When you find yourself in a situation where water damage has affected your home, you don’t want to be misinformed. Knowing about the types of water damage is the first step to combating the issue. Without the proper knowledge, you can end up diagnosing the situation wrong, causing more headaches than you previously had.
At ProCare Restoration, our water damage repair services are always on call if a problem in your house does occur. However, in order for us to correctly assess the best plan moving forward, we want to be as thorough in our background research as possible. This due diligence allows us to render the problem obsolete and prevent any future problems from arising.
It’s our job to know as much about the types of water damage that can arise as possible. That is why we encourage our clients to stay as informed as we are. In order for this to happen, we’ve outlined the various types of water damage for you to understand.
Types of Water Damage
Category 1 (Clean)
The first type of water damage is known as category 1 or clean water. If you find yourself with a leaking sink/bathtub, a burst pipe, or a leaky roof from heavy rainfall, this would be classified as category 1. While not a substantial threat to you or your loved ones, it can lead to mold growth. Make sure to clean and dry the affected areas immediately, as untreated “clean” water can turn into category 2.
Category 2 (Gray)
As stated in the NAU Water Damage Restoration Guide, category 2 is “water containing a significant degree of chemical, biological, and/or physical contamination and having the potential to cause physical discomfort or sickness if consumed by or exposed to humans.” Also, know as “gray water,” some sources may be from sump pump failures, toilet bowl overflows, and discharge from dishwashers/washing machines.
While certainly harmful and should be avoided at all costs, gray water needs to be treated immediately. If left untreated for more than 48 hours, the water will then change to a category 3. Gray water should be repaired and taken care of by an expert like ProCare Restoration.
Category 3 (Black)
While the other types of water damage are nothing to be excited about, category 3 is a different animal. Known as “black water,” this is defined as: “Grossly unsanitary water containing pathogenic agents, arising from sewage or other contaminated water sources and having the likelihood of causing discomfort or sickness if consumed or exposed to humans.”
A couple ways this type of water damage is caused: when sewage and rainwater are exposed together, flood conditions that causing rising waters, or stagnant water containing bacterial growth. Similar to gray water, we strongly recommend you contact a remediation specialist to take care of this situation. If treated improperly, the effects of black water can be deadly.
Classes of Destruction
Class 1
This class has a slow rate of evaporation and therefore the easiest to take care of. It affects only a certain amount of the room and very little moisture has been absorbed materials such as carpets.
Class 2
Unlike class 1, class 2 is defined by a fast rate of evaporation. This is when the water damage has affected the entire room and possibly even worked its way up the walls. There can also be moisture in the structure of the building.
Class 3
As the classes trend upwards, class three is actually the fastest rate of evaporation. In this case, the entirety of the area is affected, included the walls, ceilings, floors, insulation, and anything else in the area.
Class 4
The final class of destruction is also referred to as the specialty dry situation. For this problem, moisture and water damaged have managed to permeate through materials such as hardwood, concrete, brick, or stone.
As we stated before, in order for us to know how to handle a situation, our knowledge on water damage needs to be extensive. That is the only way we can repair your home from these types of water damage and class destructions. We hope you stay informed as well, as it may be knowledge you want to know in case of an emergency.
