Hardwood Floors: 5 Types of Water Damage

Just as the source of water can range from a spill at the dining room table to inundation by floodwaters, water damage to hardwood floors can range from minor discoloration to total destruction.

Despite a protective finish, any source of moisture — even high humidity — can lead to a wood floor’s deterioration.  Water makes its way through the tiniest of openings to be absorbed and then trapped.  The wood swells and mold may invade.  When that happens you’ll want to protect your investment in your home or business and take action to rescue and restore those gorgeous floors.

The Damage and What to Do

The first step, of course, is to stop the source of water then remove as much of it as possible.  The extent of damage then depends on how quickly you were able to act and the extent of flooding, and the type of finish.  The latter can range from “old school” waxes to oils and other penetrating finishes to urethane and other contemporary protective coatings.

  • Stains and Discoloration White-ish spots are likely limited to the finish itself and may go away on their own if left to dry for a few days.  If not, a good rub-down with your usual floor polish should do the trick.  Dark areas are a different matter.  Scrubbing with a toothbrush and a little oxalic acid (a bleach for wood) may be enough.  Or it may be necessary to lightly sand or use steel wool to get past the finish first.  It might even be necessary to sand into the wood a bit, bleach, and re-finish.  In the worst case, the affected area may need to be replaced.
  • Mold can cause its own staining.  In addition to dealing with the discoloration, it’s important to thoroughly decontaminate the area.  And that’s likely to involve sanding, drying, and refinishing.
  • Cupping and Crowning Floor planks can swell from wetness or even high humidity in such a way as to make their long edges curl upwards or downwards.  The first step is to solve the dampness problem.  Given time (several weeks or more) for the planks a well as the underlying sub-floor to dry, cupping and crowning may go away on its own.  Otherwise, it will be necessary to sand and refinish the hardwood floor.
  • Warping along the length of boards can lift them a bit off the sub-floor  It may be possible to flatten slightly warped floors with heavy objects, or to nail them down and hide the nails with caulk.  More severely warped floor sections will need to be replaced.
  • Buckling Warping, cupping, and crowning can be severe enough to lift boards well above the sub-floor  Replacement is likely the only option.

A Few Details

The above actions are just a quick outline of the actions that need to be taken.  If you don’t call in a water damage restoration specialist you’ll need to research them in detail.  Here are a few more things to dig into.

Wood color changes naturally with age and sun exposure, so a sanded area may have a slightly different color.  It takes a lot of skill and experience to apply a wood-stain product to match, so it’s common to sand and refinish the entire floor so that the restored area doesn’t stand out.  That’s part of good long-term hardwood floor maintenance anyway.

Lightly sanding removes the finish and allows the wood to dry out faster.  But final sanding should be performed only after the floor has returned to its proper moisture content.  Otherwise cupping, crowing, and warping may be “reversed” as things return to their original shape.  Full drying without special equipment can take anywhere from a week to as long as 6 months.  Drying too quickly can cause wood to crack and need replacing.

Also, with flooding make sure the sub-floor is also dried, disinfected, and repaired as necessary before replacing and refinishing the flooring.

The Big Picture

The key to keeping water damage to hardwood floors to a minimum is to immediately remove the water then aggressively dry the floor.  Anything more than a spill or small leak can require special training and advanced equipment (such as commercial-grade humidifiers and drying mats) to dry things out quickly enough to prevent mold and further damage.

 

That Water Damage: Old Or New?

You’ve seen some signs of water damage.  But is it from something new that needs immediate attention to prevent further damage?  Or is it something old that still needs looking into?  Not sure why you haven’t noticed it before?  Has it always been there?

Your 5 Best Guides

Water can come from a range of sources.  Pipes, drains, a leaky roof, window, or door….  And small leaks can take months to “show through.”

Here are our top 5 guides to deciding if a sign of water damage is from something new or old.

1 The Material Affected

Hard materials such as brick take a long time to show damage.  So whether currently damp or not, the problem has probably been around for a while.  For other materials, the problem could be old or new.  Wood may warp, split, or buckle.  You’ll probably notice that immediately for hardwood floors, but it may be a while before you spot problems inside cabinets and in other out-of-the-way places.

