Water Damage Timeline – Salem, Oregon

11/29/2018 (Permalink)

Drying equipment

One of the services that SERVPRO® of Salem West offers is water damage and mold mitigation. When an unfortunate and sudden water loss occurs, time is very much of the essence. Here is a general timeline for a water loss.

In Minutes

• Water rapidly spreads and penetrateseven the smallest of spaces, saturating everything in its way.
• Water is absorbed into porous materials including drywall, flooring, sheetrock, upholstery, and personal contents.
• Furniture finishes may bleed causing permanent discoloration on flooring.
• Paper belongings including photographs, books, and hard copy records become saturated, causing them to expand and become distorted.

1 – 24 Hours:

• Musty odors appear.
• Drywall and sheetrock begin to swell and crumble.
• Furniture begins to expand and fissure.
• Metal surfaces begin to discolor and blemish.
• Dyes and inks from textiles and paper goods that are saturated start to run, staining nearby surfaces.

2 Days - 1 Week:

• Paint begins to bubble.
• Wood flooring swells and buckles.
• Mold and mildew start to spore, thriving in the moist environment.
• Metal begins to oxidize and crumble.
• Furniture distorts and shows signs of mold growth on surfaces.
• Doors, windows, and structural studs enlarge and warp.

Longer Than 1 Week:

• Mold development and structural safety could be a great risk factor to occupants.
• Restoration time may be substantial (including replacement of affected materials and structural restoration), creating monetary expenses to increase drastically every day it is left untreated.

The sooner our highly experienced and trained team can get on-site and beginmitigationfor the water damage, the better; not only for you, but for the building and contents as well. Give our SERVPRO® of Salem Wests office a call at (503) 393-9999. We will quickly have your property and contents back to preloss condition, “Like it never even happened.”