top of page

When Water Damage Happens, Act Fast

Writer's picture: The Ad AgencyThe Ad Agency


Water damage happens to a whole lot of home and business owners every year. Here in Columbia, we are fortunate to be further inland and often skirt some of the larger tropical storm and hurricane weather people along the South Carolina coast see. However, that doesn?t mean we aren?t immune to torrential rains, seasonal floods, and even ? burst pipes and overflowing bathtubs.

Water damage can happen in a number of ways. No matter how it happens, it is very important to act quickly to get the water removed, and the structure dried as quickly as possible.

Did You Know ?

  1. Water can seep deep into wall cavities and create pockets of saturation.

  2. Those pockets could remain unseen for a long time. However, just because you don?t see visible evidence of water damage, know that damage is likely being done to drywall, wood, or whatever other substance it might be sitting on.

  3. Just because the cause of the water damage is stopped, such as re-caulking the door wall we mentioned above, doesn?t mean there hasn?t been water penetrating at that spot for a while and other damage could be lurking within the wall.

  4. Mold growth happens quickly when building materials are exposed to moisture. Some experts say it happens in as little as 24 to 48 hours. If not properly treated, the mold could spread.

If there is standing water in your home, do you know where the water is coming from? Could it be from a sewage backup or something similar? In an instance like that, a licensed restoration company would have its crew don full safety gear, such as hazmat suits, respirators, and boots, before entering the water. There could be a lot of bacteria in the water if it?s a sewage backup, and exposure could make you and others in the home very sick. It?s best to wait for professionals to arrive on scene before trying to assess the damage and find the source.

If you feel the affected area is safe to enter, and the power is off, you can start moving items out of the area like electronics and furniture. Take them to a dry area where a restoration crew can take a closer look to see what may or may not be salvageable based on the amount of damage.

Lastly, be sure you hire a company with experience and a proven track record of cleaning, restoring and disinfecting buildings after a water loss issue. While we hope you choose Sincerely Yours, don?t just take our word for it! Read or ask for customer testimonials of the companies you are considering, check to see if they have any cleaning or restoration industry certifications, see how their technicians are trained, and so on. You wouldn?t let just anyone watch your children, and likewise you shouldn?t let just any company work on your biggest investment ? your home!

And above all, like we have already said, if there is standing water in your home, don?t wait and hope the problem goes away. The sooner you act, the sooner your home (and life) will be back to normal.

callnow button
1 view0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

How we detect water damage

The extent of water damage is not as easy to detect as many would think. While a wall or floor may look dry doesn’t necessarily mean it...

Comments


bottom of page