2 Dampness

For softer materials such as drywall (also called sheetrock, and also used for ceilings), acoustic tile, and wood damage could be recent or from long ago.  Drywall softens with extended exposure, so if it’s still solid the problem is probably very recent, possibly ongoing.  If it’s soft and crumbly it’s been wet for a while.  Large areas may sag or warp, and a ceiling could even collapse.  If an area feels damp the time to act is now.

3 Mold and Odors

Mold indicates ongoing damage to the carpet.  But other materials, including wood and drywall, can also harbor mold.  Mold typically takes 24 to 48 hours to become noticeable after an area becomes damp.  So if you see gray, black, green — or any color — mold the water damage incident most likely began at least 2 days earlier.  Mold can occur on just about any building surface, including those hidden inside walls, inside crawl spaces, and so on.  So your only clue may be a musty odor.  Water damage can also include wood decaying due to bacteria growth.  That too has its distinctive odor.  Either way, it’s time to go looking for visible signs of water or water damage.

4 Water Stains

You’ve probably seen water stains on the ceiling in old buildings.  But they can happen on the walls and ceilings of structures of any age.  Their exact appearance is a pretty good indication of when, and how, they happened.

  • A single dark area with no surrounding discoloration indicates a single incident, usually recent.
  • Lighter yellowish, brownish, white, or chalky stains suggest older leaks.
  • Several rings indicate repeated incidents, probably over some time.  That’s generally the case for building leaks as rains come and go. But some plumbing problems can be intermittent as well.  The number of rings is a good indication of the number of leak/dry-out cycles.
  • The size of the affected area suggests the severity of a leak, not necessarily how long it’s been going on.

5 Expert Inspection

Calling in a water damage restoration specialist for an inspection is the best way to know for sure how long ago a leak caused a problem.  While there they can track down the exact location of any recent source of water or dampness.

In Summary

Water damage costs American homes and businesses some $2.5 billion every year, each claim averaging nearly $7,000.00.  So it doesn’t matter if the damage is old or new — you want the original cause corrected.  If the leak is ongoing, immediate action can reduce or even eliminate the cost of water damage restoration and repairs.

 

Water Damage From Air Conditioning?

You may be surprised to hear that your air conditioning is a possible cause of water damage.  But if you’ve ever seen a window A/C dripping outside on a hot, humid day you can see why.

Just like dew on a cool morning, it’s common for an air conditioner’s coils to be cold enough to condense humidity out of the air.  And that needs to be channeled out of your home or business.  Worse still, coils can ice-up and then release a lot of water all at once as the unit cycles off and that ice melts.

Any excess dampness quickly leads to mold, and further water damage can progress over time until you have to repair drywall or warped floorboards.  In one reported case a central air conditioning unit in an attic caused the ceiling to collapse… because of a simple clogged air filter!

Top 5 Problems to Look Out For

The terms can be a bit confusing but the outside condenser coil gets hot and the inside evaporator coil gets cold, those coil names referring to what the refrigerant is doing as it’s pumped around inside the air conditioner.  “Dew” condensing is actually a good thing, reducing humidity and making it even more comfortable indoors.  So there’s a condensation pan to catch drips and a drain line to route it outdoors to where it can’t do any harm.  But if anything goes wrong you’ll have a leaky A/C and the likelihood of at least minor water damage.

Central Air Conditioners

With central air, problems can remain hidden in utility closets or attics until the damage is severe and expensive to repair.  So it’s worth your time to be pro-active and stay on the lookout for problems.  There are basically two issues to be aware of:  normal condensation not being drained properly and situations that cause the evaporator coil to freeze up.

  • Is the drain pan catching all the drips?  Or is it out of place?  Cracked?
  • Is the drain line flowing freely?  Blocked?  Leaking?  Disconnected?
  • If there’s a condensate pump, is it working properly?
  • Is the air filter clogged?  If the airflow is reduced the evaporator gets colder and can freeze up.  The same filter is used for central heating, so it should be changed every 3 to 6 months, year-round.
  • Is the unit low on refrigerant?  That can also cause freezing.

Note:  Although rare, there can also be condensation in the ductwork.

A Word About Window Units

Window air conditioners should be leveled so that water flows in the right direction, away from the building.  If that’s not the case, or if drain holes or drain lines are blocked, water can damage the window sill or cause damage inside the wall.

