A significant leak results in more damage than just the water. There is a series of hidden dangers that become worse with time. If you wait too long, structural damage, the risk of electric shock, and the growth of mold can all develop within a few hours of the first leak. Here are the steps you should take to protect yourself from these hazards and ensure a successful recovery.
Cut the power before you enter
Before entering any room with standing water, first, visit your circuit breaker panel and turn off the main power to that area (or the whole house if you’re unsure which circuits are involved). Water and electricity don’t mix. This is not a step you can skip.
With the power off, now you can step into the room. Wait, no, don’t. Stand in the doorway instead and look up. If the ceiling above you is sagging or starting to bow, it means there’s water trapped above. It could be as little as a few dozen pounds, or as much as a few hundred. Ceilings aren’t famous for giving a lot of warning when they decide to give. If you see one doing its best to defy gravity, play it safe and stay out until it’s been vented or drained.
Document before you touch anything
Your first impulse is likely to hit the ground running with cleanup. Our advice: Resist the urge. By taking 10 to 15 minutes to shoot high-res photos and video – of standing water levels, drenched walls, destroyed flooring, furniture, and the obvious source of the water – throughout every room impacted, you’re making sure of the viability of your homeowners insurance policy. That’s because insurance policies clearly differentiate between sudden damage (a burst pipe, a flash flood) and gradual damage resulting from a slow, ignored leak. The former is generally covered. The latter often isn’t. The clearer your video and images, the harder it is to dispute your claim. So be sure to get good pics before you move or clean up any of the mess.
When to stop and call in professionals
If there is contained clean water damage to a single room in your home or business, it’s possible to execute a DIY extraction. But there are lines you just don’t want to cross. If a larger amount of water has crossed the thresholds of individual rooms and is seeping into adjoining rooms and subfloors, you are getting in over your head. It’s time to stop, take good documentation photos, and call a specialist like Water Damage Restoration Freehold NJ to finish the job.
If left untreated, black water absorbed into materials will off-gas very unpleasant odors as toxigenic mold takes hold of the structural components of your home. If left to unscrupulous restorers, a black water remediation and subsequent demolition can quickly run over $50,000. Water damage that looks manageable on day one can reveal serious structural and air quality problems by day five. Work fast, document everything, and be honest with yourself about whether the situation is beyond what you can safely handle.
Identify what kind of water you’re dealing with
All water damage is not created equal. Category 1 is clean water – a supply line break, an overflowing bathtub. You can mop that up and rent a shop vac for the bigger puddles, and you’ll be okay. Category 2, grey water, is from appliances such as washing machines or dishwashers. It can contain soap, bacteria, or light contaminants. Wear gloves, and be sure you have plenty of ventilation while trying to clean up that mess. Steer clear of electrical outlets. Wrapping a plug in duct tape isn’t going to keep you from getting zapped.
Category 3, black water, should never be handled by inexperienced civilians. This includes sewage backup, toilet overflow, or rising flood water containing active pathogens. Do not wade into that, mop it up, or assume you are safe once it has dried out. You’re not. Black water is a biohazard and requires professional remediation, not just some rental machines and a shop fan.
A slab leak (a pipe break under your concrete foundation) is generally a category 1 event, but because it wicks up through your slab it can be spreading under your flooring unseen for days and the secondary damage it does in another part of your house can be catastrophic.
Extract water and start drying within the first 48 hours
Mold can start growing on moist surfaces between 24 and 48 hours after dampness occurs (FEMA). That’s how much time you have. Once you’ve assessed the destruction and are sure the water source is of a category that is safe to manage, move quick.
Get rid of the water with a wet/dry vacuum. Start removing soaked carpeting and padding – both retain water and promote mold. Next, employ powerful air-blowers to create airflow over damp surfaces and use heavy-duty dehumidifiers to lower the overall humidity levels. You’ll need to reduce the moisture in the wall studs and subfloor to prevent mold growth if the affected area is more than just a minor spill.
Check the spaces you can’t see
What you see is only the tip of the iceberg, as the saying goes. Water can seep into the structure of your home, affecting areas you can’t see but only sense with a tool like a non-penetrating moisture meter. This small, portable device can help you detect whether there is excessive moisture inside your walls or beneath your floors by simply running it along the surface. If the reading is too high, you will need to remove the affected material before the damage becomes structural.
