Different types of water damage.

9/22/2020 (Permalink)

Black water from a sewage back up can not only cause a lot of damage but create an unhealthy living environment

There is so much more to water damage than what you can see that is wet. Along with hidden damage you have to be aware that water damage can come from a wide variety of sources. Some of which may be in your home while others could be caused by nature. That being said where the water comes from is all classified and treated differently. It is important to understand these different types of water classifications as they should all be treated differently.

 One important thing to keep in mind is that these water classifications do not have much if anything to do with the actual color of the water but more so the level of contaminants in the water itself.  There could be a lot of bacteria, virus, or chemicals in the water that you can not see. It is essential that you keep out of the water if you are not sure of its contamination level or if you think that it could be Black water. Reducing exposure to your self or spreading the contamination around to other unaffected areas of your home.

Lets take a look at the types of water that can cause water damage.

Clean Water:

Clean water is also known as category one water, the safest of all water damage. This type of damage usually comes from an unattended overflowing sink or a broken water line. Consuming this type of water would pose no health risks to humans or animals and thus, is usually the easiest to fix.

Most cleaning companies would go in, inspect the incident, extract the water, and then thoroughly dry the area. Because there are no microbes in clean water, the process isn’t as complex as it would be with more serious cases.

Gray Water:

Gray water is more serious than clean water and can occur if you leave clean water dormant for a period of over 24 hours. A good example of a gray water incident would be a toilet overflowing. There are microbes in toilet water and consumption of that water could lead to illness and at the very least, an upset stomach.

One of the most important pieces to gray water is preventing the spread of the microbes inside the water. That’s why you usually leave the work to the professionals. But if you want to start the restoration process before the service crew arrives, make sure to keep your skin covered at all times to minimize the risk of exposure to your body and to other areas of your household.

Black Water:

Black water is the most serious of all three water damages. This type of damage usually occurs due to sewage or, in some cases, natural disasters such as hurricanes and heavy flooding. It’s extremely important that you keep yourself away from black water as it can contain anything from chemicals and pesticides to bacterial diseases that will do serious bodily harm if they get inside you.

If you are in a situation where black water has contaminated your home, call the professionals Do not clean it up yourself. You won’t have the proper equipment or knowledge to properly clean and remediate your home.

The dangers of Black Water shouldn’t be ignored. Even being exposed to the air around black water can lead to serious respiratory problems. Coming in contact with it can lead to serious illness and even death in some cases.

Please keep in mind that often times this water is not actually black in color. Where the water comes from determines its classification. This could be water that comes up through a toilet or sewer system as an example. Visually the water could look very normal yet contain chemicals, microbes, virus and or bacteria. If you have water damage in your home and you are not 100% sure where it came from call the professionals.

Do you have time if it is clean water?

No you do not have extra time. Once clean water leaves the confines of its controlled source it is exposed to a lot of different ways. Water can pass through a wall that a rodent may have left some droppings. It could be left pooling and an insect could come in contact with it. As it sits it is possible spores and fungi can begin to make their homes on wet materials become permanently ruined or worse grow something more sinister.

Regardless of where the water comes from damage seems to come from an overflowed bathtub or leaking pipes, immediately call for help. If allowed to sit, clean water can turn into gray water which will only do more damage to your home. This can make things worse and it can also cause permanent damage. If this is an insurance claim the insurance company could determine this to be secondary damage and deny coverage for it leaving you on the hook for some serious expenses.

No matter what the cause of the water loss Say you find yourself in a situation where the water damage was out of your control. It can bring its own series of problems such as  mold, sewage, or traditional flood damage from a storm. There are also solutions for these types of problems as well.

What to Do in the Case of Molding

One of the biggest problems that can arise from water damage is molding. This can occur whenever water damage is present for a long period of time, usually in the case of heavy flooding or sink overflow.

If mold is left by itself, it can easily destroy the structure of your home and cause damage that’s permanent. It can make furniture useless and decorate your walls with green spots. Therefore, it’s important to call right away if you start seeing mold show up.

Companies that have 24/7 emergency cleaning services are especially good to know about because they can assist you whenever and however you want. This makes mold removal much easier to handle.

DO NOT tackle Sewage Damage

If you have sewer damage make sure you call a professional immediately. It’s not only black water but once the water subsides, there’s going to be bacteria on bacteria–not to mention the bad smell–inside your home and only the qualified professionals will know how to take care of it.

If not taken care of right away, the sewage damage will eventually lead to structural injuries and contamination.

                            Flood Damage

We have seen increasing flood events here in the Northeast coupled with failing drainage systems, flooding is becoming a more serious issue that affects homeowners across. Sometimes, even with your best efforts, the damage occurs, nonetheless. So, what do you do?

Number one thing to do is get out of flood waters the speed at which they travel can even be life threatening in as little as an inch of moving water. Once you are able to safely return to your home it is important to take an inventory of what is and is not still within the home. Coupled with what is and is not damaged. Call your insurance company and start talking about rebuilding. Checking your policies before you need them is the best way to ensure you are covered for wat ever life throws at you.