Water damage is one of the most common causes of damage in U.S. homes. Not only is water damage an inconvenience to homeowners, depending on the type of water that has breached your home or how long it has been standing, it can be dangerous to you and your family’s health. When you experience water damage in your home, one of the most important aspects of getting it cleaned up is how quickly you can get the water removed from your home. The faster you act, the more likely you are to save your floors, walls and personal possessions. We here at Carpet Care 2000 care about getting your home back to normal again. To help you in doing so, we will explain the different types of water damage and whether the type of damage can be cleaned, or needs replacing.
Types of Water Damage; Category 1, 2 & 3
There are several ways one can experience water damage in their home. Some examples are; flooding from storms, water overflow from sinks, tubs, toilets or dishwashers, or from pipes bursting. Determining a plan of action will first require identifying the type of water that has infiltrated your home. Following are the types of water damage.
Category 1 Water Damage– This is the simplest type of water damage to clean and have repaired. Water in this category typically comes from an uncontaminated source or a “clean water” supply. This type of water can come from broken water supply lines or from tub/sink overflows. It is of utmost importance to ensure water from a Category 1 flood gets cleaned up within 48 hours to avoid it progressing to a category 2 or 3 level.
Category 2 Water Damage– Classified as “Gray water” , this type of water damage is considered as on that would make you sick or cause discomfort if exposed to. It contains biological, chemical or physical contaminants that are harmful to your health. This type of water can come from overflowed toilets with no urine or feces involved, sump pump failure or contaminated water from a discharge drain from a dishwasher or washing machine. If not cleaned up quickly, category 2 water can quickly turn to a category 3.
Category 3 Water Damage– Classified as “Black Water”, this water is considered grossly contaminated with harmful pathogens, bacteria and/or fungi. This level of damage is the worst you can have and is considered dangerous and harmful to even be around. If a level 3 water damage happens in your home, anything the water has touched will be considered contaminated and unsalvageable. Black water comes from sources such as, sewage, ground surface, or standing water from floods, or overflow from rivers, streams or oceans. It can also be from category 1 or 2 water damage that was left to sit too long. Clean up of a category 3 water contamination requires a team of professionals to clean out the premises with personal protective equipment including air purifying respirators. During this time, nobody except the clean up crew will be permitted in the dwelling until all contaminated items are discarded and the home sanitized and cleaned out.
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The faster you get things cleaned up the better. When it comes to water damage, the longer water is allowed to stay standing, the more damage will be caused. For level 1 or 2 contamination, you must call your insurance agent and clean up crew in no more than 24-48 hours, but the sooner the better. Failure to do so may result in your insurance company refusing to honor your claim. To learn more about this, look into your insurance policy to see exactly what type of coverage you opted for. Carpet Care 2000 has years of experience cleaning and restoring water damaged properties. If you find yourself dealing with this unfortunate circumstance, call us as soon as possible. We’ll be glad to help!
