Flood damage can have devastating effects on any home or business. Water damaged property can be the result of natural disasters, plumbing leaks, faulty appliances, damaged building exterior (roofing, siding, foundation, etc.), or neglect. If left alone, a home or business damaged by water can develop serious structural weaknesses and health-threatening hazards.

Telltale Signs of Flood or Water Damage

• A musty smell
• Metals rapidly rust
• Drywall looks warped or bloated
• Discolored wood, walls, or ceiling
• Mold growth.
• Drooping or sagging ceiling

If your Layton home or business has flooded or has suffered from water damage, you need to contact a professional flood damage cleanup company. Attempting to clean up flood damage when you are inexperienced, or ill-equipped can lead to disastrous results.

Identify the Source of Flooding

The source of flood water can be obvious, but in certain cases, the flood source can be well hidden and undetected until the damage caused is extensive. Natural disasters, such as storms and river overflows bring water from the outside in. When water comes from indoors, the source can be a little harder to track down. Pipes can crack and break in the most unexpected areas and they could be submerged by the time you detect the flooding. In less extreme cases of flooding, water can seep in through cracks in the roof, walls, windows, or foundation and go unnoticed for long stretches of time.

Classify Water According to Sanitation Level

Flood water can be classified into three categories: white, gray and black. Category classification depends on the water’s sanitation level.

• White water is the cleanest out of all three categories. This category contains no chemical or biological threats. White water typically comes from leaky faucets, water heater overflow, or rain. Because of its non-hazardous nature, it’s usually the easiest to recover from.
• Gray water is the next category and usually consists of wastewater that poses no immediate threat to individuals or other living organisms. Gray water typically comes from showers, tubs, or sinks. While gray water is by no means fresh or clean, it is one of the easier categories of water damage to recover from.
• Black water is the third and final category and happens to be the most dangerous. Black water often carries toxic chemicals, harmful bacteria, and other corrosive components that can damage property and pose a threat to an individual’s health. Black water typically consists of toilet water, sewage , appliance run off (washing machine or dishwater), and external flood waters that have come in contact with harmful chemicals or bacteria. Black water is the toughest category to clean. It requires specialized equipment, safety gear, and expert techniques to safely remove this type of water from your home or business.

A team of professionals will be able to see the hidden damage that you cannot see. High tech equipment can be used to map the areas of damage that is hidden from sight. The areas where the flood water seeped into impossibly small cracks and crevasses. It is the damage that you cannot see that has the potential to cause the most destruction of your home or business. And may not rear its head until weeks later, calling in the professionals can save you money in the long run.

Who do you call? Who can you trust to do the very best job for you and your family or business?

Swift Restoration has been serving Layton and surrounding areas since 2009, do your research, ask your friends and family and chances are Swift Restoration will be the go to company in your area. A team of food damage restoration professionals you can trust to do a thorough job in a timely manner and treat you with a high degree of professionalism.