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How long does it take for water to cause damage? Minutes? Hours? Days?

WITHIN MINUTES

Water contamination spreads to additional areas, rapidly increasing expenses.

Stains released from furniture (especially antique) stains carpet permanently.

Moisture-sensitive furniture finishes all turn white.

Paper goods are ruined due to moisture absorption with swelling and warping.

Latent animal urine odor becomes apparent.

WITHIN HOURS

Furniture in direct contact with water delaminates or swells, legs begin to split.

Swelling wood can cause finish to “check” (crack).

Sheetrock (drywall, gypsum board) swells.

Bacterial odor (sour) becomes apparent when microorganism spores germinate.

Dyes from non-colorfast fabrics start to migrate.

Metal surfaces start to tarnish.

WITHIN DAYS

Fungi appear (mycelium), along with their characteristic “musty” odor.

Severe warping of wood furnishings becomes apparent; adhesive release causes delamination.

Hygroscopic internal components in pianos and organs will swell from water saturated air.

Metal surfaces rust, pit and corrode causing permanent damage.

Paint blisters, plaster dissolves, and wall covering adhesives release.

Door and window casings swell and delaminate.

Wood structural members (decking, joist, studs) begin to swell warp and split.

Persons with asthma or the infirm elderly may develop hypersensitivity reactions.

WITHIN WEKKS

 With prolonged dampness mold sinks roots into and destroys organic materials (jute backings, paper coverings on sheetrock, paneling, wood, contents).

Wood components warp and split, while chemicals within wood dissolve and discolor or destroy finishes.

Claim costs escalate dramatically as the requirement for gutting the structure and replacing components becomes necessary.

Occupants must be evaluated due to biological health hazards.

Children may become sensitized to allergens arising from uncontrolled microorganism growth.

As you can see, it’s never a good idea to take your time when it comes to water damage! Act quickly and call a professional to have it dried properly the first time!

Be prepared to let flood-damaged walls, ceilings and floors completely dry before any re-construction takes place. Just because it’s out of sight does not mean that it’s not there anymore.  Mold and mildew will continue to grow, striking back with a vengeance, if not taken care of the first time.

Water damaged hardwood flooring can be identified by cupping, warping, discoloration and flaking of the surface.  When water reaches the walls it naturally begins to wick towards the ceiling.

Wallboard acts like a sponge when wet. If soaked by contaminated floodwater, it can be a permanent health hazard and should be removed.  Flood damaged insulation can hold water for months after getting wet and should be removed by a professional.

Moisture problems will only continue and possibly worsen during the rainy seasons unless corrected. But don’t worry!  Tuft Aide Inc., has the experience, training and moisture testing instrumentation to inspect, evaluate and recommend the best restoration options for your wood floors.

Buddy’s Carpet Care invests a great deal in education. Not only do we spend thousands of dollars per year on education, we are heavily involved in our industry, making us well connected with our industry leaders.

This way if a unique situation arises, we have experts we can call on , bringing the cutting edge of technology to you! Our industry provides courses in many areas of water damage restoration. Organizations offer certification programs that involve testing and ethics requirements. We attend every course that we can in order to bring you the very best. We believe, as fiber technology changes and as floor coverings become more complex, proper education is even more important!

We also work hard to share our knowledge with those we do business with. We want you to be fully aware of what is going on and which methods will work best in your home. Education not only broadens your understanding but it empowers you to make better decisions -especially when it comes to preventing water damage.