When you have just discovered water damage in your home or business, a lot of things cross your mind; How much damage has been done? Is it still coming in? What do I do now? But one question that most people don’t realize they should ask themselves is: Where did the water come from and is it dangerous to my health?
Water Damage is classified into 3 major groups; Clean, Gray, and Black, depending on the level of potential contaminants that they can carry. This not only impacts the precautions that need to be taken, but also the steps required to properly mitigate the water damage itself. For instance, something that may be salvageable in a clean water scenario may not be salvageable in a situation involving black water.
Clean Water
Clean Water is the least hazardous of the three, and includes water that we would drink, wash our hands, and bathe in. Clean Water Damages often result from a broken pipe, and while they may not carry hazardous contaminants, they should be addressed immediately and dried properly to prevent further structural damage and Mold Contamination
Gray Water
Gray Water is generally from a leaky drain, the discharge from a washer / dishwasher, or roof leak and may contain soap, food particles, or other soils. While Gray Water Damages may not pose an immediate health risk, they do provide more potential for mold or bacteria growth and should be dried properly and completely to prevent any further structural damages.
Black Water
Black Water consists of flood waters, sewer backups, and other highly contaminated sources. Black Water Damages bring with them a considerable health risk and require safety precautions for those that come in contact with this water. Also, as a result of the level of contamination, Black Water situations offer the least potential for salvageability, often requiring porous structural components as well as content items to be disposed of and replaced. Additionally, mold and bacteria are able to grow very rapidly in the environment created by Black Water, requiring immediate and professional response to prevent further damages and contamination.
It is important to keep in mind as well that, as time progresses, regardless of the water source or type, mold and bacteria are able to grow and create further problems. In fact, a Clean Water Damage can proceed to a Black Water Damage within days as the level of contaminants increases. This is why it is essential when suffering a water damage in your home or business to act quickly to not only prevent further initial damage, but to properly and completely mitigate and dry the structure.
We at Disaster Blaster recognize that water damages of all kinds can happen at any time of the day, so we proudly Make Ourselves Available 24 / 7 so that we can limit the extent of your damages immediately.
Should you suffer a water damage and need immediate assistance, please do not hesitate to Contact Us.
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