Water Damage Timeline

It is crucial to get water damage cleaned up right away after a water damage incident in your Waukesha home. Since damages from water compound with time, every occurrence of water damage should be handled as an emergency. 

Water Damage Cleanup Waukesha

The timeline below demonstrates the significance of every single minute when dealing with water damage cleanup and why calling for water damage cleanup services right away is so important:

• In the first few minutes following water damage, water will swiftly disperse and saturate any surface it comes into touch with. When exposed to water, paper goods start to disintegrate within minutes and other porous materials will immediately start to absorb the water.
• In the first 24 hours following water damage, water-soaked materials (like carpet and upholstery) become heavy and soggy. The swelling caused by the moisture causes the degradation of exposed components of your home like drywall and insulation to start. The swelling of wood will also start if water damage is not cleaned up within the first day and any metal objects will start to tarnish. Any fabric colors and dyes will start to bleed, leading to staining, and paper products will not be salvageable anymore by this time. After moisture has been present for at least 24 hours, mold development will begin. 
• In the first 48 hours following water damage, mold has already started to develop and may even have started to appear on surfaces. Wood will start to bend and distort while other porous materials including drywall, insulation carpet, padding, furniture, and textile goods will continue to deteriorate. Any metal still exposed to water will start to show signs of corrosion. If water damage cleanup has still not been performed by this time, the issue of contamination levels arises as the water may start to foster microorganism growth.
• In the first week following water damage that has not been cleaned up, restoration procedures and expenses will be greatly enhanced. Water contamination levels should be addressed carefully because they are a major concern at this point. After being submerged in water for this long, few objects can be saved and structural damage is almost certain to occur. There are also now significant threats from mold development and other dangerous microorganisms, which have probably spread to other areas of the home as well as the area that initially sustained the water damage. There is a major hazard to individuals who are still residing in the home from mold exposure and potential threats from the degrading integrity of the home’s floors and walls – which, by this point, will be sagging and cracking under the weight of the absorbed water and saturation. Water damage cleanup at this point often entails major repairs, replacements, and even rebuilds to restore the home to its pre-loss condition. 

It is clear to see how important it is to begin water damage cleanup efforts right away if you want to mitigate damages. The moment you notice water damage in your Waukesha home, call the water damage cleanup experts at White Knight.