preparing your house for professional cleaners

Most homeowners know that certain situations require emergency calls. If you have a pipe burst, you'll call a plumber, even after midnight. Likewise, losing heat on a cold winter night will probably have you reaching for the nearest emergency HVAC service. But what about flooding in your basement from a leak or rainwater? Are these problems genuine emergencies?

While a bit of water might seem like an issue that can wait until morning, any amount of standing water is potentially a genuine emergency. Next time you find yourself in this unfortunate situation, consider these three reasons why you shouldn't ignore flooding, even for a few hours.

1. Unseen Hazards

Floodwaters can hide many unseen dangers, even if the waters are in your own home. Electricity is one danger many people don't expect, but it can lead to tragic consequences. Waters in flooded basements or occupied portions of a house can reach electrical outlets, creating the potential for shocks or electrocution.

While fuses and circuit breakers should theoretically prevent this danger, there's no way to be entirely sure. As a result, any substantial amount of water in your home may pose unexpected and deadly hazards. Avoiding these waters and contacting a professional water damage company as soon as possible is the best way to avoid these hazards.

2. Rapid Damage

Water will quickly absorb into porous materials such as wood, where it can cause substantial and sometimes irreparable damage. Floors are often the most vulnerable to these problems, and any flooding on a hardwood floor is an emergency that requires immediate attention. Leaving water on these surfaces for too long can result in warping, rotting, and other severe problems.

The key to avoiding this damage is removing the water as quickly as possible and immediately drying the floor and other surfaces. However, a standard shop vac and floor fans are rarely sufficient. Professionals will use much heavier-duty equipment, allowing them to quickly and thoroughly remove the water to minimize the potential for long-term damage.

3. Long-Term Issues

According to the EPA, mold can grow in water-damaged areas in just 48 hours. Remediating mold is always drastically more expensive than preventing its growth in the first place, so quick action is always the best approach. By drying out areas as soon as possible, you'll inhibit mold growth and minimize the number of surfaces where it can take hold.

Preventing mold from growing on your floors and elsewhere in your home will help you avoid long-term issues, which are often some of the costliest effects of flood damage.

For more information about 24-hour emergency water damage floor restoration, contact a local company.