Preparing For Residential Water Damage: How Extreme Can It Get?

February 21, 2022

Water damage is an enormous, life-changing problem many residents face every rainy or snowy season. Temperature changes affect various materials and parts of your home, possibly weakening your roofing materials or damaged underlayment. To avoid huge water damage problems in the future, here is everything you need to know about them.

Water Types That Can Enter Your Home

Rainwater isn’t the idealistically clean and pristine water that hits your roofs and enters your gutter system. Instead, it can have bacteria, chemicals, sediments, and other factors that can pollute and damage your home. Learn more about them below.

Black Water

Blackwater has been contaminated with human or animal waste. Its name comes from its dark color that has an unpleasant odor. The source of the black water can be sewage, spills, or any liquid that is contaminated with material. Unfortunately, black water is as common as acid rain that can damage your property and health.

Gray Water

Gray water comes from the water originating from the bathroom sink, shower, and bathtub. While it isn’t dirty and infected in most cases, it still poses great dangers to your health and property during rainstorms due to its chemical content.

Clean Water

This water type comes from rivers, ponds, and other natural and artificial clean water sources (such as water treatment plants). Clean water is not polluted with any harmful substances and is safe to drink. However, this type of rain is rare and still causes water damage if they infiltrate a leak.

Dangers of Water Damage

Water damages can cause massive expenses to repair and restore. It can cause the following to your home.

Unstable Foundation

Water damage can cause your home’s foundation to become unstable and dangerous. When water seeps into the ground, it can seep through cracks in the foundation of your home, acting like a wedge to pry the foundation away from the house. This can cause portions of the foundation to become unstable and start to crumble.

Mold and Mildew

Water damages can cause the appearance of mold and mildew in your home by providing the necessary dampness for mold spores to grow. Mold will often grow in areas where there is a buildup of moisture. This is why bathrooms, kitchens, and basements are at a higher risk of water damage during rainstorms. Things like plumbing leaks, overflowing sinks, and moisture from a humidifier can also cause water damage.

Powdered Insulation

Water damages insulation because it causes the insulation to swell, leading to a high-humidity environment. The water causes the insulation fibers to swell and stick together. This results in a decrease in airflow, which causes the air to become humid.

Bacteria and Chemicals

Rainwater can carry bacteria and chemicals into homes because the rainwater will seep into cracks and crevices in the foundation of your home, and the water will sit there for a long time before evaporating.

If you have recently suffered from water damages due to faulty roofing installations or massively damaged roofs through no fault of your own, you can always count on us at Paramount Roofing & Consultation to help you create your roofing insurance claims. Contact us today to learn more about everything we can do for you.