Water damage is probably one of the most unpleasant things which can happen to your home. It can be caused by many different things, form rain or melting snow, to underground waters or even floods. Water can be as destructive as fire, and even more unpredictable. It can destroy pretty much everything in your home, from the electronic devices and furniture, to floors and walls themselves. It can end up costing you an incredible amount of money. In addition to immediate damage, the conditions left by water damage are ideal for mold growth, which is a huge problem in itself.
What causes water damage?
As mentioned in the introduction, a whole range of things can cause this. Another common source of water damage is plumbing in the house. Whether it is a leaky pipe, or a clogged toilet, this kind of damage usually does minor damage, compared to the extensive damage potentially caused by floods or rapid snowmelts. In both cases, once the water damage has been noticed, you need to eliminate the source and begin remediation as soon as possible. This way you increase the likelihood of saving your furniture, floors, and most importantly, structurally integral parts of your home or office.
Classes of water damage
Water damage can be measured in classes and categories. We will start with water damage classes. These classes determine the likelihood of water evaporation depending on the conditions. This in turn determines which equipment is going to be used to dry the affected area. There are four classes.
The least detrimental is Class 1. In this case, the materials absorb very little water and the water damage usually affects only a portion of the room.
In Class 2 situation, the damage is a bit more extensive. In such situation, softer materials, such as carpets will be affected and the damage covers the entire floor of the room, with a potential of creeping up the walls, though not too high (up to 24 inches).
Class 3 represents the highest point of water damage, with damage to both floor and walls, as well as all the furniture in the room, and potentially the ceiling as well.
Finally, Class 4 is a special case of water damage. This type actually represents the difficultly soakable materials, such as hardwood floors and concrete. If the water damage has affected these materials, there is a need for some special machinery to be used.
Categories of water damage
Category of water damage represents the ‘quality’ of water which is causing the damage. There are generally three types.
The least detrimental to the human health is the clean water category. This is water which poses no health hazard for humans. The most likely source of this category of water is the plumbing in the house.
The second type is the so-called grey water. This is water which contains microorganisms and impurities which may cause some health problems. This type of water is still most likely to come from the plumbing, but from more dirty sources, like the toilet or the washing machine dump water.
Finally, the third category is the ‘black water’. This category represents the water which carries some highly unsanitary agents, such as harmful bacteria and fungi, which are likely to cause illnesses. Most outside waters, such as sewage, rising rivers, or ground water are classified as ‘black water’.
Regardless of the type or class or category of water damage, you need to sort it out as soon as possible, due to health reasons, and for financial ones. The best option for water damage assessment and remediation in Lake Forest, or anywhere else in Orange County is most certainly Emergency Home Solutions. Contact today to learn about the wide range of home repairs and improvements offered.