For people in flood prone areas, it’s important to know about water damage restoration before calamity strikes. However, even if you don’t live in an area with a reputation of flooding, it’s good to be prepared for water damage as your property may be damaged by hoses, leaking pipes or even just humidity. Not all water damage is serious or life threatening, but you should take the possibility of health concerns seriously and do all in your power to clean and dry items and parts of your home that have been adversely effected by water.
Wood is particularly weak against water. It can catch bacteria easily and mold will grow quickly on it. In addition to rotting wood, water can rust steel and iron which may be in the structure of your house and can also ruin photo albums, books and anything with paper in it. For all of these reasons, it is good to take care of water damage quickly.
The health risks are also serious. You may have what’s classified as black water in your home, this means there’s a significant amount of fungi and bacteria in the water which can lead to potentially deadly illnesses such as tuberculosis and pneumonia. This is often the case with seawater, sewage water and contaminated river water.
Other types of water damage can be less severe. The most benign classification is clean water and it is not contaminated. This refers to problems caused by something like a leaking appliance or overflow in a sink or tub. Though the water is not unsanitary, it can do some damage to materials in the house, like rotting wood or rusting metal, so drying the affected area quickly is advised.
Another classification is gray water, which is slightly more serious than clean. This type of water has some contaminants which could lead to sickness, but is not highly contaminated like black water. While you shouldn’t have trouble cleaning up clean water, if you think you may have gray or black water it’s important to call your water bureau or environmental protection agency to have your home investigated. Otherwise you may be living in a contaminated area that can make you and your family ill.
Particularly following flooding, many people make the mistake of drinking contaminated water. To avoid this, it’s a good idea to boil all of your drinking water or put it through a water purification system, even if you’re unsure if it’s contaminated water or not.
You should also make sure you get rid of any wood items severely damaged by water as mold tends to flourish there. Dishes should be washed with hot water and dried. The more quickly your walls, floors and furniture are dried, the less opportunity there is for mold and bacteria to grow. You can use a dehumidifier to dry areas of your house and a vapor steam cleaner to disinfect.
Everyone should take water damage seriously. By preparing yourself and knowing how to minimize risk, you can help keep yourself and your family safe and healthy. Keeping dehumidifiers, rubber gloves and boots, and vapor steam cleaners on hand can help you be ready to react promptly to flooding and leaking at any time.
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Tags: floods, home, home flooding, home improvement, water damage