How Quickly Can Water Cause Permanent Damage to My Pasadena Home?

6/2/2020 (Permalink)

Storm water damage in basement

Storm water damage does not wait for resolution patiently. It has a destructive timetable that is as predictable for water restoration professionals as it is devastating for Pasadena homeowners. Some of the damage occurs just minutes to hours after the water event, and the severity of the consequences increases exponentially. Experts recommend contacting water restoration professionals immediately after the discovery of a water loss to arrange for swift removal of the damaging fluids and application of the industry’s best practices supporting structural drying.

How Fast Damage Occurs

First minutes to a few hours

• Documents, pictures, books, and other papers become soggy, with pages weakening and sticking together, bindings and glues loosening, inks spreading, and images blurring.
• Stain, varnish, and paints can transfer from wooden furniture legs and supports to carpeting, rugs, and floors.
• Textiles stretch or shrink, depending on composition, and dyes can run and stain adjacent surfaces.
• Electronics and electrical cords short out and expose occupants to the risk of shock.

Up to 24 hours

• Pressed wood and particle board furniture and supports swell and warp.
• Hardwood frames on furniture swell and distort.
• Metal fasteners tarnish.
• Drywall and ceiling tiles bulge and begin to crumble, increasing personal safety and property damage risk when significant quantities of collected water force a structural breakdown.
• Insulation compresses, packing down between walls.
• Carpets stretch and become prone to rips and delamination.
• Laminate flooring peels and disintegrates.

48-72 hours to a week

• Mold growth commences on all surfaces and contents.
• Water quality deteriorates, with pathogen growth possible.
• Door and window frames swell, preventing security issues due to improper closure.
• Metals corrode, and fasteners break down.
• Hardwood floors cup or crown, and planks or strips can buckle, pulling up from the subfloor.

7 days or more

• Structural supports can fail.
• Molds, mildews, and other hazards proliferate, affecting air quality and infecting surfaces.

When you notice water in your home, call the water restoration professionals, SERVPRO of Pasadena/Gibson Island/Lake Shore. We have over 40 years’ experience and we can make it “Like it never even happened.”