Water Damage Restoration And Water Types
While we hope you never have to experience water damage in your Grand Island home, we also know it is one of the most common disasters that homeowners are faced with. That being said, we want to make sure that you are as prepared as possible so you can respond quickly and correctly if you do find yourself dealing with water damage. To get a basic understanding of how serious water damage really is, we first need to explain that not all water is the same. In fact, there are three different categories of water that can damage your home and we are going to break each one down for you.
Water Damage Restoration In Grand Island
Category 1 Water
Water is classified as Category 1 Water when it comes from a clean source, such as faucets, water heaters, pipes, and toilet tanks. Because it is not supposed to carry any harmful contaminants, category 1 water is termed ‘clean water.’ While generally harmless to your health, water damage from category 1 water can cause quite a bit of harm to your home – especially if it is left to sit. Within 24-48 hours following water damage, mold will begin to grow. If left longer than that, category 1 water damage will degrade into category 2 water.
Category 2 Water
Category 2 water damage comes from a source that contains a significant degree of biological and chemical contaminants. This type of water can be harmful upon ingestion, and even with contact. This type of water is termed ‘gray water’ because of the harmful microorganisms it carries. Sources of gray water could be toilet bowls not containing feces, seepage from hydrostatic failure, washing machines, showers, and dishwashers. Specific decontamination techniques paired with proper cleaning agents are required for water damage repair of category 2 water. It is very important to avoid any contact with category 2 water and make sure that professionals handle all water damage restoration.
Category 3 Water
The last category of water is definitely the most dangerous. Category 3 water, or ‘black water;’ is grossly contaminated water. This type of water contains toxic pathogenic substances and harbors bacteria, chemicals, ground materials, and disease-causing organisms. Sources of category 3 water include sewage, toilet water containing feces, seawater, river water, and any other external source of flood water. Category 3 water is extremely dangerous and harmful and requires the use of personal protective gear along with specialized extraction, drying, dehumidification, and sanitization equipment and materials. Contact with this water may cause serious health effects, even death. It’s important to immediately call the water damage restoration professionals after you come across category 3 damage.
No two cases of water damage are the same. Water damage from contaminated water not only causes damage to your home but also poses serious health risks. Before any water damage services can begin, it is important to identify the type of water you are dealing with so that adequate measures are taken to ensure safe and sanitary cleanup. This is where we come in. At Yellow Van, our technicians are trained and licensed in water damage restoration. We are able to safely identify which water type we are dealing with, and then plan a course of action to safely and quickly restore your home. Now that you know the different water types, the only other thing you need to remember when you need water damage restoration is to call Yellow Van.
