The Effects of Water Damage Timeline

11/18/2021 (Permalink)

In the restoration industry, we always preach that responding fast to water damage in your home or business is crucial to the damage mitigation efforts, but just how fast does water cause damage?

Immediately After Water Damage

• Water spreads quickly, saturating anything it comes into contact with
• Paper materials will rapidly begin to break down and deteriorate
• Porous materials such as insulation, fabric, upholstery, and wood will start to absorb water

24 Hours After Water Damage

• Paper materials are typically unsalvageable at this point
• Drywall and other structural materials like wood and insulation start to show signs of extended water exposure like bowing and swelling
• Colors can start to bleed from fabrics
• Carpet and upholstery are soaked through
• Musty odors are present and mold growth is a concern

48 Hours After Water Damage

• Mold may be visible on surfaces and micro-organisms may begin growing making the water a health concern
• Wood is full of moisture and the weight causes warping
• Drywall, furniture, carpet, and other fabric items show signs of prolonged exposure and may no longer be salvageable
• Metal begins to corrode

One Week After Water Damage

• Water is now considered Category 3 (Black water)
• Many items if not all of them inside the building will be unsalvageable
• Restoration requirements and costs are greatly increased as the severity of the structural damage will require rebuilding to achieve preloss conditions
• Mold has become its own completely separate issue as the spores have likely spread throughout the building, not limited to just the affected area

As you can see, the state of a building suffering from water damage rapidly declines in a matter of days and in some instances, hours, which is why you should trust your local SERVPRO of Chesapeake North with your water damage restoration. We respond faster to any size disaster, so give us a call and let us know how we can help.