Water Damage

Water damage is one of the most common homeowner's insurance claims in the country. Most water damages are caused due to burst pipes, leaky appliances and flooded basements. These occurrences often lead people to discover the details of their home insurance policies.

Water damage is hazardous to health and dangerous for any home or business, therefore time is of the essence when it occurs. If treated quickly, you can minimize the damage, reduce restoration costs and prevent the growth of mold, and other contaminants.

There are three different categories of water damage:

1. Clean Water Damage – Does not contain harmful contaminants. Such a kind of water damage is most commonly caused from rainwater or pipe bursts.
   
2. Gray Water Damage – Has some level of contamination in the water. This kind of water damage is usually caused from flooding of household appliances such as dishwasher, refrigerator, empty toilet, etc.
3. Black Water Damage – Contains contaminants that are harmful if they come in contact with skin or are consumed. This kind of water damage occurs from floods by natural disasters, sewer backups, toilet overflows, etc.

Within minutes of water intrusion, damage can begin.  Thus prompt action is important following a water-related disaster or accident. The speed with which you take action to begin the water damage restoration process will determine how much can be salvaged. Unwelcome moisture not only ruins carpeting and stains floors, ceilings and walls, but if left uncorrected can diminish the value of the property, which drastically affects financial status.

One of the biggest problems caused due to water damage is molding. Molds are part of a group of micro-organisms called fungi that also include mushrooms and yeasts. Mold formation is the greatest setback most people face when dealing with water damage.

Molding due to water damage can spoil possessions and can cause health problems. Some health problems triggered by exposure to mold include allergic reactions such as asthma, non-allergic reactions such as headaches, as well as lung and breathing infections.

However, water damage restoration is easily available. Restoration can take place in several ways including water extraction, sewage clean-ups, crawl space drying, structural drying, basement drying, dehumidification, odor control, sanitization, disinfecting, carpet cleaning, debris removal, emergency board-ups and mold remediation.

When dealing with water damage, calling in professional help is always preferable to attempting do-it-yourself methods. These do-it-yourself methods can be tedious, and the task on hand may not be completed thoroughly. Calling in experts will help you to document and account for the damage, which helps when trying to get compensation through a water damage insurance claim.