What To Do

It’s easy to ignore major appliances until they break down.  But don’t.  That leads to poor performance and wasted energy.  And often to leaks or condensation that causes hidden but progressive water damage that begins within hours.

So keep an eye out and seriously consider an annual A/C inspection and tune-up as preventive maintenance.  And at the first visible sign of mold or water damage, call in an expert.

A Word On Insurance

Most insurers will deny claims where reasonable maintenance was neglected, and many policies explicitly exclude mold remediation.  But you may be covered if the incident was “sudden and accidental.”

 

5 Steps to Rescue Water Damaged Carpet

Knee-deep flooding is clearly a major problem.  But just a fraction of an inch of water can destroy carpet, and the larger the area affected the more likely that’s going to happen.  So any large leak, overflow, or spill spells carpet trouble.

It’s important to understand what can happen and what to do about it.  Depending on the situation there can be issues with mud or other contamination, but in nearly every case the number one concern is mold.  A serious outbreak can get going in as little as 24 to 48 hours, so you have to act fast.  And the primary task is drying out the carpet and flooring beneath.

A Little Background

What needs to be done is determined by three factors — the cleanliness of the water, how long things have been wet, and the size of the area that was soaked.

  • With water directly from clean sources (such as a burst water pipe) or relatively clean sources (such as a washing machine overflow or dishwasher), there shouldn’t be an immediate health hazard.  But if the water has been in contact with soil, or worse yet sewage, it’s an immediate and serious health risk.  It’s advisable to hire a water damage restoration specialist and materials such as carpet will most likely need to be thrown away.
  • After lingering for a couple of days water and wetness from any source are likely to be loaded with disease organisms and really need to be treated as hazardous waste.  So the carpet is usually not salvageable.  Not sure when the flooding or leak occurred?  If there are any odors it’s probably too late for a rescue.
  • Small spills usually aren’t a problem.  But if more than a small part of a room is affected it can take weeks to fully dry out. That’s plenty of time for mold and bacteria to get out of control, so aggressive drying is needed to reduce that time to just a few days.

5 Steps for Small Problems

If only part of a room was flooded with clean water for at most a day, there are 5 not-too-difficult steps for carpet recovery.

  1. Step 1 is really a no-brainer.  Identify the source of water and put a stop to it.
  2. Use towels to blot up as much moisture as possible.  Using a shop wet-vac is even better.
  3. Set up fans to circulate air within the room as well as in and out of the room.  Open windows if it’s not humid outside.  This airing-out may be necessary for several days, with fans running 24  hours a day.
  4. Steam clean the carpet to remove contamination, including mold spores, as well as help, kill bacteria.  Using a color-safe anti-microbial cleaner is a good precaution.
  5. Sanitize other room surfaces to help prevent mold and mildew.

TIP #1:  Avoid walking on wet carpet as much as possible to avoid crushing its fibers.

5 More Steps for Big Problems

Large areas of soaked carpet require aggressive drying, and Step 3 above becomes it’s own 5 steps.  Since things will remain damp for several days and may become hazardous you’ll need to protect yourself by wearing a mask, gloves, and boots whenever you’re in effected areas.  Even if the source was clean.  Before starting, if furniture or other items in the room are damp, remove them.  They’ll dry out more quickly themselves and won’t add to indoor humidity that would slow down the drying of the floor.

  1. Remove as much moisture as you can using a rental shop wet-vac or carpet cleaner.  Use long slow strokes and many passes, not like regular vacuuming.
  2. Lift the carpet so that it can dry from both sides.  This also helps the sub-floor, whether concrete or plywood, dry more quickly as well.
  3. Throw away the padding.  It’s literally a sponge and is inexpensive to replace.
  4. Set up lots of air circulation using ceiling fans, room fans, window fans and/or blowers — anything you have, can borrow, or can rent.  If it’s not humid outside, set up fans in the windows to exhaust humid air from the room, pulling fresh air from open windows elsewhere in your home or business.  Otherwise, rent a commercial dehumidifier.  It’s critical to get everything thoroughly dry in just a couple of days.
  5. Once the sub-floor and carpet are completely dry you can replace the padding and re-install the carpet.

