Each water damage situation is different, due to the unique things that can happen within each home. But one thing will always remain consistent with all of these situations: Time is of the essence when it comes to restoring your property! Water spreads quickly and soaks into every porous material that it touches. And the longer the water damage remains, the more extensive it becomes. Let’s take a look at the typical timeline of water damage in a home.
Within minutes… Materials begin to absorb water until they quickly reach a saturation point. These materials include carpeting, rugs, upholstery, and even wood. Finishes on furniture and even dyes in rugs can begin to bleed, resulting in stains that spread to nearby objects. If any paper products are touched by water, you have a limited window of time (usually just minutes) to remove them before they are irreparably ruined.
Within hours… Most of the aforementioned materials have reached maximum saturation at this point, and they will begin to deteriorate. Your drywall or sheetwork has begun to sweel at this point, and this part of your walls might start to fall apart. Wood will swell and warp, and metal objects show signs of corrosion or rust.
Within days… After 24 to 48 hours, mold will begin to grow. Spores spread quickly and begin to do damage, and not just in the damaged areas of the home. Because of the higher humidity levels, the entire home can be subject to an invasion of mold growth. Also at this point, many wood structures are no longer structurally sound. After a few days of saturation by water, walls, baseboards, flooring, drywall, insulation and more need to be replaced.
After one week… Anything left in standing water for a week or more is considered contaminated by “black water”. This is a serious situation for health reasons as well as the structural integrity of the home.
The good news is that even though water damage spreads quickly, the experts are here to help. Give us a call as soon as a water damage event occurs in your home, and we will endeavor to save as much of your possessions and home materials as possible. Otherwise, we can help with mold remediation and restoration of the damaged part of your home.
