The Dangers of DIY Water Damage Clean-up

12/14/2020 (Permalink)

Did you know that around 14,000 people in the US experience a water damage emergency at home or work every day? Not only is this statistic shocking, but so are the potential dangers water can pose to your home, business and health. When dealing with water damage, for the health and safety of your property as well as yourself, you should always call a professional restoration company to diagnose the situation as water damage is treated very differently based on its classification.

As you may or may not know, water has three classifications: Clean, Grey and Black. When experiencing a leak or flood, knowing water damage classification is paramount before treating the situation as there are certain safety precautions you need to take when dealing with each classification. If not dealt with properly, you could actually cause more harm than help.

When a damage restoration company comes in to assess, they are required to follow guidelines that were created by the IICRC in order to provide the safest methods of restoring your home or business while ensuring the wellbeing of everyone involved. 

Not only knowing and understanding how to treat the different classifications is important but being able to treat them in a fast and efficient manner is vital. Water damage that is not fully cleaned and dried in a timely manner can allow for an environment ideal for the growth of mold and potentially other contaminants.  

Of the three classifications, clean water is the safest classification of water to clean up. However, depending on the severity of the situation, clean water can very quickly turn into grey or black water which can put your home and health at risk. Grey water (the second classification) and black water (the third and worst classification) both contain a significant amount of contaminants that can potentially cause discomfort or illness to those who come into contact with it.

 Our professionals at SERVPRO of West Palm Beach can not only diagnose the category of water damage you are experiencing, but they have the knowledge and equipment to deal with each category safely and efficiently, mitigating additional risks that can come from improperly dealing with contaminants. For example, different flooring materials require different clean up procedures. Drying out and cleaning up a leak or flood on carpet require different steps than tile or hard wood flooring. When dealing with carpet and cushion padding water that makes its way underneath is quickly and easily absorbed. If the water classification is clean, then steps can be taken to dry and potentially salvage the carpet. But, due to carpets ability to hide dirt, food spills and other items, a clean water leak or flood can quickly turn into a grey or black classification due to its exposure to contaminants, leaving you with a job you aren’t prepared for.

So, no matter how large or small the water damages may appear, always call a professional to accurately assess the situation and safely restore your space. At SERVPRO of West Palm Beach we’ll make it look “Like it never even happened.”