TIP #2:  If there’s a smell, there’s a problem.  If you notice the musty odor of mold and mildew or a foul smell (bacteria) then things didn’t get dried out quickly enough.  There’s little chance you can rescue that carpet, and you’ll have to disinfect the area.

TIP #3:  If you don’t want to risk an even bigger problem, call in a water damage restoration expert right from the start.

 

Does Water Permanently Ruin Electronics?

You know that water and electronics don’t go together.  But exactly what happens when you drop your phone into the pool… or worse?  What about home and business electronics after flooding, a major leak, or fire-sprinklers?

The real question on most people’s mind is “can wet electronics be rescued?”  Let’s consider that, leaving the fate of major appliances for another time.

The Damage Done

Absolutely pure water is a good insulator, causing little or no lasting damage.  In fact, many companies wash printed circuit boards in highly-purified water after manufacturing them.

But such purity is rare outside the factory.  At the opposite extreme, saltwater (such as seawater) is a great conductor.  And corrosive.  Most water sources, including “clean” drinking water, lie somewhere in between.

So wet electronics frequently lead to short circuits.  That can cause components to burn out and be permanently damaged.  Or the device may simply not function properly.  If moisture makes its way into batteries, displays, or disk drives the odds are that they will be unrepairable.  Otherwise, even after the liquid evaporates salts, minerals, and other contamination is left behind.  Corrosion can continue and mechanical switches and knobs can become gritty and damaged.

Water damage almost always voids the warranty, but rescuing electronics might be covered as part of water damage restoration.

Recovery

The most important thing to remember is:  don’t turn the device on to see if it’s still OK.

That could trigger the short-circuit damage scenario.  Tempting as it might be, testing must wait until the item has been thoroughly cleaned and dried.

Cleaned?  Yes, particularly if it’s been exposed to dirty water.  Without cleaning contamination is likely to remain, potentially still causing shorts, corrosion, and/or mechanical problems.  Full drying includes taking care of moisture that may have crept past tiny crevices and then become trapped.

Even with these measures, the device may need electronics repair, such as replacing a few components.

Do-It-Yourself

If a single device has had an accident involving clean water you might be able to rescue it yourself.

First, drain away any liquid and unplug or remove as much as you can.  Use a soft cloth and Q-tips to clean and dry as much as you can.

Then place the device in a closed container together with a desiccant for at least 48 hours.  It may be as long as a week before it’s safe to turn it back on and give it a try.  Uncooked rice isn’t good enough.  Ask your local home improvement store for desiccant packets.  Or in a pinch, you can use silica gel kitty litter.  Should you decide to use heat instead, keep things warm but not hot.  Temperatures that are uncomfortable to the touch can damage electronics components.  And, again, drying can take several days.

Important Tip:  Tests have shown that using rice to absorb moisture is less effective than simply leaving the device out in the open air.

Professional Restoration

Professional water damage restoration companies have specialized equipment to tackle a whole household or office full of wet gear and recover many items that would otherwise be a total loss.  Besides ultrasonic cleaners and drying chambers of all sizes, they’re likely to have deionized water and special cleaning products.  And above all, they’ll have extensive training, expertise, and experience.

Professionals are also the best judges of what can and can’t be recovered, ready to help with balancing the cost of recovery against the cost of replacement.  Nothing’s for sure, but you best chances of recovering any water-damaged electronic equipment are with professional services.

 

Water Damage and Insurance

Wondering if water damage is covered by insurance?  Yes, it’s part of most homeowners’ policies, but with some important exceptions.

First, quite reasonably, insurance, in general, is intended for sudden, accidental, out-of-your control incidents.  So if you’ve been negligent and skipped basic home maintenance, ignored signs of a leak, or failed to act promptly after any sort of leak, plumbing failure, or appliance failure your claim is likely to be denied.

Second, only a special flood policy will cover widespread flooding as certain areas are at high risks while others have such low risk you probably don’t need to buy flood coverage.

What’s Covered

Water damage is the 2nd most common property damage claim, following wind and hail.  According to https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/water-damage-insurance.asp that’s 5 times more likely than theft and 7 times more likely than fire.  And the average claim is $9,600 so it’s no small issue.  In general homeowner, policies should cover removing water and drying out the building, repairing the building, and replacing destroyed possessions.

