Water damage can lead to short- and long-term problems in your home. It creates risks for those living in the space, as well as for the home itself. It’s important to call in water damage professionals to deal with water damage immediately and prevent the problem from worsening. The first step is drying out the wet or damp areas that were exposed to water.
How long does it take for water damage to dry?
It depends on several factors, but in general, you can expect areas in your home exposed to water or moisture to dry in about five days. Sometimes it takes as little as two days to dry an area and other times it could take several weeks. Areas that are not that saturated with dryer air tend to be on the shorter end, while humid areas that have been fully saturated will stay wet longer. Professional water damage experts are able to speed the process and reduce the long-term damage with industrial tools.
It’s also important to realize that the drying out phase is only the first step in dealing with water damage. There are several other steps in the cleanup process. To prevent water exposure from creating long-term damage in your home, turn to Rapid Dry Restoration for professional cleanup.
How Do You Dry Water Damage?
Several methods are used to dry out water damage in a home.
The first step water damage professionals take is to identify the source and stop additional water from entering the space. Next, the cleanup process begins. The area must be deemed safe and children and pets need to be kept out of the area. There should also be no electrical risks.
At this point, we’ll assess the type of water that caused the damage. Was it clean, dirty, or contaminated?
Clean water, as long as there are no electrical risks, usually isn’t going to pose any kind of health problem. The next step in the cleanup can begin and we’ll dry out the area without concern for anyone’s health. But gray water could be risky to work with and black water most certainly is contaminated. There might also additional steps in the restoration process for gray and black water because your home has now been exposed to more than just water.
Drying Methods
Once we know the water poses no immediate health threats, we’ll determine the best drying method or methods to use. The options include:
- Dehumidifying
- Fan
- Air Drying
For many homes, the best option is a combination of all three methods. This tends to speed drying time and ensures the least amount of long-term damage.
Keep in mind, just because you can’t see or feel water doesn’t mean the area is completely dry. There could be wetness in the walls which can lead to swelling and cracking and eventually mold growth. It’s also possible for wetness to seep down into the foundation of your home and cause mold to develop underground.
Assessing Water Damage and Finding the Help You Need for Water Restoration
Water damage in a home can be a simple matter – your sanitary tub clogs and overfills and water runs onto the floor and down the storm drain – or it can be more complex. More complex events would include a pipe bursting and causing several inches of water to flood a carpeted room. Or the sewer drain backing up due to a tree root blocking the water’s pathway out of your home and dirty toilet water flooding into your basement.
Some simple water damage issues might be easy enough for a homeowner to clean up without assistance, but anything beyond a mild problem requires professional help to avoid further damage.
Additionally, the location of a flood can create a problem because not all areas of your home are prepped to handle water exposure. We need to be concerned about where the water came from because there are far greater health risks with damage from dirty water than from clean.
Contact a professional water restoration company when dealing with any type of water damage that is moderate to severe. There are even instances when it’s better to call in a pro even if the damage is mild, depending on where the problem occurred and what caused it.
If you need to speak to someone about water damage in your home or you have a flooding emergency and need immediate service, contact Rapid Dry Restoration at 303.710.8423.