Has your house recently suffered from water damage? Once you have cleaned up and re-painted the walls, you may think everything is fine – and that’s where you’d be wrong.
When a flood, burst pipe, or leaky sink affect your home, you need to get someone in to check the house for the water damage. This kind of damage often is not visible right away.
Water can seep into floorboards or even create health hazards. If you exist in a place prone to flooding, such as Chicago, get in touch with Chicago water damage restoration companies or any company in your local area. Local companies will know how to help you solve any problems and ones specific to your location.
Below are some reasons why it’s necessary to fully repair any water damage done to your home.
Hidden Damages
Water can get into spaces that you don’t see straight away. It can affect some important structural features of your home.
If water gets into the floorboards, they can start to warp and buckle. Wood is absorbent, meaning it will suck up the water like a sponge. If you don’t either properly dry out or, worse case, replace the damaged floorboards, you risk the boards themselves splitting. This can then affect the structure of your whole house.
Drywall can suffer badly with water damage. When exposed to water, and not dried out or fixed, the integrity of the material is compromised. It can also develop mold, which is never a good thing.
Your carpet can suffer, too. Water can get into the padding under your carpet and into the boards below that. If this happens, you could be in real trouble. The boards below will break down over time and become structurally unsafe.
If your home has recently suffered from flooding or a burst pipe, call a professional to assess the situation and the damage. You never know what you might miss and how badly it can affect your home.
Electrical System
Everyone already knows that water and electricity are not friends. If left unchecked or left unattended, water can damage electrical sockets. This potentially can lead to short-circuiting, electrocution, and fire hazards.
The best thing to do in these situations is to get in an expert. They will determine whether you can let the socket dry out, if it needs repairs, or if you need to replace a damaged system. Also, you can minimize the damage. Asses the viable damage yourself and get to cleaning up and turning off electrics as quickly as you can. This will prevent the chance you or your family hurting themselves with a live socket.
Health Hazard
Bear in mind that water damage exposes people to health hazards. Depending on the source of the water, you can be exposed to any number of toxins and bacteria and mold. Untreated water damage can lead to the development of fungus. All of these can present a threat to you and your family.
Bugs, too, love damp areas. If you don’t properly dry out your home after a flood or burst pipe, little critters can move and begin to multiply. Then, not only do you have a damp problem, but you have a potential bug problem, too.
Conclusion
Yes, trying to sort our water damage after a storm or accident can be stressful and expensive. However, if you leave it alone too long, it will only get worse. If you are unsure of the true extent of the damage to your home, call in an expert. They can help you determine what needs repairs or replacement and offer general advice about the next steps. Your wallet and family will thank you for your vigilance.