Here are a few examples of causes that should qualify for reimbursement.  But that doesn’t include the original cause, such as repairing a burst pipe or replacing a washing machine.

  • burst washing machine hose
  • plumbing leaks or burst pipes
  • roof leaks
  • ruptured water heater
  • tub and toilet overflows
  • water damage from putting out a fire

Also, keep in mind that you’ll have to cover the deductible amount yourself.  And a claim may be rejected or reduced if you fail to take immediate action to head off further damage.

Flood vs Basic

People are often confused about what’s covered by a homeowner’s policy and what requires a special flood policy.  We can’t go into all the often picky distinctions insurance companies make, but here’s the key distinction.  If the source of water was “internal” to your property it should be covered.  If it came from off your property it’s only covered if you have a special flood policy.  Examples include rainstorms and extended periods of rain as well as overflowing ponds, creeks, and so on.

As another way of looking at it, the National Flood Insurance Program has a definition of flooding as a temporary general condition where 2 or more acres or two or more properties that are normally dry are inundated by water or mud.

Common Exclusions

Most policies exclude specific conditions from coverage.  The most common include the following.

  • Ground seepage into a basement.
  • Sewer backups.  This situation can often be added to a standard policy.
  • Mold remediation may be covered by some policies if it’s the result of covered water damage.  Some may include a “rider” or other extensions to include mold.  But coverage is often limited to $5,000 to $10,000 (or less).  That’s an important consideration as the cost of mold removal and related repairs can exceed $30,000.

5 Tips to Avoid Water Damage

Here are some tips to avoid water damage in the first place.

  1. Keep an eye out for any signs of leaks.
  2. Keep up with the maintenance of the roof as well as sealing around windows and doors.
  3. Have an older house inspected by a plumber every 5 years or so.  That’s a good time for a professional roof inspection as well.
  4. Use steel-braided washer hoses and turn off the supply when you’ll be away for an extended time.
  5. Don’t use the dishwasher or clothes washer when no one will be at home.

 

Hardwood Floors: Water Damage Rescue

Hardwood floors are a premium part of any beautiful home.  Unfortunately, anything more than a small spill can lead to damage ranging from staining to cupping, warping, and buckling.

By the time you notice the damage, it’s too late to prevent it.  So it’s critical to remove any water immediately.  Even with flooding and standing water, it’s possible to rescue hardwood flooring if you act quickly and aggressively enough.  The first 48 hours are the most critical.

Here we’ll go over the key issues, tasks, and concerns.  But we will not delve into detailed instructions.

The Damage Done

Even well-sealed wood floors are subject to damage.  Water still manages to penetrate through the tiniest of cracks wherever they might be —  through seams, under baseboards, around heating registers, and so on.  As the moisture content rises, wood swells, leading to cupping, warping, and buckling.  Floors may cup (bend upwards at the edge of each plank) from high humidity alone.  Furthermore, any dampness that lingers more than 24 to 48 hours is likely to lead to mold, often hidden underneath the floor..

Phase I:  Drying

Most hardwoods have a moisture content of 6 to 12% under normal conditions.  But it can rise to 40% in water damage situations.  So even after you’ve removed visible water, there’s still a lot left to be dealt with.  Enough to raise humidity within the building, which leads to slower drying.  Even with good ventilation to remove moisture-laden air, it can take as long as 4 to 6 weeks to get things fully dry.  But mold and damage get going in just a couple of days.  So don’t wait to let things dry naturally!

It’s critical to first remove as much dampness as possible, as soon and as fast as possible.  For smaller incidents, that means using a shop wet-vac, continuing to vacuum for a while even after surfaces appear dry.  For major incidents, water damage restoration experts use special-purpose water extraction vacuums.  You should also remove rugs, furniture, and anything damp as they contribute to indoor humidity.  These items need to be dried quickly to avoid mold and other harm.  It’s also important to clean and disinfect all affected materials.

Running air condition helps remove moisture, but that can also distribute mold spores.  Do not use heaters or set the thermostat high as this encourages mold and bacterial growth.

