Health Hazards of Water Damage in Your Home: What You Should Know

Water damage can occur in many ways. Maybe a pipe burst or an appliance malfunctioned, or perhaps a storm flooded your home. When your home is damaged by water, it can leave a mess, but did you know it can also be bad for your health? You might be tempted to clean it up by yourself, but the hidden dangers after water damages your home can present a significant hazard. Proper water damage restoration is needed to protect your health, the health of your family, and the stability of your home. What are the health hazards of water damage in a house?

• Mold can grow almost anywhere. Mold spores are all around us, and fungus and mold thrive in a moist environment. Any time you have water damage, there’s a risk of mold, especially when dampness lingers in upholstered furniture, curtains, and even walls. Mold health risks are plentiful, and range from minor to life-threatening. Contact with mold, whether by physically touching it or by inhaling the spores, can cause skin rashes, sneezing, itchy eyes, a runny nose, and worse symptoms for those with mold allergies. Mold can also trigger asthma and poses a great risk to those who have compromised immune systems. Long-term mold exposure can cause lung problems, headaches, fatigue, memory loss, and can even shorten your lifespan. That’s why it’s vital to have mold remediation assessed in your home any time you have water damage.
• Your home could be hiding structural damage. Think of how powerful water is. It reshapes coastlines, wears down stones, and can even cut through mountains. Even when it’s not running with great force, the mere presence of water can wreak havoc on a house. Water can ruin drywall, cause rots in wood and other building materials, pop tiles off of a floor, and destabilize your home. Hiring a professional water damage restoration service is the best way to make sure your home is structurally sound after water damage.
• Toxins lurk in flood water. If water has rushed into your home from the outside, or backed up through your drains, consider what it may contain. There’s dirt, trash from the gutters, sewage, pesticides and fertilizers from the lawn, and much more. There may even be bacteria and parasites in the water that are damaging your home. Once that water evaporates, all of those toxins will be left behind and must be removed safely. What’s more, flooded homes are likely to have a large piece of debris from the inside and outside of the house, and if you get cut by something when you’re trying to clean up, you can easily be exposed to bacteria and toxins that came in with the floodwaters. That’s why it’s better to have professionals complete the water remediation.

If your home has sustained water damage and you need help with the cleanup, call the experts at Pacific Flood Restoration. We offer full-service, 24-hour, on-call emergency services, and we’ve earned a reputation for being dependable, on time, courteous, and ethical. No matter the extent of your damage, our trained technicians have the experience, proven techniques, and state-of-the-art equipment to restore your home, fixing whatever damage it may have sustained. Call 760-815-3033, or contact us through our website.