Why Flood Damage is so Dangerous and How the Restoration Process Works - Arizona Daily Register

When it comes to water damage, there are many hazards; from home deterioration, to foundation destruction, electrical damage and more which one must be aware of. Not only this, but there are tons of bacterial and other medical ailments that can result (molds, toxic chemicals and more). When your home is water damaged, you need to know what to do to start restoring from it, and to do that you need to know a little about how the restoration process works.

Three Water Damage Categories

The three primary causes of water damage usually come from a variety of sources, but they are classified into three categories according to the SuperDry website.

1. Sanitary Water Damage – This is where the damage comes from something such as a water line where the water is safe and non-toxic (drinking water, tap, interior pipes, etc.)
2. Slightly Contaminated – This category is a result of water damage caused by things such as sewer lines, or other outside lines. This type of contamination can cause someone to be ill if they drink or come in contact with it.
3. Heavily Contaminated – This category is a result of the water coming from a very harmful source that can be toxic or deadly to humans.

Why Flood Damage is Harmful
Flood damage is harmful to humans in many aspects. Many times, there are multiple contaminants in the water from a flood because not only are you getting the natural resources water contaminating your home which can contain microorganisms, bacteria, and other creatures, but you are also getting the toxins and water from other homes nearby.

Chemicals in the paints and other home materials can float around in the water, further contaminating it and spread toxins around like the plague (no pun intended). It is important to realize what potential damage has been taken place and if it’s flood damage, you must know how to restore your home to its normal condition so there is no further contamination. Aside from this, the damage it can do to your home is devastating. It can literally weaken the structure of your home and make it susceptible to caving in or collapsing.

How to Restore From Water Damage
When you are repairing your home, you need to make sure you open all windows and remove any carpets, rugs, and other aspects of your home. You may need to first inspect your foundation and ensure that it is not damaged. If it isn’t, then you need to work on making sure porous surfaces, such as wood floors, walls, baseboards, etc. aren’t damaged. If they are, you need to start repair from the ground up as soon as all water is removed from your home.

This can be extremely expensive, but necessary, and fortunately, you can use this sort of restoration for tax breaks in the U.S., because you are repairing from a natural disaster (sometimes your insurance may cover this as well).
Don’t start any process of repair until everything is completely dry. This can take a lot of time as well. Next, look for damage in walls, ceilings, and even your roof. If the damage is extensive, you may want to get help in figuring out ways to rebuild or remodel/repair your home.