To get moisture down to safe levels quickly enough, it’s essential to run several dehumidifiers and fans at their highest settings for 24 hours a day.  Typically for several days.  Again restoration experts have special equipment — “low grain refrigerant dehumidifiers” that work far more effectively than anything a consumer might find at retail outlets.

The hardwood flooring itself isn’t the only concern.  The sub-floor is also likely to be soaked as well.  Whether plywood or concrete, it needs time to dry as well.  If it can be accessed from below, the affected floor should be dried from both sides.  It may also be necessary to remove baseboards and open up wall cavities.  Working well beyond surface materials, this is called structural drying.

These aggressive measures typically complete their job in a few days, but in some situations, it may still take several weeks to get all building materials down to safe moisture levels and ready for repairs.  On the other hand, drying wood too quickly can lead to splitting and other irreversible damage.  And it’s important to frequently test the moisture content of building materials, not just the indoor air’s humidity.  Making the measurements and interpreting the results can be tricky.  For example, each type of wood has its own ideal EMC — equilibrium moisture content.

Phase II:  Repairs

Sometimes aggressive drying can avoid the need for repairs.  But that’s far from always.  The most common fix is sanding and refinishing the floor.  Up to 1/4 inch can be sanded away as a means of dealing with quite a bit of cupping and minor warping.  But the surface of wood darkens with age, and sanding reveals a lighter color beneath.  So it’s a good idea to sand the entire floor lightly.  It’s also important to wait until the floor is completely dry.  Otherwise, the degree of bowing can change, and everything has to be done again.

Refinishing just the damaged part of the floor requires some expertise.  Not only must the color and type of finish be matched precisely, but the thickness of the final coating can also be tricky to match.  That’s especially true for flooring that has been pre-finished at the factory.  In that case, it may be better to replace the damaged section, but that requires some pretty extreme carpentry skills not to stand out as a patch.

With more widespread damage, it may be better to replace the entire floor.  That’s particularly true if a plywood subfloor needs repair or replacement.  That can be the case even if the only problem is mold — any porous material invaded by mold should be replaced.  Cleaning and sealing rarely eliminate an issue with mold.

 

Water Damage from Plumbing and Appliances

Water damage can take the form of an obvious disaster or hidden slowly progressing destruction.  Regardless, aggressive drying to remove deeply-trapped moisture can keep mold, warping wood, and disintegrating drywall at bay.  Many homeowners and business owners are surprised that the majority of insurance claims for water damage are caused by a plumbing or appliance failure, not major winter rains.  Some sources claim that only 8% are a result of weather– that’s fewer than 1 out of 12.  Any pipe, supply hose, or appliance can leak.  We’ll touch on the most common problems.  We’re frequently asked about insurance coverage, so we’ll consider that as well.

Water Damage From Plumbing

Old pipes, particularly galvanized iron, corrode and may leak or even rupture.  And joints and fittings may fail, especially if poorly installed.  The connections between pipes and water heaters, washing machines, and dishwashers are especially vulnerable.  Even quality copper plumbing can develop pinhole leaks.  All told plumbing failures failed connection lines, and burst pipes account for some 2/3 of home floods.

Top 7 Appliances Flooding Failures

Here are the most common appliance failures that lead to water damage, roughly in order of occurrence.

  • Washing machines may overflow and inner workings can leak.  But by far a ruptured supply hose is the most common source of flooding.  When that happens they can dump 500 gallons of water per hour.  That’s like 12 water-heater fulls.  So it’s worthwhile to invest in a pair of steel-braided hoses.  And check the drain hose as well as those supply hoses frequently.
  • Hot water heaters are also among the top 5 sources of floodwater.  Whether a ruptured tank or failed relief valve they also release hundreds of gallons per hour.  But even small leaks can soon cause mold and other damage.
  • Dishwashers are another common problem.  But not with the mountains of foam like you see in commercials.  Their supply hoses can also leak and rupture.  Unlike washing machines, those connections are completely hidden.  So proper installation is especially important, as is checking for dampness around your dishwasher and under the kitchen cabinet.
  • Central air conditioners should have a drain for condensation.  But if that becomes clogged you’ll soon have mold and perhaps other problems.  So that’s another area to check from time to time.
  • Ice maker connections and supply lines can also leak.  Also, auto-defrost cycles may produce drainage.
  • Toilet tanks and bowls can crack, but more commonly the supply line or its connections can spring a leak.  Then there’s the dreaded backup and overflow.  And less commonly the tank can overflow.
  • Finally, showers can leak and bathtubs can overflow.

