What Happens if Water Damage is Left Untreated

If you’re asking this question right now, you could be going through one of several scenarios. You may have experienced water damage and your budget is tight, leading you to wonder whether you can postpone the repairs for a while without repercussions.

Another scenario is that you shouldn’t physically be at your property for several days, weeks, or even months after the incident, you can’t postpone your trip to fix the water damage, and your home will be empty while you’re gone.

Whether you fall into the first or second category, or you’re simply lazy, this post will help you understand what happens after water damage and how bad it can really get. So, let’s get right into it!

water damage Dallas TX

How long does it take for water to cause damage?

It can take anywhere from an hour to a full day for water damage to take a full swing. Furniture or drywall that is damaged will bulge, crack, and swell. Your paint will start peeling or bubbling, and mold will grow around the damaged area. These are just a few examples of water damage signs.

If you have recently experienced water damage, act quickly. Attempt to prevent additional water from entering the property on your own. If you are unable to do so – perhaps due to a dangerous sewage backup or a leak that you simply cannot repair yourself – contact a professional, such as Big D Water Damage Restoration

Does water damage get worse over time?

The quick answer is YES, water damage worsens over time. The answer to the follow-up question, “How bad can water damage get?”, depends on a variety of factors, including the extent and severity of the damage, the types of materials affected, and the location of the damage, to name a few.

To give you an example, basement water damage can obviously cause much bigger problems than kitchen water damage, given the location of the problem in your home. Flooded basement can cause cracks in your foundation and wooden beams rotting, among other things like mold which will eat up much of your organic materials in the basement. 

This can lead to altering of your entire home’s structure, which is something that can be irreparable in many cases. 

Of course, water damage in the kitchen should not be overlooked, but given the circumstances, you should be much more concerned in the first scenario. However, let’s also discuss what might occur in your kitchen for the sake of argument.

Your wooden materials – which are likely to make up the majority of your kitchen – would be soaked up, as would your drywall (which must be replaced if it is only more than 1% wet), and mold would most likely begin to grow quickly, given the humid conditions and the presence of many organic materials, one of which is your food.

water damage on wall and ceiling

Will water damage go away on its own?

Another straight answer – NO. If the conditions are right, the water itself may dry out on its own, but the harm it did won’t go away. Your peeling paint will not simply repair itself. Your drywall will not restore itself. Mold also won’t stop growing on its own. Furthermore, because nothing was done, the water may return at some point because the moisture source was not repaired. You must take action to remove water and stop more harm.

We understand that it is easier said than done. You may not know where to begin, so here are a few pointers on what to do immediately after water damage. 

What to do immediately after water damage?

  1. Family and pets should be evacuated from the flooded room(s).
  2. Pick up the things you can’t risk losing. This should only be done, though, if you are physically capable of carrying them out and can do so without endangering your health.
  3. Call a friend or neighbor to assist you if you need to leave the house.
  4. Try to obtain coverage by contacting your water damage insurance provider.
  5. To begin the cleanup, get in touch with a water damage restoration business. They should ideally also take care of your insurance matters.
  6. If you’re repairing water damage yourself, make sure the house is completely dry and look for mold. If you’re working with an expert, they’ll handle this.

Hire a water damage restoration company

Water damage is not something to take lightly. If you are exposed to a lot of contaminated water, you risk becoming seriously ill. We definitely do not advise delaying water damage restoration in any way. Instead, we urge you to take the appropriate measures we’ve gone over. If you don’t, it will just lead to more problems later on.

Big D Water Damage Restoration can handle any restoration job, whether it’s a single room or an entire floor, mild or severe damage, polluted water or not. For the best water damage restoration service the city has to offer, contact us at (469) 750-3109. 

Call Big D Water Damage Restoration today!