home, it spreads easily and contaminates almost anything it touches. Drywall can easily soak up water, including carpet flooring and furniture, and even the ceiling, from rain storms.
- Hours
Hours later, anything that can easily absorb water will start to swell or break down. Humidity levels will rise, giving off unpleasant and musty odors. Surfaces affected by water will now start to have noticeable discolorations.
- Days
As days go by, fungi and mold will start to thrive if water damage has not been taken care of at this point. Paint will peel from walls and ceilings while the wood will start to warp, swell, and split. The look of the elegance will begin to fade. This is the time that signs of water damage are noticeable and actions need to be taken to save the home.
- Weeks
With the home exposed to water damage that hasn’t been taken care of, anything in the house that carries water will only spread out the growing mold throughout. Mold, at this point, will start to affect people with allergies or respiratory issues. At this point, the home may need to be rebuilt from the inside out.
Pacific Dryforce has tools like a non-invasive moisture meter to determine the amount of moisture left in your home’s walls and floors after unwanted water enters your home. We are an IICRC team so we understand the importance of doing the water removal job the right way or homes suffering from water damage.