TIP:  Don’t run your clothes washer or dishwasher when you’re away from home.  Given a few hours, even a relatively small leak can become a big problem.  Turn off their supplies if you’re going to be away for several days.

Insurance

We’re often asked “Will this be covered by my insurance?”

In General

In general, insurance companies enforce two main criteria.

  • Did the water come from inside the home or from off the property (such as an overflowing lake, river, or creek or surface water accumulation).  If it’s the latter only a flood policy will cover your losses.
  • Was the source sudden and accidental, or gradual and preventable?  If it’s the latter it’s very unlikely you’ll be reimbursed for repairs and restoration.

Your policy will typically include details on “covered perils” versus those that aren’t.

If the criterias are met homeowners policies should cover mitigation and water damage restoration but not repairing the source such as replacing a pipe, hose, or water heater.

In Particular

The good news is that water damage from burst pipes ruptured water heaters, and even burst washer hoses are usually covered.

The bad news is that slow leaks, sewer backups, and mold are usually excluded — although you may be able to purchase special coverage of riders for these.

Damage from frozen pipes should be covered, but not if the building was unoccupied and left unheated.

What To Do

Chubb Insurance says that about half of water damage claims aren’t fully reimbursed.  Sometimes for valid reasons, but often the insurance company is trying to avoid a legitimate payout and claim that an appliance is too old or something was poorly maintained.

So it’s important to take responsibility and perform regular maintenance and inspections on your home or business and all that’s in it.  And keep records of that.  Act immediately on any signs, symptoms, or clues of a leak and file a claim immediately if there’s damage.  But don’t correct the damage until their adjuster has had a chance to inspect.  If you simply can’t wait, take lots of pictures!  Our professional services immediately document the situation and perform the mitigation measures required by your insurer.

 

Flooding Health Hazards

Flooding doesn’t have to be from a sewage backup to pose some very serious health risks.  And those hazards are by no means limited to major catastrophes in undeveloped nations.

Besides hidden debris, floodwaters harbor a host of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.  And even “clean” water that’s been standing for more than a couple of days can become a serious bio-hazard.  The IICRC places these into Category III black water, the same as raw sewage.

Many water-borne illnesses aren’t too serious, but some can be deadly.  Early symptoms are flu-like and may include an upset stomach, intestinal distress, and headaches.

So it’s important to avoid coming into contact with floodwater of any sort.  That means no walking, wading, or clean-up efforts without wearing rubber boots, rubber gloves, and goggles.  If there’s known sewage contamination or a foul odor, a face mask and respirator filter are recommended.  If you do come in contact with contaminated water or objects, immediately wash the area with soap in clean water if that’s not available, use a hand sanitizer or alcohol-based wipes.  Give any wounds extra water-proof protection and promptly wash contaminated clothes.  You’ll have to throw away anything that can’t be thoroughly cleaned.  That includes most contaminated porous items.

Be sure to keep a close eye on children at all times.  They’re prone to grab a favorite toy no matter how filthy it is, and may think floodwaters would be a great place to play.

Serious Diseases

Regardless of the source of floodwater a wide range of pathogens may come into play, including the following serious infectious diseases, as well as a host of lesser infections and gastrointestinal bugs

  • cholera
  • dengue fever
  • hepatitis
  • malaria
  • typhoid fever
  • yellow fever
  • West Nile Fever
  • Zika virus

These may seem exotic, but they’ve been known to occur just about anywhere.

Natural Flooding Inundations

With area-wide flooding, there are many sources of contamination that are causes for concern.  Simply contact with soil can introduce a host of pathogens that rapidly multiply in stagnant water.  Specific concerns include the following.

  • agricultural chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers, as well as animal wastes
  • dead animals (including drowned insects and rodents after a  major plumbing failure)
  • household chemicals
  • industrial chemicals and hazardous wastes
  • medical supplies and waste
  • sewage and backed-up storm drains

Standing Water

Even if it came directly from clean-water, plumbing any water lingering for more than 24-48 hours must be assumed to pose health problems (IICRC Category 2, becoming “grossly contaminated” Category III water not long after that.)  The longer the water lingers, the more likely it’s filled with disease organisms and parasites.

