Monday, February 27, 2023

What Happens if Water Damage is Left Untreated

What Happens if Water Damage is Left Untreated

If you’re asking this question right now, you could be going through one of several scenarios. You may have experienced water damage in Dallas and your budget is tight, leading you to wonder whether you can postpone the repairs for a while without repercussions.

Another scenario is that you shouldn’t physically be at your property for several days, weeks, or even months after the incident, you can’t postpone your trip to fix the water damage, and your home will be empty while you’re gone.

Whether you fall into the first or second category, or you’re simply lazy, this post will help you understand what happens after water damage and how bad it can really get. So, let’s get right into it!

water damage Dallas TX

How long does it take for water to cause damage?

It can take anywhere from an hour to a full day for water damage to take a full swing. Furniture or drywall that is damaged will bulge, crack, and swell. Your paint will start peeling or bubbling, and mold will grow around the damaged area. These are just a few examples of water damage signs.

If you have recently experienced water damage, act quickly. Attempt to prevent additional water from entering the property on your own. If you are unable to do so – perhaps due to a dangerous sewage backup or a leak that you simply cannot repair yourself – contact a professional, such as Big D Water Damage Restoration

Does water damage get worse over time?

The quick answer is YES, water damage worsens over time. The answer to the follow-up question, “How bad can water damage get?”, depends on a variety of factors, including the extent and severity of the damage, the types of materials affected, and the location of the damage, to name a few.

To give you an example, basement water damage can obviously cause much bigger problems than kitchen water damage, given the location of the problem in your home. Flooded basement can cause cracks in your foundation and wooden beams rotting, among other things like mold which will eat up much of your organic materials in the basement. 

This can lead to altering of your entire home’s structure, which is something that can be irreparable in many cases. 

Of course, water damage in the kitchen should not be overlooked, but given the circumstances, you should be much more concerned in the first scenario. However, let’s also discuss what might occur in your kitchen for the sake of argument.

Your wooden materials – which are likely to make up the majority of your kitchen – would be soaked up, as would your drywall (which must be replaced if it is only more than 1% wet), and mold would most likely begin to grow quickly, given the humid conditions and the presence of many organic materials, one of which is your food.

water damage on wall and ceiling

Will water damage go away on its own?

Another straight answer – NO. If the conditions are right, the water itself may dry out on its own, but the harm it did won’t go away. Your peeling paint will not simply repair itself. Your drywall will not restore itself. Mold also won’t stop growing on its own. Furthermore, because nothing was done, the water may return at some point because the moisture source was not repaired. You must take action to remove water and stop more harm.

We understand that it is easier said than done. You may not know where to begin, so here are a few pointers on what to do immediately after water damage. 

What to do immediately after water damage?

  1. Family and pets should be evacuated from the flooded room(s).
  2. Pick up the things you can’t risk losing. This should only be done, though, if you are physically capable of carrying them out and can do so without endangering your health.
  3. Call a friend or neighbor to assist you if you need to leave the house.
  4. Try to obtain coverage by contacting your water damage insurance provider.
  5. To begin the cleanup, get in touch with a Dallas water damage restoration business. They should ideally also take care of your insurance matters.
  6. If you’re repairing water damage yourself, make sure the house is completely dry and look for mold. If you’re working with an expert, they’ll handle this.

Water Damage Restoration Dallas, TX

Water damage is not something to take lightly. If you are exposed to a lot of contaminated water, you risk becoming seriously ill. We definitely do not advise delaying water damage restoration in Dallas, TX in any way. Instead, we urge you to take the appropriate measures we’ve gone over. If you don’t, it will just lead to more problems later on.

Big D Water Damage Restoration can handle any restoration job, whether it’s a single room or an entire floor, mild or severe damage, polluted water or not. For the best water damage restoration service Dallas TX has to offer, contact us at (469) 750-3109. 

So, to wrap it up, if you’ve been searching for any of the following:

Call Big D Water Damage Restoration today!

The post What Happens if Water Damage is Left Untreated appeared first on Water Damage Restoration Dallas TX.



source https://restoration-dallas.com/what-happens-if-water-damage-is-left-untreated/

Thursday, February 2, 2023

Signs Of house Water Damage

Signs Of House Water Damage

What are those weird black spots in the corners of my walls? Why is my paint peeling? My water bill has been unusual the past few months, why is that? And what in the world is this weird and somewhat musty smell? 

