Floods can occur as a result of many sources, including natural disasters, tropical systems, damaged roofing, or major plumbing leaks. No matter what the cause of standing water in your home or building, there’s one common thread that unites these scenarios. When your home or business becomes inundated by floodwaters, it’s critical that you hire a service providing water removal in Ocean City, MD, as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Water damage restoration is best done immediately after the flooding event has ended, since the consequences of floodwaters can begin to develop within hours of your structure becoming flooded. There are many compelling reasons for beginning cleanup and damage restoration immediately. Failing to start the process can result in additional damage, some of which may be irrevocable. Keep reading to learn why it’s so important to begin flood cleanup and restoration soon after a flooding event has occurred.
Flood Sequence of Events
Before you can understand why flood cleanup is so important, you must first understand the chain of events and timeline involved when flooding occurs in your home. Within the first hour of a flooding event, water infiltrates the structure, causing carpets and fabrics to bleed and stain surrounding surfaces. Electronics are destroyed, and anything containing paper, such as documents or books, will need to be dried immediately. Within 24 hours of flooding, furniture and wood structures begin to swell, with many becoming permanently warped. Moisture activated bacteria in the home become active, and metal surfaces begin to rust and corrode. Within a week, toxic mold will set in, drywall begins to crumble, and swollen wood beams and studs will pull apart from one another and render the structure unsound. Given the quick deterioration of the typical structure in the presence of floodwaters, it’s easy to see why fast cleanup is important.
Increasing Costs
With every hour that passes with uncontrolled floodwaters in your structure, the cost of your cleanup and restoration increases. If floodwaters can be removed from the structure and cleanup can begin within 24 hours, the price of the process can be minimized. However, as time passes and more structural damage is done to the house, the cost of restoration can rise exponentially. For example, a structure that has had water removed and cleanup initiated within 24 hours of a flood may experience loss of electrical appliances, furniture damage, and superficial damage to the structure. However, after a week, there’s a greater chance of major structural renovation in addition to the other superficial impacts, which can drive costs higher.
Mold Impact
As is the case with other kinds of damage following a flood, toxic mold risks increase as the length of time between flood event and remediation increases. When a flooded structure can be cleaned and remediated quickly after a flooding event, the risk of mold development can be mitigated. However, after several days of a moist, damp, unregulated environment in the home, mold growth can be explosive. Many types of toxic mold require extensive cleaning and remediation before they can be totally removed from the structure, and the process can only be handled by professionals due to the associated dangers.
If you’ve been the victim of a flood, no matter what its cause it’s important that cleanup and restoration efforts on your property begin immediately. By contacting a water damage restoration company within the first 24 hours following a flood, you can reduce damage and prevent recovery costs from escalating. To learn more about why it’s important to begin flood cleanup immediately, contact United Restoration Inc. at (443) 727-3305.
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