7 Reasons You Should Get Professional Water Damage Cleanup

In today’s article, we’re going to talk about something fairly common in today’s society (about 1 in 50 properties have a water damage claim of some variety, each year). Many people don’t understand the seriousness of getting professional water damage cleanup right away; some people think it’s no big deal, and others think that they have plenty of time to clean up water damage. But at 1-800 Water Damage of Western Colorado, we’re committed to dispelling these myths and informing you. That’s why we’ve prepared a list of 7 reasons you should get professional water damage cleanup.

1) You should get professional water damage cleanup to prevent mold growth

This is a huge one. What some people don’t know is that dark, moist areas are perfect locations for mold colonies. This means that if your basement floods and you don’t clean up the water right away, you’ll soon be looking at mold growth. We probably don’t have to tell you why you should avoid mold growth at all costs, but we’ll mention a couple of reasons anyway. Mold colonies can be incredibly dangerous. They can have a negative impact on your quality of life and can even make you sick. Some types of mold can even lead to serious diseases. It’s not something that any homeowner should attempt to deal with on their own.

2) Untreated water damage can lead to a fire hazard

This seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? But though it might seem strange that water damage can lead to a fire hazard, it is an unfortunate truth. The problem with leaving standing water in your home is that that water can go everywhere. And when the standing water seeps into the wrong places, it can become a fire hazard. If water seeps into your circuit breaker, for example, it can cause it to short-circuit, which can in turn start a fire.

3) Untreated water damage can harm the structural integrity of your home

Though a small puddle of water might not seem overly serious now, it can have huge consequences in the near future. When water soaks into wooden structures in your home, it can cause the wood to rot. If, for example, a support beam or part of your wall starts to rot, then your house can become an incredibly dangerous place to stay. To avoid having a wall cave-in or part of your home collapse, it’s a much better idea to get professional water damage cleanup from the beginning. It’s often the long-term effects of – even small amounts of water – that cause the worst damage.

4) Untreated water damage can decrease the value of your home

Let’s say, for example, that one of your gutters got backed up and water spilled onto your roof. Let’s also say that this water soaked into your ceiling, leaving a huge water stain. When an appraiser comes to evaluate your home, that water spot can have an impact. That’s just one superficial way that letting water damage go untreated can hurt the value of your home. Structural damage, which we talked about before, is not only dangerous to anyone inside. It also means that your home has a lower value when you decide later on that you want to sell it.

5) A good reason to get professional water damage cleanup is that water damage can become a health hazard

In a short amount of time, standing water that is left untreated can become incredibly dangerous. In the same way that it encourages mold growth, untreated water damage can be a breeding ground for harmful microbes and bacteria. These can be dangerous for you and your family, and you should avoid this at all costs. Even when that standing water finally dries, the toxins it spreads don’t go away. They can soak into different parts of your home (like your furniture and belongings) and can linger for a long period of time.

6) If you don’t get professional water damage cleanup, you can invite insects into your home

As if bacteria and toxins weren’t enough, standing water is perfect for insects like mosquitoes. Nobody likes dealing with bugs, but if you leave water damage untreated, you’ll likely have to deal with them inside your home. It’s much better to get professional water damage cleanup than it is to deal with a flea or tick infestation, which can both be caused by untreated water damage.

7) Untreated water damage can cause you to lose your personal belongings

The longer you leave water damage untreated, the more it will destroy. Water damage can destroy personal items like documents and photographs as well as fabrics and carpets. Don’t give standing water the time it needs to destroy your valuable possessions. Calling a disaster restoration company like 1-800 Water Damage can help you make sure that floodwaters and other types of water damage don’t get to steal your personal belongings as well as your peace of mind.

For more information about why you should never leave water damage untreated, we recommend taking a look at this page.

At 1-800 Water Damage, we always want to make sure that you have access to the best information possible. It’s why we’ve written articles dispelling common misconceptions about our industry. It’s also why we prepared this list of 7 reasons you should get professional water damage cleanup. We want our blog to be educational, and we sincerely hope that we’ve been able to help. This list, for example, can give you the information you need to help you avoid leaving standing water in your home. Your peace of mind is our number one priority; giving you information like this is one way of helping you maintain it. Don’t let your water damage problem get worse because you don’t want to clean it up. Take the time and effort now to save yourself a major headache down the road. You’ll be happy you did!