Types of Water Damage

Cleaning up water damage after a plumbing emergency is not always self-explanatory. First, you must remove all water from the area and dry it completely, but some types of water like natural floodwaters and sewage are too dangerous to try and clean yourself. Before you even start cleaning up, you need to know what kind of water damage you have. Three types of water can damage your home: clean, grey, and blackwater. Also, we will discuss different ways water can damage your home and what to do about it when it happens.

Types of water

Clean Water

While it is unlucky to have any kind of water damage incident, clean water is by far the safest. This is water that has not been used and contains no chemicals or biological hazards. These can come from ruptured pipes or forgotten running water. This is the easiest and safest to clean up, but time is of the essence. Clean water turns to greywater if left to sit for too long. Clean water can be cleaned in your home by you or a professional if you prefer. But extract all water quickly and dry the area thoroughly.

Greywater

As we mentioned earlier, greywater is water that has been sitting out for a long period of time or used but does not contain chemicals or excrement. For example, an overflowing toilet that has not been used. Because it has been sitting stagnant and may contain microorganisms that can cause illness it is considered Greywater. Therefore, it is better to leave to the professionals to clean up because they might contain harmful microbes.

Black Water

Lastly, we have blackwater which is your worst-case scenario. It contains sewage or chemicals and is dangerous to be around. Blackwater damage usually comes from sewage or groundwater. For instance, a flood or a sewage backup. Please do not try to clean this up yourself. You need to call professional restoration experts and cleaners to take care of this. They have the proper equipment for safety and cleaning.

Water Damage

Ceiling and Walls

Next, you need to think about where the water damage is. Water damage can come in a variety of forms. It can stain your walls or ceiling if you have a leak. Leaks can also lead to an infestation of mold and mildew which can be dangerous to be around. You will need a plumber out to fix the leak as soon as possible to minimize the extent of the damage. If you already have mold or extensive damage to your ceiling and wall, then you need to hire a restoration company to take care of the repairs. Replace any necessary drywall that has mold, staining, or is swollen or sagging. Focus on ceiling damage first just because it is at risk of falling.

Floors

On the other hand, if you are unfortunate enough to have had a flood it may require some additional restoration. Flooding may come from a heavy rain and a failed sump pump in your basement or could occur from a flooded bathroom. Either way, address it quickly. Floods can cause mold and mildew in carpet, and depending on what floor the flood was on, ceiling damage. The flood may also cause some structural damage to your foundation. Severe damage to wood may require it to be replaced. If the wood on floors or in your foundation is warped or rotting, replace it carefully, quickly, and professionally.

Conversely, taking care of the problem before it turns into serious water damage is your best-case scenario. If you have a problem in your home that has the potential to create water damage. Get it treated before it becomes an even greater problem. Call Valley Fire Protection & Plumbing to take care of your plumbing problems.

Related Topics: plumbing emergency // water damage
By: Tom Hartel
I acquired my expertise by directing day-to-day operations of the business for over 20 years. Continuous hard work helped me become a nationally recognized speaker and expert on fire protection, fire sprinklers, special hazards, and plumbing systems. In this blog, I share my knowledge that will hopefully help you make better decisions for your projects.

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