Different Types of Water Damage

6/21/2017 (Permalink)

Different Types of Water Damage

Water damage is the loss that someone incurs whether small and slow or instantaneous and catastrophic when there is water in home or water in business. Water damage can be caused by leaking pipes, a clogged toilet and sinks or an overflow from washing machines; that is if it’s manmade. Flood damage can also be from natural causes like heavy rains and river, this one most of the time happens fast. Flood damage is mostly catastrophic and it may lead to a lifetime loss of property and assets. It may affect only one home or a whole region.

There are several different levels of water damage which depends on the type of liquid involved.

• Category one level: in this category, the liquid is clean and it may come from toilet tanks, drinking fountains and faucets.

• Category two: here water is a little contaminated; they are mostly from dishwashers, washing machines, and clogged toilets with no feces. It is also known as grey water.

• Category three: in this category the water is unsanitary and is harmful to the body if consumed. This maybe from seawater, sewage spills and stagnant water. It is also known as black water.

Water in home may be classified according to the evaporation rate, the area size of the room affect or the wetness of the area while this is completely different from water in business. These classes include:

• Class one:in this category , the water in business premises and water in homes may cover small portion of the room is affected, the evaporation rate is slow and the material affected has low permeability.

• Class two: in this class the entire room is affected, the rate of evaporation is a faster while the water in the home covers up to 24ft high.

• Class three: here water evaporates much faster than class two and it affects the whole area including the ceiling and the roofing.

• Class four: this class is when water affects a very low permeable material such as concrete and hard woods. Drying is the only way you can control this type of damage.
After flood damage has occurred there must be water cleanup in the affected areas, this water cleanup procedure may require special tools and professionalism will undertaking them. These water cleanup procedures include mitigation and restorations.

Mitigation

For mitigation to happen drying must have been undertaken. Mitigation is the processes of reducing or preventing more water damage to the already damaged things by taking fast and appropriate actions. The following are the steps taken during mitigation:

• Close any water or any flooding gate so that water stops coming in.
• Shut down and remove any electrical devices from the wet areas or the submerged areas
• Use aluminum foil to cover the feet of the furniture to prevent permanent stains.
• Remove shoes, books, potted plants or anything that is able to stain the carpets.

Restoration process

Liquid damage is unique and it requires its own way of restoration although it follows the same procedure. The process of restoration includes:

• Inspection of the damages and assessment: this is whereby the category and the class of the damage are observed. Also it’s where you stop the source and check for water contamination. Generally this stage is where mitigation is applied.

• Water removal: if the water in the house is as a result of leakages and overflows we use simple equipment such as mops, However if it’s of class two and three the use of sophisticated materials such as pumps and wet vacuuming equipment is used.

• Drying and dehumidification: building materials such as woods and concrete are porous and will require drying to remove all the moisture in it or else it will warp, rot or mold. Carpets that is soaked for less than 24 hrs is easy to manage as you can sundry it. Timber and concrete walls on the other hand requires special equipment to dry them (air movers and dehumidifiers).

• Cleaning and sanitizing: areas with flood damage require to be cleaned. Personal things may require more attention during this water cleanup process.

• Repair and reconstruction: here damaged walls are painted or replaced depending on the extent of damage; carpets are newly installed or repaired to its old form.

In conclusion this water cleanup procedure requires qualified personnel and should be undertaken cautiously especially if there is water in business.
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