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3 Types of Water Damage That Can Wreak Havoc on Your Home
If you think that water damage is all the same, think again. Water damage is not one-size-fits-all. Each situation is different. And, a lot of water damage cannot be seen. Water easily seeps into walls, floors, and baseboards. You will need a professional to figure out exactly how far the water damage has spread. Otherwise, you will never be able to get rid of all of it.
Aside from water seeping into areas that you can’t see, the extent of damage that you suffer depends on where your water came from.
When it comes to water damage, there are 3 different types that can turn your home into a disaster area:
1. Clean water damage
While it can certainly saturate walls, floors, and belongings, clean water damage is the best type of water damage to have. Clean water is just that – it doesn’t have any chemicals, toxins, or additives in it – meaning that it is not a threat to your health.
Usually, clean water damage arises from a broken water main line (where potable water enters your home from the outside), rain water that makes its way into your home, or a broken toilet tank.
If clean water damage is removed quickly and properly by professionals, that is the end of the problem. Clean water does not leave any secondary damage behind – like bacteria or other toxins that have to be professionally removed.
However, if you let your clean water damage sit for too long, it will turn into gray water or black water damage.
2. Gray water damage
Dirtier than clean water, gray water damage can make you sick if you are exposed to enough of it. Usually, gray water damage is wastewater that comes out of a broken or leaking appliance. When you use your washing machine, sinks, bathtubs, and dishwasher, they all create wastewater that’s supposed to drain out to your sewer. If that wastewater winds up somewhere in your home instead, you have a gray water problem.
With gray water damage, removing the water is only the first step. You also need to have the affected area professionally cleaned, so that all of the bacteria in the water is removed.
However, if you let gray water damage sit for more than 48 hours, it will turn into black water damage.
3. Black water damage
The most dangerous type of water damage, black water is toxic. Younger people, older people, or people with allergies or respiratory problems cannot get anywhere near it.
Black water contains human or animal waste. If your toilet overflows, your sewage line breaks, or if you have flood water from rivers, streams, or the ocean, you have black water damage.
To get rid of black water, you will need professionals to dispose of it in accordance with local health guidelines. Carpets and clothing that have been exposed to black water will need to be thrown away.
