There is nothing you want less in your house than unwanted water causing havoc in every nook and cranny. Water can infiltrate your home in many ways, including leaky pipes, dripping faucets, floods, torrential rains, dysfunctional toilets, or dishwashers, to name a few.
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However, the result remains the same; you are left with the headache of removing water and remediating water damage in your house.
A dripping faucet is not a big issue for most people until it leads to puddles of water everywhere. They only start taking action when things start taking an ugly turn.
But in reality, the cardinal rule of dealing with water damage is your prompt action. If you leave water damage untreated, it can lead to other serious issues that you might never want to have in your house.
All types of water (e.g. sewage, drinking, storm, etc.) accompany the risk of water damage in the house, but the extent of the problem is contingent on the amount of water present in the building, length of the time water remains in the building, and efficiency of your cleaning efforts. Yet, in any case of severe or minor water damage, you cannot leave it untreated, and here is why.
Mold and mildew issues
The first problem associated with untreated water damage is the growth of mold and mildew on the walls, under the baseboards, carpeting, and other areas in your house. Mold does not take long to grow once you have water in the house.
In most cases, it only takes less than twenty-four hours for the mold to start infiltrating your home, staining your walls, and giving it an ugly look. Generally, you need the services of a Water Damage Advisor to deal with this issue because of its creeping and sneaky nature.
Mold can grow anywhere in the house, and when it starts developing in hidden areas, you often have no way to clean it on your own, and calling a professional for help becomes your only hope.
Professional Water Damage Restoration Milwaukee experts have high-quality technology and equipment to locate the mold in the house, even hiding under the walls.
Health issues
A related issue with mold growth is health problems. With mold growing everywhere on the premises, you might have floating spores in the air.
They can cause severe respiratory issues, especially for those already suffering from asthma and breathing problems. Moreover, it can cause skin irritations and allergies because of allergens and other harmful microorganisms.
Therefore, it is very important to remove the growing mold in your house and provide a fresh environment for your family.
Electrical issues
The combination of electricity and water never goes well. Therefore, when you have standing water in the house causing water damage, you can put the life of your loved ones in jeopardy due to electrical wiring everywhere around the house.
If water accidentally comes in contact with loose or bare wires, it can cause electrocution. On the other hand, you also risk damaging the electrical wiring system if water damage is left untreated.
It can cause many problems ranging from electrical shortcircuits to putting the main circuit out of order.
A sudden problem in the house’s electrical system can also harm appliances due to a sharp upsurge or decline in the amount of current. Damaged electrical systems can also lead to fire hazards if there is a contact between water and the electrical box, wiring, and outlets.
Therefore, it is always less costly to remedy water damage at your earliest than waiting for it to become a monstrous issue.
Structural damage issues
A major risk associated with permanent water damage is structural damage to your property. Water damage can create cracks and crevices in the walls.
In houses where mild cracks are already developing due to other reasons, water damage can exacerbate the issue, even more, often hurting the structural integrity of your home. With time moisture can seep into the walls and even into the foundation, leading to foundational problems.
Floor and drywall damage
Floors and drywalls are some other most sensitive areas in the house when leaving water damage untreated for an extended time. Moisture can sneak into the flooring and wreak havoc behind your back.
Most floors are more porous and sensitive to water damage than others. For instance, it only takes less than four days for the laminate floors to get destroyed due to water damage in the house.
Water can also warp the wood, and waterlogged wood is weaker, has stains, and needs immediate removal. Similar waterproof loose lay vinyl plank flooring is made with plastic, but water can still penetrate the sublevels of the floor and ultimately impact its integrity if it penetrates the seams due to excessive deterioration.
On the other hand, if drywall is left in contact with water for an extended time, the material will lose its shape and start displaying a brittle texture. It won’t be long before you need to replace it – it might even be worth considering anti-mold and waterproof drywall as an alternative to your old drywall.
Conclusion
No one would want to ruin their house with water damage, but it happens in many cases because of negligence and lethargy of people in taking prompt action. They often wait for the issue to transform into something really enormous before remediating the water damage in the house.
This delayed water damage restoration not only costs more money but it might also require renovations when floors and drywall get damaged, paint starts flaking off the walls, and furniture gets spoiled. Therefore, swift action is always better than leaving it untreated for no reason.
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