Act Fast When Your Home Has A Water Leak To Minimize Water Damage
When your home gets wet due to a water leak, the most important step to take is to remove the water and dry out your house. Water is destructive to your home. It can destroy wood, fabrics, and drywall. Getting rid of visible water isn't enough. The best way to eliminate water is to use professional water extraction equipment.
Call a water damage cleanup company for help so they can bring all the equipment needed to dry your house fast. Here's why getting your house dry is important and how it's done.
Why Standing Water Is So Bad For Your Home
It's important to get your house dry because standing water can cause mold to start growing quickly. Even if you remove visible water, water that's hidden behind walls and the humidity it causes can encourage mold to grow. Plus, the longer water sits, the more of it that's absorbed into drywall and flooring. The water damage escalates if you can't get your home dried out fast.
When To Call For Help With Water Damage
Water damage restoration companies often take calls 24 hours a day since a water leak is an emergency that can damage your home. Call as soon as you find the leak so drying out your home can start right away.
If your carpet or drywall is soaked, or if there is standing water in your home, you'll need quick help. Water flows with gravity, so if you see water, there is probably water in places you don't know about and a professional can find hidden water and extract it.
How Your Home Is Dried Out
Drying out your home may require the use of commercial equipment including water extractors, water pumps, floor dryers, and dehumidifiers. Standing water is removed first, then hidden water is extracted. The crew will also remove water-soaked items from your home, such as drywall, carpet, and upholstered furniture.
Then they may place floor dryers around the room that blow hot air on the floor to dry out the subfloor and areas under cabinets and between walls. They may also set up dehumidifiers to pull moisture from the air.
This equipment may need to run for several hours or a couple of days. The water damage contractor can use equipment, such as a thermal camera, moisture meter, and humidity meter to monitor the process so they can tell when excess moisture and humidity have been removed. Once your home is dry, you can begin the process of replacing drywall and flooring to restore your home to its original state.