How to Deal with Different Types of Water Damage

Water damage to your home or business can come from a surprising number of sources. It isn’t just a burst pipe or seasonal flooding that you have to worry about. Sometimes the culprit is just high humidity or cracked grout and you need to call Industrial Cleaning Company Flint-MI.

Regardless of the cause, though, water damage can lead to a host of unpleasant outcomes, including bad odors, toxic mold, and poor indoor air quality. When this happens, you’ll need to call in professionals for water damage restoration to make your home healthy again.

Let’s take a look at some of the sneakier sources of water damage and the easiest ways to keep a small problem from becoming a big one.

High Indoor Humidity

Humidity levels in certain indoor spaces can climb pretty high, even if it doesn’t feel particularly humid outside. Typically, this occurs in basements and crawl spaces. You may notice condensation on the walls, but it can also collect behind walls or in the ceiling, making it hard to spot. A musty smell is another tip-off that the indoor humidity has left the space vulnerable to mold and structural damage.

The fix:

Run a dehumidifier continually in the affected spaces. You can usually set your preferred humidity level and let the unit cycle on and off as needed to maintain it. Some humidifiers can be drained directly into a floor drain, while others have collection tanks that need to be emptied regularly.

Another good measure is to lay down a plastic vapor barrier over any open earth in your crawl space area. Attic Projects Company is offering crawl space cleaning Seattle that can fix all the problems in your crawl space.

Bathroom Issues

Water flows through the bathroom more than most other rooms, given that it houses a sink, toilet, and bath. Leaks in any of the pipes are problematic, but you can also run into trouble if the ventilation is not sufficient to handle the condensation that occurs during a shower. Cracks in the grout or seals around tubs, sinks, and toilets can also allow water to leak behind the walls and through the floor.

The fix:

A little grout goes a long way, so keep an eye on yours and fix any problems immediately. It also helps to keep your exhaust fan clean. Always run the fan while showering, and run a small dehumidifier in the room if the fan doesn’t seem to keep up.

Clean Water Leaks

Most of our appliances have the capacity to leak, but it’s not always immediately noticeable. Sometimes these leaks happen inside cabinets or out the back of the appliance. The good news is that appliance leaks are usually “clean water” leaks, and therefore don’t carry the dangerous germs and parasites found in so-called “black water”. Still, it’s important to act fast as any standing water can lead to mold growth.

The fix:

Shut off the water that supplies the leaking appliance and call for a repair. In the meantime, do your best to clean up any standing water. After soaking up the bulk of it, run a high-powered fan or dehumidifier in the area to help evaporate any water that has penetrated into the nearby floor and walls.

Black Water Leaks

Blackwater leaks occur when a toilet overflows or flood water enters the home. Blackwater often contains raw sewage, chemical waste, and infectious microbes. If this type of water damage is not dealt with quickly and thoroughly, mold spores can linger in the home for years.

The fix:

You need to get the water cleanup as soon as humanly possible, but take a moment to don protective gear including long pants, rubber boots and gloves, eye protection, and a face mask before you get in there.

If there is a large amount of water, you may need a professional water removal team to come in with industrial equipment. After the water is removed, make sure to clean and disinfect the area carefully to kill off any lingering fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Pay particular attention to seams and joints where two pieces of material come together, as all that nasty stuff is really good at hiding.

Staying on Top of It

Water damage is a pain to deal with no matter what. But you have a better shot at catching problems early when you make routine checks of your plumbing and indoor humidity. Applying fresh grout, running a dehumidifier, and improving ventilation are fixes you can do pretty easily.

But if the worst does happen – the river in town overflows its banks or your water heater bursts and floods the basement – don’t hesitate to call for help. There are experts in your community who know just what to do to save your space.