Water Damage Timeline: Why You Must Act ASAP

7/19/2021 (Permalink)

The longer you wait, the worse the damage will be! SERVPRO of Greater St. Augustine is ready to respond to any size emergency, 24/7/365!

At SERVPRO of St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, S. Nocatee and World Golf Village, we can not stress enough how important it is to address any water damage loss in your St. Augustine home or business as quickly as possible. 

Each water damage loss should be treated as an emergency due to the fact that the longer the water sits, the more damage it can cause as water is especially invasive and can quickly spread through your home quickly. The longer that the damage sits, the worse that the damage gets. The following timeline shows how important fast water damage cleanup is and why you should act fast. 

Immediately After Water Damage

Within minutes of a water loss, water will begin to spread quickly, saturating whatever it comes into contact with. Porous materials like drywall, wood, insulation, fabric/upholstery will begin to absorb water.

24 Hours After Water Damage 

After the water has been sitting for 24 hours, upholstery and carpet will become heavy, and sodden from water saturation, drywall, insulation, and other structural materials will begin to swell and bow. Wood maybe begin to warp, colors and dyes will begin to bleed from fabrics, paper goods will no longer be salvageable and mold growth will become a concern. 

48 Hours After Water Damage 

After 48 hours, mold spores can continue to spread throughout the property and may even begin to be visible on surfaces. Wood will continue to warp and bend due to the excess moisture. Metal objects will begin to corrode and rust, and drywall, insulation, carpet padding, and other textile goods will begin to show major signs of deterioration and may no longer be salvageable. 

One Week After Water Damage 

One week after a water loss occurs, restoration costs and procedures will be significantly increased because now structural damages are a major concern. A structural rebuild will be necessary in order to restore the property to preloss condition as cracking, buckling, breaking, peeling, bending and other signs of determination will likely be visible on the walls, floors, and ceilings. Few if any items in the exposed area will be salvable, most will have sustained too much damage by this point and will need to be disposed of.  Mold is now a problem of its own, as it has likely spread throughout the property, not just the area that sustained water damage. 

SERVPRO of St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, S. Nocatee and World Golf Village is here to help and ready to respond to emergency water damage situations 24/7/365 because we know how important it is that when water damage occurs, that it gets cleaned up as soon as possible! Our IICRC trained technicians have the expertise and equipment to act quickly to restore your property to preloss condition. Don't wait, call us today at 904-429-4457!