Spilled a bucket of water, or discovered a leak under your sink? Do both count as water damage? What do you do about it? Does water damage go away on its own, and you can just wait it out? All these answers and more are officially answered here by trained professionals who specialize in restoring this kind of loss.
We’re Cleaner Guys, a certified restoration company with more than 20 years of experience. It’s worth trusting the word of people who have actually experienced this, over what other non-professionals on the internet might say. We’ve seen some bad advice out there! But we’re here to set the record straight. Read on to learn what you need to know in this situation.
Table of Contents
- What is Water Damage?
- Does Water Damage Go Away? The Short Answer
- How Long Does It Take for Water Damage to Go Away?
- What Will Happen If I Don’t Clean Up Water Damage?
- What Do You Do When You Find Water Damage?
- Can You Fix Water Damage Yourself?
- Do I Need a Water Damage Restoration Company?
- More Resources
What is Water Damage?
Water damage is harm or loss of materials due to exposure to excess amounts of water. Accidental spills from cups, bowls, or buckets do not usually “count”. A small amount of water like that is easy to mop up. But water can saturate any porous material, including wood, drywall, insulation, textiles, and more. Therefore, water can cause a lot of harm to buildings by its intrusion into walls, ceilings, and floors of all types.
The most common causes of water loss include:
- Plumbing leaks or bursts
- Roof leaks
- Refrigerator leaks
- Washing machine supply line leaks
- Dishwasher leaks
- Overflowed sink
- Overflowed toilet
- Flooding
- Sump pump issues
Does Water Damage Go Away? The Short Answer
No, water damage does not usually go away on its own. It actually often gets worse with time, because it seeps into more and more surrounding materials. This steadily increases the amount of materials that may be permanently lost and in need of replacement, which increases the cost to fix the damage.
We understand that the economy is crazy; who wants to have to spend money on fixing the damage from a leak or a plumbing malfunction? But trust us: ignoring this and hoping that it will go away will only make you have to pay more later. Potentially thousands more. We see it regularly!
Just recently, we here at Cleaner Guys had a man call us because his floor had caved in from water saturation. He noticed that his refrigerator was leaking water that was soaking into the floor, but he chose to ignore it instead of taking care of it immediately. Then one day, the floor was so soft from saturation that when his dog jumped, he broke through the floor! That’s what happens when you ignore water damage and hope it’ll stop on its own.
How Long Does It Take for Water Damage to Go Away?
Water damage will not go away on its own; in fact, it will usually worsen with time. However, if you’ve only spilled a small amount of water — about a gallon or less — and you mop it up quickly, then there should be no lasting harm done. If you spill a small amount of water, and you don’t soak it up at all, then it could still soak in and start ruining the building in less than 2 days.
What Will Happen If I Don’t Clean Up Water Damage?
If you don’t clean up water damage, two things will almost certainly happen: first, the water will continue to spread and soak into more and more of the building, compromising your safety. Second, mold will start to grow where the water is. All mold needs to grow is excess moisture, warmth, and organic material to feed on, such as drywall and wood. Mold can take less than 48 hours to start growing in a water-saturated area.
Mold should be taken very seriously, because it causes mold sickness in most people. Mold sickness affects different people in varying degrees of severity, ranging from mild but persistent cold symptoms to serious and dangerous allergy attacks and respiratory issues.
Click here to learn about the symptoms of mold sickness you should be watching for.
What Do You Do When You Find Water Damage?
The first thing to do when you find water damage is to stop the source of the water, usually by turning off the water supply to the house. If the water damage is from a leaking roof, the solution is to secure a tarp over the intrusion point until the weather is dry enough to fix it.
The second thing to do is open all the faucets so that any water pressure still in the pipes will dissipate. Next, turn off the electricity to avoid electrocution or shocks, and begin soaking up the excess water with towels.
Lastly, after all that is done, start calling people. If you have water damage in an apartment, condo, or rental home, you’ll need to call your landlord. If you’re a homeowner, you’ll probably need to call your insurance agency. Then, you’ll probably need to call a professional to fix the damage, like a plumber or a roofer. And last, for most major loss, you’ll need to call a professional water damage restoration company. They’re the only ones who will be able to dry out the area thoroughly and replace any permanently harmed materials safely.
Can You Fix Water Damage Yourself?
Unless you are a professional plumber or roofer, it is usually not wise to try to fix the water damage yourself. We here at Cleaner Guys have a lot of people call us to take care of water loss and mold caused by a bad DIY repair.
Instead, if the water came from a plumbing leak, call a reputable plumber to fix it. If the water came from an appliance like a refrigerator or a dishwasher, call the appliance manufacturer. If the water came from the roof, get a roofer to fix it. This is our professional recommendation, based on seeing a lot of botched DIY jobs go south, and cause more trouble down the line.
Do I Need a Water Damage Restoration Company?
You need a water damage restoration company for most large-scale situations, like an overflowing toilet or sink, a leak that has caused mold, a flood, or a large appliance that you’ve discovered is leaking. In these situations, the water has likely saturated into the floors, walls, or ceiling, and will need professional equipment and training to dry out completely.
Doing it yourself and just soaking up the water you see is usually not enough in these situations. The water has usually already started seeping into the walls, ceiling, or floors, and a professional should at least come inspect the premises post-loss, to determine whether professional drying is needed or not.
More Resources
We have a vast library of helpful articles on all different kinds of water loss, fire loss, mold, and more! Check out the full archive here, or jump straight to one of these articles next!
8 Ways How to Keep Your Pipes from Freezing in the Winter (the leading cause of water damage) ➜
What to Do If Your Refrigerator Leaks (Step by Step Guide) ➜
First 5 Things to Do If Your Dishwasher Leaks ➜
When Is Water Damage Covered by Insurance (and When is it Not?) ➜
If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of needing a professional water damage restoration company in Western Washington State, consider Cleaner Guys as a high-quality, well-trusted option. We’re proud to boast award-winning customer service, lower prices than others, and top-notch workmanship! Contact us today through the menu at the top of your screen.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. No part of this article is medical or legal advice, and may not be used as such. For all serious medical matters, consult your doctor. For all serious legal matters, consult your legal advisor. This article contains Cleaner Guys’ experience and opinions only.
