The Water Damage Timeline

7/19/2022 (Permalink)

A fast response is very important to avoid further damage.

When your home is damaged by water, a 24 hour response is crucial. Water begins to cause serious problems within minutes. You might be wondering how this happens and what you can do about it.

You must begin water damage restoration as soon as you notice water damage. There are a few things that can cause this damage. These are:

• Storm flooding
• Burst pipes
• Sewage backups
• Main breaks
• Plumbing breaks

Calling a water damage restoration company  White Bear Lake, MN, is crucial in preventing the damage from getting any worse. You want a company with a fast response because water damage only grows.

Water Damage Timeline

• Immediately After

After the water begins to inundate an area, porous surfaces start to soak it up. Things like porous stone, paper and even cloth quickly become saturated. This causes these surfaces to start to break down almost immediately. The more porous the surface, the faster it starts to break down. This does not simply stop at the 24 hour mark but keeps going until the water is cleaned up.

• Within a Day

Within a day, everything becomes water-laden and soggy. Anything sitting in or soaked in water will begin to decay. Depending on what kind of water you are dealing with, metals will begin to tarnish and wood swell. Dyes and other colors will fade. Mold growth is already beginning. If your restoration company isn't always open, it could allow the damage to get worse.

• Within Two Days

By the second day, mold has taken hold and continues to grow. At this point, many things are no longer salvageable. Textiles, furniture and clothing begin to deteriorate, and things like carpet and padding begin to rot. If you do not have a cleaning company working to rid your home of the water, this damage will continue to grow.

After two days, restoring it becomes even harder and more costly. It is always best to start restoration before the 24 hour mark to minimize the overall damage.