Even tiny areas of still water, such as rain gutters, plastic covers, and buckets, will also be a breeding ground for mosquitoes that can spread illness far and wide.  Outbreaks are particularly likely after flooding, so be sure and drain all possible sources.

Damp Materials

Even damp building materials such as wood and gypsum board can pose health risks.  A soaked floor or wall can remain damp for days or weeks (sometimes even longer), but mold and bacteria can grow to hazardous levels in just a day or so.  It’s advisable to discard any possessions as well as building materials that have been wet for more than 48 hours.

But don’t fall for scams.  Not every water stain or area of water damage is a deadly disease factory.  If the area is small, already dry, and out of reach, it’s probably not a concern.  But if there’s any doubt, an inspection by a professional restoration business with a good reputation is a good idea.

Water Heater Flooding

Hot water heaters are among the top 5 causes of home water damage insurance claims.  And leaks are common enough that most building codes require the installation of a drain pan underneath.  So it makes sense to be aware of the potential hazards and to know what to do about them.

Small Problems, Big Problems

Many different things can go wrong and cause a flooded basement, garage, or laundry room.  So it helps to think in terms of “leaks, gushers, and blasts.”

Leaks

A leak may not flood your home or garage, but given time they can cause a surprising amount of damage to wood and drywall.  Leaks can occur in several places.  The inlet and outlet valves on the top of the water heater are the easiest to see.  If they’re covered by insulation, peel it back just a little to check for dampness.  The drain valve at the bottom of the tank may also be the problem, as can any of the fittings going to and from the heater.  If water collects under the heater with no other clues or there are rust streaks along the side then the tank itself is probably leaking, and the whole heater should be replaced as soon as possible.

Gushers

The temperature and pressure relief valve is usually located on the side of heaters near the top but below the inlets and outlets.  Its job is to relieve pressure if the tank overheats and could possibly boil.  It too can leak.  And if it opens, either in an emergency or due to its failure, it’s like a hose turned on full blast.

Deluge

If the relief valve fails in the closed position, then too much pressure can build up, and the tank can burst, releasing 40 gallons of water (or more) all at once.  That’s about half a bathtub full, and enough to fill a 10ten by 10-foot room 1/2 inch deep.  Then the cold water pipe continues to deliver some 5 to 15 gallons of water every minute.  And an old highly-corroded tank can rupture at normal operating pressures.

What To Do

For anything more than a slow drip, it’s important to take immediate action as it may take several days or weeks for the area to completely dry out.  Any lingering moisture quickly leads to mold and other water damage.

Emergency Steps

Shut off the water to end the leak, and then turn off the gas or electricity to protect the heater.  Next, open a hot-water faucet to relieve the pressure.  If the tank is leaking, connect a hose to the drain valve and drain the tank.  Make sure the cold supply is turned off and that a hot-water faucet is open to allow air to come in to replace the water.

Drying

When you experience flooding not just carpet but the sub-floor, cabinet bases, and walls soak up water.  That calls for professional water damage restoration experts like Service First.  Only the right techniques together with specialized equipment can get everything dry enough before extensive damage set in.  That often means ripping up carpet and linoleum, vacuum water extraction, and aggressive structural drying.

If a leak only dampens a small area (a few square feet of drywall or carpet) mopping up and ventilating can be enough to prevent mold and mildew.  But don’t risk hidden damage if you’re at all unsure just how deeply dampness goes.

Prevention Tips

According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), a ruptured tank typically causes $4,000 to $5,000 in water damage.  So it pays to take some steps to prevent that or a major leak.  Here are a few tips.

  • If your water heater is past its warranty period or more than ten years old it’s time to consider a replacement.
  • Don’t ignore this appliance.  Keep an eye out for leaks, as well as off-color (or smelly) hot water.  And an ear out for strange sounds.
  • Drain and flush the tank about once a year.  And test the relief valve while you’re at it.
  • Check where the drain pan drains.  Some installations just dump the water from any major leak on to the floor a few feet away!