Flooded Basement? Act Fast!

Winter, spring, summer, fall … the weather in Cleveland means basements can flood any time of year. Sure, there are times of the year when it might be more likely than others, but is a number of ways a home can flood – not just by an act of Mother Nature.

Water damage can come from all different kinds of sources.

Some of the most common we see are:

Leaky or broken pipes
Malfunctioning appliances (such as a rusted out hot water heater or overflowing washing machine.)
Roof leak
Overflowing bathtub, sink, or toilet
Acts of nature

If you do have water damage in your home, it is very important you act quickly and call in professional help, like the team at WET. A professional restoration company can begin extracting the water and drying any flooded places very quickly – day, night, weekend, or holiday. We understand it might be tempting to try to clean up the water yourself, set up a few fans, and hope everything dries quickly – but you really could be doing more damage in the long run, which means an even more costly repair down the line.

Curious why it is so important to act quickly?

Here are just a few solid reasons:

Water can seep deep into wall cavities and create pockets of saturation.

Those pockets could remain unseen for a long time. However, just because you don’t see visible evidence of water damage, know that damage is likely being done to drywall, wood, or whatever other substance it might be sitting on.

Just because the cause of the water damage is stopped, such as fixing a broken or leaking pipe, doesn’t mean there hasn’t been water penetrating at that spot for a while and other damage could be lurking within the wall.

Mold growth happens quickly when building materials are exposed to moisture. Some experts say it happens in as little as 24 to 48 hours. If not properly treated, the mold could spread.

Again, restoration companies are well stocked with a variety of drying equipment and chemicals to get in and out of your house as quickly as possible. Like many industries, restoration contractors abide by some industry best practices, one being the best restoration companies will likely leave your home in even better condition than it was before the water damage occurred. They are also well trained to effectively treat the mold, if there is any, so it won’t be a recurring problem. Here’s a hint: putting some bleach on it is not an effective way to get rid of mold, that simply clears away the problem on the surface – but not for long.

However, if you have standing water in your home, don’t wait to get a hold of the a restoration company. The faster you act, the faster everything gets back to normal – and the less damage the water can do!