If you’re asking yourself some or all of these questions, you’re probably seeing typical signs of water damage. Hold on, no reason to panic. First, we’ll go over what exactly you should look for to verify you have water damage in your house and then what to do next. Stay tuned!

In a Hurry? Here Are Quick Signs to Take and Inspect For:

  1. Increased water bills
  2. Mold
  3. Musty odors
  4. Uneven/warping floors
  5. Water sounds
  6. Peeling paint
  7. Wall stains and cracks

Need further insight? Wonder what to do next? Great, keep on reading!

Water Damage Signs to Look Out For

Let’s cover each of the bulleted signs from the first paragraph in more detail. 

Increased water bills

If your wallet is suffering due to increased water bills, even if everything seems fine on the surface, stay on high alert. Your wallet could take a much harder hit down the line if the leak keeps going at it for months (or years). Inspect for a leak if you have a suspicious water bill lately. 

Mold

The most obvious visible sign of water damage is mold. If it exists in a property, it poses a health risk to all family members, including pets. One of the most dangerous mold species, Black Mold (officially known as Stachybotrys chartarum), can go as far as to cause respiratory problems

The tricky thing about mold is that it can sometimes be hard to detect. Mold grows in dark and damp areas, often lurking in the shadows. However, if you have a lot of it, it can be pretty hard to miss unless you don’t check the room very often (like, for example, the basement). Furthermore, mold is usually followed by a very unpleasant, musty odor.

If you’ve noticed that but you can’t see mold, perhaps you should do a little more digging or even hire a professional mold inspector to help you. But there’s a catch…

Musty Odors

Presence of musty and damp odor doesn’t ALWAYS have to be a sign of mold, only water damage. We don’t need to describe how dampness smells – stale and pungent, exceptionally uncomfortable. Sniff around if you’ve noticed such a smell and try to find a leak. Be careful though, inhaling too much of this smell can potentially cause you to feel dizzy and nauseous. Use your own judgment to tell if you can access the potentially hazardous area on your own.

Uneven/warping floors

In this case, depending on the situation, you may WANT the cause to be water damage instead of something else. That “something else” can happen to be foundation damage which at times can be extensive and very expensive to fix. 

In a nightmare scenario, water damage occurred in your basement and has damaged the home’s foundation, potentially to the point of it being irreparable. 

Please note that this does not AT ALL have to be the case. Most of the time, your hardwood floors simply warped due to a leak. Do further investigation, please.

Water sounds

Weird dripping sounds that keep your children awake at night? No, it’s not ghosts but there’s still a reason for concern. Inspect for a leak if these sounds are persistent, especially if some of the previously mentioned signs are also present.

Peeling paint

Peeling paint can be caused by multiple things, but one of the most common perpetrators is water damage. To simplify, paint doesn’t get along with moisture and dampness, and it starts flaking off due to the paint’s adhesion being weakened. 

If you’ve properly painted your walls and they were clean prior, there’s a good chance that your paint is peeling because of water damage. 

A good tip we’ve mentioned above for you to use if you’re unsure is to look for all or multiple signs from this list, not just one. You may be unsure if the peeling was caused by water damage, but when combined with presence of mold and bad smells you do get a very clear answer in most cases.

Wall stains and cracks

Wall cracks can be caused simply because of the house “settling” and those pose a tiny annoyance inexpensive to fix. However, wall cracks AND stains/discoloration can indicate a leak. The discoloration is typically light brown or beige.

And that wraps it up! So, what to do now?

If you’ve identified water damage in your house, just follow the next steps. 

How to Deal With Water Damage in Dallas, TX

Water damage doesn’t necessarily always result in a disaster, although it’s best to act quickly and not give it any chances! By promptly responding to the issue, or hiring a professional who will promptly respond for you, you can mitigate the damage and repair your property fully. However, more severe cases will pose a bigger challenge, one you definitely don’t want to DIY. 

Call Big D Water Damage Restoration if you can’t or don’t want to deal with the damage yourself. Our professionals know exactly how to act and what equipment to use in each case. For a 5-star water damage restoration service in Dallas, pick up the phone and call +1 (469) 750-3109.

Big D Water Damage Restoration provides the following services:

These articles also may be helpful to you!

The post Signs Of house Water Damage appeared first on Water Damage Restoration Dallas TX.



source https://restoration-dallas.com/signs-of-house-water-damage/