How Flood Damage Can Affect Your Home?

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Flood damage takes more than just the form of a soppy carpet or a water-soaked mattress. It's an insidious foe, quietly gnawing away at the fabric of your home until everything you worked for simply crumbles before your eyes. The tooth fairy of damages - sneaky, relentless, and keeps you up at night with worry.

Did you know that according to FEMA, just 1 inch of water in a home can cost upwards of $25,000 in damage? That's nearly a semester's worth of college tuition gone with the wind (or should we say water?). Approximately 85% of disaster-related property loss in the US is linked to flooding, making it one of the nation's most widespread and expensive disasters.

Once Mother Nature has had her way with your home, oh boy, can you tell. Flooded homes typically exhibit symptoms such as staining on walls or ceilings, sagging or warping of floors, and sometimes even a new indoor pool (minus the fun and the floaties, of course). Jokes apart, the immediate aftermath can be a gut-wrenching sight.

Structural Impact of Flood Damage

Influence on the Building's Foundation

The foundation of your home is like a damsel in distress during a flood. Water weakens these structures, causing cracks, shifts, and even collapses. It's the kind of "moving" you don't want your home to do.

Damage to Walls and Surfaces

The soggy aftermath isn't just ugly - let's face it, "Water stains" isn't the latest fad in wall decor - it's harmful, too. Water wrecks interior walls and surfaces, causing paint to peel and drywall to deteriorate. Remember, your walls do much more than just support your cat's climbing endeavors or display grandma's ambitious art.

Impact on Roofs, Doors, and Windows

Floodwaters may not always reach your roof, but the accompanying meteorological parade can. Stormy conditions often warrant loose shingles, leaks, and other structural damage. Doors and windows don't fare much better. High-speed gushes warp, crack, or shatter them, leaving you with a labyrinth-like ingress instead of a picturesque passageway.

Effects of Flood Damage on Home Interiors

Detrimental Impact on Furniture and Personal Belongings

Have you ever played "The Floor is Lava" with your precious belongings? While entertaining when dry, it's less fun when the 'lava' is real (flood) water, and it's seeping into Grandma's heirloom chest or your latest tech investment. Floodwater shows no discrimination as it soaks into your invaluable assets.

Damage to Appliances and Essential Equipment

Gone are the days of washing dishes by hand or roasting by the hearth. However, your beloved appliances, much like your third cousin twice removed, don't mix well with water. Flood damage can turn your comfort corner into a room full of large paperweights. Electrical appliances and HVAC equipment can suffer severe water damage and pose a risk of electrocution or fire hazards.

Impact on Indoor Air Quality Due to Increased Mold Growth

Until we find a way to structure our homes entirely out of scented candles and air, literally fresh, we're stuck with whatever indoor air quality (IAQ) we have. Unfortunately, dampness from flooding causes mold growth, a condition as unsightly as it sounds. This not only deteriorates the IAQ, but can also cause serious respiratory problems and allergies.

Floods may be an act of nature, but living with them doesn't have to be an act of resignation.

What to Do First After a Flood to Prevent Mold

After flooding, it's crucial to act promptly to prevent mold growth. Any incidence of flooding provides an ideal environment for mold due to the associated moisture; hence, drying out the area should be your primary concern. The lingering moisture boosts the chances of indoor contamination over time.

Here Are the Advisable Steps:

• Firstly, confirm that all electricity is switched off before stepping into any standing water. Additionally, remember to wear appropriate safety gear before accessing the area.
• Employ a submersible pump to extract as much water as possible. Ensure that the water expulsion route is facing away from the house, ideally towards the curb or downhill from your home.
• Utilize a wet-dry vacuum to eliminate the remaining water. Familiarize yourself with the device's operating instructions to confirm it's designed to intake the amount of water. Always monitor the tank level to prevent overload, which could cause machine malfunction.
• Expedite the removal of all retrievable items from the flooded area, then proceed to mop and wipe floors, walls, and any additional surfaces using a botanical cleaning product.
• Call professionals to be sure everything will be cleaned and water damage removed.

Have You Suffered From Water Damage?

When Flood Damage Pro takes on a job, we give it more than what you'd expect. It's not just a professional and complete water damage restoration, fire damage restoration, or mold remediation.

We also restore your peace of mind. We handle every part of the restoration, from start to finish, with just one phone call. It couldn't be easier. Contact us: 866-869-4167.

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