Today we’re going to get back to basics. Category one water damage. This is the basic kind of water damage and the type we run into most often.
So what is it? Category one water is water damage resulting from fresh water. It’s the water that’s coming from your faucet. Because it is so common is the reason we see it so often. But don’t let this type of water loss fool you. It can still be very damaging. Think of the Grand Canyon, it only takes a little water consistently going where it shouldn’t to wreak havoc on your home.
When fresh water gets in to places it shouldn’t be it causes lots of secondary damages. If it sits on engineered wood it will cause swelling and pealing of any laminates. If it gets on hardwood it can cause warping of the boards. If it sits on structural beams for too long it can cause weakening or rotting which will make your home unstable and unsafe. It can get under tile and ruin your subfloor which will lead to having to tear out the tile and starting over. The list goes on and on, and the worst part is that mold and bacteria love moisture. So any standing fresh water can lead to the growth of mold.
As category one water sits or passes over materials in your home it comes in contact with bacteria. So the longer a category one water loss sits the more dangerous it becomes. After 72 hours a category one water loss becomes classified as a category two water loss. After 120 hours a category one water loss becomes classified as a category three water loss. So sitting water is a major issue. Depending on where the water loss is located, fresh water could move to a more serious type of damage very fast.
Luckily there’s a solution to the problem. If you see water damage of any sort, call a professional. They should come out and test the area where the water loss occurred. After that, if it’s still a category one most surfaces and materials can be dried without becoming damaged or dangerous. So don’t delay when you see water damage.
