3 Types Of Water That Causes Damage

There are three types of water that can cause damage in your home. Knowing what they are can help guide your action plan if water damage occurs.

1. Clean Water

Clean water is the least alarming type of water damage. It consists of any water from a clean source, such as a water leak from a broken water supply line or damage from an overflowing sink tap. It contains no contaminants and is perfectly safe to handle, at least when the leak is fresh.

The main risks of clean water damage are mold and water exposure. If you act quickly to extract clean water from carpeting and other soft materials and dry off the surfaces of hard materials like walls and floorboards, the likelihood of long-lasting damage is quite low. You may still want to wipe down hard surfaces with a bleach solution to inhibit mold growth.

2. Gray Water

Gray water contains some contaminants, but typically nothing that is directly hazardous. Water that contains food particles and detergents, such as that from a kitchen sink drain or an overflowing washing machine, is considered gray water. It can also be clean water that came in contact with minor contaminants after the flood, as long as those contaminants are generally considered non-hazardous.

As always, acting quickly is needed to minimize damage. Some precautions should be taken with gray water, though. Wear protective gloves and avoid wading into the water if you are not protected against direct exposure. Take extra caution when cleaning up to disinfect all surfaces, as well. The dirty, murky nature of gray water can hide many hazards.

3. Black Water

The main type of water to be aware of is black water. Black water is hazardous to your health because it contains raw sewage or other harmful chemicals. This type of water is typically from an overflowing sewer line or toilet, but it can also be due to other hazardous materials it picks up after flooding, such as chemical waste. Flood waters are typically always considered black water because they will contain sewage and other unknown hazards.

It's typically best to always leave black water damage cleanup to a professional restoration service. Not only are protective gloves and clothing necessary, respirators and eye protection are also a must. The water must be quickly cleaned up, and then anything that can be salvaged will require a thorough disinfection treatment before restoration work can continue.

Contact a water damage restoration service for more assistance.

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Tips on How to Repair Your Home

Owning a house is a great feeling. Owning your own house is also a great responsibility. As you get past the initial excitement of owning your home, you will discover that there is a lot that you have to know how to do to keep your home in good shape. We have been where you are at, trying to figure out how to take care of our home, and we are here to share out advice with you so that you will know how to repair your home. We will let you know how to fix common problems and what projects we would like to call in the professionals for assistance with. We hope our articles help you figure out how to take the best possible care of your home and enjoy the homeownership journey.

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