Many Florida residents are no strangers to water damage. Between severe thunderstorms, flooding rivers and the annual threat of hurricanes, there’s a good chance that your Jacksonville, FL, the home has experienced at least some water intrusions. Do you have water damage, though? Understanding what that means is quite important, and will help you determine when it might be time to call in the professionals. So, what is water damage?
What’s Water Damage?
Water damage is technically any damage to the interior of your home that was caused by water. The source of that water could be backed an up sewer, flooding, a burst pipe, or something else. However, for insurance purposes, you need to know that the two important types of water damage are gradual and sudden damage.
Gradual damage occurs slowly and builds over time. For instance, a poorly sealed entry door that allows water into the home, where it seeps into a crack in the floor and damages the subfloor over time. Sudden accidental damage is something that occurs at one time and causes damage immediately.
Sources of Water Damage
Technically, water damage can occur in any instance where water enters the home, whether it’s slowly, a little bit at a time, or in a massive rush. Common causes include burst pipes, leaking door, and window seals, improperly installed window air conditioners, flooding, overflowing toilets, storm surges and more.
The Effects of Water Damage
Water entering your home can cause any number of problems. For instance, if a large volume of water were to inundate your carpet because of flooding or a burst pipe, it could cause problems like mold and mildew growth as it dried. It could also cause damage to the subfloor in some instances.
Water can cause wood and sheetrock to buckle and bend, and to eventually rot away completely. It can cause the cloth to mold and mildew, and then rot away, too. In some cases, it can go beyond cosmetic damage – ruined carpet, for instance. It can damage the structure of your home. For example, if storm damage compromises the exterior of your home’s roof, water can cause serious damage to the frame of your home, including rot and deterioration.
Finding Help
When it comes to alleviating water damage, it’s important to call the professionals. Experienced water damage remediation specialists can identify the type and cause of your water damage, investigate the extent of the damage, and provide you with a solution.
