Why you need to Repair Water damage and mold Quickly It is an unfortunate reality that lots of people underestimate the potential damage water may cause with even limited exposure time. Chemistry teaches that water can be a base or an acid depending on environmental factors meaning that in high acid environments, water provides a base and in low pH environments, water is slightly acidic. The mutable nature of water affords water the ability to carve through solid rock to create beautiful natural wonders but this same ability may also destroy drywall, plumbing materials, along with other common building materials. This point, however, is often forgotten when individuals deal with water damage.
baltimore water damageWhen confronted with water damage, lots of people simply concentrate on the top layer water and don't do anything whatsoever for that layers water which have penetrated the subsurface or been absorbed in to the gypsum board (aka drywall and sheetrock) and sill plates usually because of the double whammy of they don't understand the risks plus they don't have the correct extraction equipment. Wikipedia reports that gypsum board is "easily damaged by exposure to water" and "supports the development of mold." While gypsum board is treated to make it more water resistant, should the gypsum board be punctured or should water, as with the case of water damage, collect round the unprotected area of the gypsum board, the porous gypsum board will then readily absorb and contain the water. The more this absorbed water stays within the gypsum board the greater damage it causes.
Unlike fire damage that leaves a visible and generally static path of harm, water damage could be subtle and can manifest its destruction during a period of time. In opposition to the immediate destruction caused by fire, water, similar in lots of ways to worry, can slowly chip away in the host until it requires extensive repair at a cost that's MUCH higher and over a place MUCH larger than initial exposure could have been required to treat. The subtle nature of water is what causes water damage to become regularly underestimated and, therefore, undertreated in real world case scenarios.
baltimore water damageUnfortunately, regardless of the best intention and valiant effort of many honorable do-it-yourselfers, their work is for naught as they simply lack the the equipment for remediation and the like devices are not commonly available at your local rental shop. At best these people may have access to a commercial carpet cleaner which could effectively remove the top layer water but does little to enter the subflooring or remove the absorbed water so they will stop when the area feels dry and can leave a fan on. This process is very similar to the method employed by remediation professionals within the infancy of the water restoration profession but this was soon sent to pasture because it was quickly shown to be ineffective, at best, and a catalyst for decomposition and mold growth, at worst.
The best way to combat water damage and mold, and to avoid the long and short term devastation caused by water damage and mold, is to call an expert water damage restoration company when the damage is found. While the honorable do-it-yourselfer will have the unrelenting urge to break out their equipment and assist the professional water damage company, the best way a do-it-yourselfer could profit the clients are by disabling the origin of the water damage (if possible), ensuring the region is free of charge from electrical risks, and ensuring the affected region is free of debris and physical hazards (if possible) so the professionals can extract water as quickly as possible to reduce the restoration time.