Water damage can be found in many shapes and types and can leave long-lasting damage to not just your residential or commercial property however your health too, if not dealt with properly. Among the initial steps to relieving your property of prospective water damage is to identify what type of water damage you are dealing with. According to the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), there are three types of water damage, which they outline in their Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration (the S500). Water damage is classified by its source, length of time in the structure, history of the structure, and other impactful elements like chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers, animal feces, fuel, detergents, rat toxin, etc
Classification 1 The very first type of water damage they describe is Category 1, which includes burst water pipes, dripping home appliances, and percentages of rainwater. The defining characteristic of Category 1 water is that it is clean at the source, and therefore does not pose a hazard if taken in by people. Category 1 water needs much less equipment and time to remedy.
Kinds of Category 1 water damage consist of, however, are not limited to break water pipes, stopped working supply lines on devices, falling rainwater, melting snow or ice, broken toilet tanks, or toilet bowl overflow that does not contain any impurities. While this type of water damage is not necessarily hazardous, if it is not dealt with it might rely on category 2 within 24 hours. That period could be accelerated if the right conditions for microorganism development are present such as stagnant air, humidity, and moderate temperature levels (68-86 degrees Fahrenheit).
Classification 2 Category 2 water damage, or gray water, is characterized by beginning with some quantity of contamination at the source, or Category 1 water that has been disregarded as mentioned in the past. This kind of water damage is reasonably unsafe and could trigger some degree of illness or pain for people or animals if exposed.
The most common kinds of Category 2 water damage are discharge from cleaning devices or dishwashing machines, toilet circulation overflow with urine however no feces, sump pump back-up, hydrostatic pressure seepage, cleaning maker overflow, broken fish tanks, and leak water beds. These instances of water damage may include chemicals, bio-contaminants, and other types of contamination that are dangerous to human health. Health impacts are as follows: allergic asthma, hay fever, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (lung tissue inflammation), burning eyes, skin inflammation, inflammatory reaction, nausea, headache, and fever. Again, time and conducive temperature levels permit wear and tear to a Category 3 within 48 hours.
Category 3 The final and most hazardous type of water damage is Category 3, or black water. Blackwater is highly polluted, consists of pathogens, and can cause major disease and even death in severe conditions. Anyone with a weak immune system, respiratory disease, allergies, or kids need to remain far from the structure for the duration of the infection and clean-up.
Examples of this type of damage include sewage, ground surface water intrusion, toilet backflow from beyond the trap, and flooding sweater/rivers/streams that have entered the facilities. Flooding water generates silt and other raw material, that may currently have germs growing in it, and resting stagnant in your home will only offer a preferable environment in which microbes can grow. Negative health results from black water are numerous and include bacterial infections from E. coli, salmonella, and shigella, soil organisms like Streptomyces, saccharopolyspora, Peronospora, viruses like rotavirus, hepatitis, and echovirus, and even parasites such as giardia, cryptosporidium, and others. In any situation, black water is major and requires to be handled immediately.
Besides categories of water damage, there are likewise 4 classes per the IICRC. Water damage is divided into classes based on the rate of evaporation needed. Often the type of product that has been impacted is the determining factor.
Class 1
The water loss has been limited to just a partial space location, and the products affected are of low porosity (water is retained on the surface). There is little or no wet carpet or cushion.
Class 2
The entire room is affected, along with the carpet and cushion. Water has wicked up the walls 1-2 feet. Moisture stays in the structure of the structure.
Class 3
The slowest evaporation rate and water might have originated from above. Ceilings, walls, carpet, cushion, and sub-floor is all saturated and will require sufficient time to dry.
Class 4 makes up wet materials with low porosity or permeation such as wood, concrete, stone, brick, or plaster. Water has formed deep pockets of saturation and will need unique devices that develop an environment of really low humidity.
As you can see, water damage is a major matter. If not handled immediately, the negative health results are numerous. If your home or other residential or commercial property has been affected by any type of water pointed out or not discussed above, I suggest calling a professional repair company ASAP. They will know precisely what to do.