What to Do if Water Damage Strikes

Ask any homeowner, and they will tell you that one of the biggest threats toward the integrity of a home is water damage and mold. Considering that 93 percent of all water damage can be prevented, there are plenty of precautions to lessen the likelihood of water damage and mold.

Mold, for example, requires very little moisture to thrive, so running a dehumidifier can alleviate this potential. Likewise, ensuring all pipes and fixtures are in good working order can thwart water damage and mold (a crack as tiny as one eighth of an inch can release up to 250 gallons of water each day!). The question, though, is what to do if water damage and mold rear their ugly heads regardless of your diligence and efforts.

In the unfortunate event of water damage, there are different levels of severity. Category one water, which is clean and does not pose a threat to humans, typically derives from a broken pipe or water supply line. Most often, you can handle this cleanup yourself. As such, it is always important to install a valve that can shut off your water in the event of a leak.

Conversely, water damage or flooding as the result of a natural disaster is an entirely different ballgame. Cleaning water damage is one thing, but storm cleanup can be both costly and potentially dangerous. In the latter instance, it is almost always best to enlist the services of a storm damage restoration company.

One of the scariest outcomes of water damage is the potential for mold, particularly black mold. Approximately 15 to 20 percent of the population has some level of mold allergy, so if you suspect mold in your home, you must enlist mold remediation products or mold remediation contractors before it proliferates and causes damage to you, your home, or both.

Black mold detection is crucial because of its toxicity and black mold health risks (mental, respiratory, vision, and skin problems, just to name a few). As such, if you suspect black mold (if you are unsure what it looks like, check online for black mold pictures), it would be in your best interest to hire a professional black mold remediation companies or black mold removal service. If, however, you wish to attack this toxin on your own, please protect yourself with a respirator, protective eye wear, gloves, and clothing that can be immediately disposed of. Good references here: www.servprotigardtualatin.com