Water Damage Timelines and What It Means For Your Home or Business

If your home has been affected by water damage, 1st Call Restoration is here to help explain the timeline for how water will begin to affect your home or commercial property, especially in areas like East Texas, where humidity levels are higher.

In East Texas, high humidity and seasonal storms can accelerate the effects of water damage, making it even more important to respond quickly to prevent long-term structural issues and mold growth.

Within a few minutes:

Within minutes, water can cause damage to your flooring, furniture and other areas that are out of sight.

Water will follow the path of least resistance – areas that are prone to this such as carpets, baseboards, padding, and sub-floors can become heavily saturated quickly.
Furniture that is left on wet carpets will then begin to leach and stain as well.

Within a couple of hours:

Within a couple of hours after a water damage emergency, swelling will occur.

Furniture left in contact with the water will begin to de-laminate and swell.
Particleboard based cabinetry, and furniture not only begins to swell, but distort, weaken and crumble over time.
Dyes from any non-colorfast fabric will bleed. This includes your clothing, drapes, pillows, etc.

Within 24 hours:

Within 24 hours, the above will be present along with;

High levels of humidity will begin to develop a strong odor within your home or business. This can be a strong indication of mold, or mildew beginning to develop.

Within a couple of days:

Within a couple of days, heavy damage begins to develop. Along with the above;

Fungi, mold, and mildew will become visible.
You will smell a musty odor.
Painted walls will begin to blister and wallpaper will begin to peel away from your walls.
Any structural wood within your home or commercial property such as framing will begin to swell, causing splitting. This causes a structural integrity issue to be addressed immediately.

Within weeks:

Within a couple of weeks, all of the above will be present along with;

Materials that have been damaged by mold, fungi or mildew will now be un-salvageable.
The home becomes hazardous and must be evacuated to protect your overall health and well-being.
Depending on the level of water damage and water mitigation services needed, your home or commercial property may need to be gutted down to the bones.

Within months:

Within months of water damage being untreated or going unnoticed;

The cost of any repairs needed at this point may be highly inflated, and could exceed what the insurance company values the home or commercial property for. This could result in a total loss.
Damage that could have been prevented over time, caused by the neglect of the home or business owner, may immediately disqualify the owner from an insurance claim, and any coverage.
Your current insurance provider could drop you as the homeowner or business owner from your policy.

Steps to take for your insurance claim:

Your water damage claim process can take from a couple of weeks, up to months. Preparing in advance for a potential water damage claim can help you during your process, and restore your home or business to the same condition it was in, prior to the water damage.

Familiarize yourself with your insurance policy. Find out what is covered, what coverage you may potentially need based off your geographical location and/or degree of business.
Retain offsite documentation of your property that includes building plans, such as your room sizes, what finishes you have within your home or business, windows, flooring, sub-flooring, and baseboards.
Keep all receipts, quotes, and invoices for any repairs, upgrades, or modifications you have made to your property. This includes cosmetic and structural changes.
Take inventory of what you have. Assets such as furniture, decorations, family heirlooms, and other possessions in case of a disaster.
Understanding how quickly water damage progresses can help property owners take immediate action and reduce the risk of costly repairs.

Contact 1st Call Restoration today for any of your water damage restoration needs!

1st Call Restoration is located within East Texas, and is your most comprehensive source for all your residential and commercial restoration service needs. Give us a call today at 903-287-6400, 24/7 to learn about how our highly trained team of water mitigation professionals can assist you in restoring your home, life, and peace of mind.