If you’re reading this blog about different types of water damage repairs and how you should react, you are probably in some deep water, literally, and maybe figuratively. We’ve all been there; we express our condolences and complete faith that you will be able to handle this situation to minimize your losses and restore your home. And, we can help. Give Kelley Construction, in Peoria, a call!
We also understand that just like when you go see a mechanic, a lawyer, a doctor, or another professional in order to get some help for something that you don’t have all the expertise in, it always feels better to have an idea of what you’re dealing with before you talk to someone. It makes you feel like you can “speak the language” per se, and helps both parties clearly identify what is needed and be on the same page. We thought that you, a person reading up on water damage repairs right now, might benefit from a blog post laying out simply a couple of ways that you might assess the water damage in your home.
BY CATEGORY: There are three categories of water damage, and they are determined by the level of contamination of the water. Category one water is “clean water” and might come from a pipe supplying water to your kitchen sink. It is safe and uncontaminated. Level two water is “gray water,” and has some contamination in it. This water potentially contains microorganisms that could make you sick. This could be a toilet leaking water with urine in it, sump pump failures, or water from a dishwasher or washing machine that malfunctions and causes a flood. Level three water is “black water” and is grossly unsanitary. You should avoid coming into contact with it at all costs. Water can be “black” regardless of its color. When cleaning up any kind of water, acting fast is important because water that is “clean” now may become contaminated and “gray” or “black” later, as it sits and accumulates, and fosters the growth of bacteria from other sources.
BY CLASS— There are four classes of water damage that refer to how able water is to evaporate in the specific situation in your home. Classes 1-3 are the slow evaporation, fast evaporation, and fastest evaporation categories, respectively. The 4th is a category for specialty drying situations with very low drying abilities that need to be helped along. When determining how likely something is to dry, consider how much open space there is, the permeability of the wet material, and how saturated it is with water. While the classes have specific characteristics and bright lines you could use to determine exactly what class something falls into, the actual categories matter less than having an awareness of how likely something is to evaporate and what factors to influence to change that. Obviously, changing the environment around water damage to allow for high rates of evaporation is ideal.
If you are in Peoria and have questions about water damage repair, give us a call to get a professional opinion and schedule help with someone who knows how to best mitigate your flood situation, with all of its unique challenges and characteristics.
