Does water damage get worse over time?

Water damage is a big problem in any home or work place, not to mention a very common one. Water spills and flooding are not uncommon, and if not properly dealt with they can indeed get worse. Fire burns quickly and destroys everything in it’s path immediately However water is slower with it’s destruction, but just as bad. If left unchecked. Water damage can grow from a fixable problem, to rendering a whole house inhabitable.

These are a few ways water damage can cause big problems over time;

Rusty Pipes

Unchecked leaks can cause pipes to begin to rust. And this will only lead to bigger leaks, or even leaks beginning to sprout from other parts of the pipe. Once this happens, a vicious cycle has begun. And this will lead to a water damage problem that would be very expensive to fix. Whereas fixing one leaky pipe when the problem could have saved you all of the extra trouble and cost.

Ceiling damage

When a roof is leaky, it begins to ruin the ceiling. Which then drips water down into the house. However, putting a bucket under the leak is not in any way dealing with the problem. But only prolonging the time the water damage takes to ruin your house. The longer the damage stays, the more the damage will spread. It will cause the ceiling to discolor and begin to develop bulges, mold will grow. Thus the damage will spread to the walls, which will also begin to discolor and develop mold, until eventually, the whole thing is irreparable and needs to be replaced.

Holes in concrete

A small leak in a part of the house you don’t notice can become the undoing of your home very quickly and as such leaks should be found and dealt with as soon as possible. If a leak is left unchecked, it would get through concrete, and can become detrimental to the structural integrity of your home by eating into your foundations.

Ruined Electrical systems

If there’s any two things that don’t mix well, it’s water and electricity in homes. That’s just a recipe for disaster. Leaving water damage unchecked can lead to the damage getting to your circuits and outlets. This can cause shocks, which would immediately make your home a life hazard. It could also short your circuits and lead to fires.

Destruction of carpeting

Water on your carpets, will become a nightmare quicker than you can say the word ‘nightmare’. Carpets are made to last and to persevere, but it cannot survive constant wetness. It will begin to decompose. The padding underneath the carpet will loosen and decay, causing a major stink. Mold will quickly set in, making the smell much worse, the carpet will get squishy and slimy with water and dirt.

Rotten Wood

Wood is another thing in homes that does not get along with water. Wood is quick to suck up water, but very reluctant to dry. As such it is dangerous to let your wooden surfaces be exposed to water often. The absorbent nature of wood makes it such that a wet spot will quickly spread to become an entire wet floor pretty quickly. Water eats away at wood, causing it to rotten and before you can blink, mold will join the party of destruction and join the wetness in the rotting of your wood. Rotten wood not only stinks, but it invites pests into the home, becomes a health hazard, and can break easily, leaving holes in your floor.

Threat to health and safety

Water damage can turn your house from a warm and cozy home to a hub of sickness very quickly if it is not properly dealt with. From the mold which releases spores that can cause severe allergic reaction and irritation, to the rotting surfaces that can give way at any moment and cause injury on to the health issues that might arise from getting water from rusty pipes and the harmful toxins and bacteria that remain even after flood water has been cleared out, water damage can be deadly. Toxins and bacteria will remain on fabrics and furniture even after they have been dried, and will cause recurring sicknesses.

Devaluation of property

Very few things can devalue property like water damage does. It is horrible to look at, and cannot be painted over. If not properly taken care of, it will get past the point of no return, and in the event of an attempted sale, inspectors will nose out these flaws and document them causing your home to be valued at very low prices, or even worse, not to be sale-worthy at all.

The Takeaway

Water damage is indeed a slow and terrible destroyer which gets more destructive when left unattended, and that is why it is important that you tackle water damage as soon as possible after it is noticed, as well as have your house routinely checked for damage you might not see. Dry Effect is well equipped to handle all your water damage issues, so the instant you see something going wrong, don’t hesitate to reach out to these professionals.