What Happens If I Ignore Water Damage?

1/2/2023 (Permalink)

Water damage can be caused by leaking pipes inside or outside of your home.

In a perfect world, water should only enter your home through specially fitted pipes. But as any adult knows, real life isn’t perfect, and water can get inside the house through leaks, flooding, and other issues that all lead to serious problems.

Travelers Insurance analyzed eight years of insurance claims and found that water damage accounted for 35% of its claims. From weather causing leaky roofs or non-weather catastrophes like plumbing, sewer, or appliance leaks, water damage is no joke.

Even so, with everything you have going on already, you may be tempted to ignore the water damage. This is ill-advised, as ignoring water damage can lead to even more extensive destruction with a higher price tag (and timeline) to repair properly.

Structural Damage

An overflowing bathtub or toilet that is not adequately dried out as soon as possible can cause structural damage. A water damage restoration contractor or the best mold remediation companies are knowledgeable about how much drying is necessary.

Any water damage – regardless of what caused it – is likely to lead to structural damage when not attended to quickly. Damp walls need to be sufficiently dried so cracks do not appear. Once cracks surface, you’ll be facing expensive structural repairs. Structural damage affects the integrity of a home and may necessitate high-priced contractors to remedy what was weakened by water damage.

Health Effects

The health of everyone in your home or workspace is of the utmost importance, and water damage can create mold growth that leads to adverse health effects.

Terrible Smells

Ignoring water damage and mold will also allow musty smells to fester – and no one wants to smell a musty odor. Bad smells are often the first sign of more subtle water damage and can range from a mildewy scent to sewage.

The longer you leave water damage unattended, the more difficult it will be to get rid of that smell.

Pest Infestation

Where there is water damage, pests can often find an easier passageway into your home. Small holes in a roof, door, window, or cracks in your foundation are a welcome mat for pests. If they find a source of food and water inside, they will settle in and start breeding.

Silverfish, a nocturnal insect, are a common pest attracted to water-damaged homes in the Lancaster, PA region and beyond, as they thrive in high-moisture areas.

Electrical Issues

Water and electricity do not mix well because of the risk of electric shock or fire. Ignoring water damage when it comes to electrical components could lead to serious injury or even death. Do not take chances with electricity.

When you do not deal with initial water damage to your home’s electrical system, appliances, and devices, it can damage the wiring. Damaged wiring may arc or cause power surges that could permanently damage devices plugged into the system.

A water damage restoration contractor can check all the electrical components and tell you if your heating and cooling equipment can be salvaged.

Increased Utility Bills

Maybe you haven’t experienced a recent flood or major water seepage, but instead, a hidden pipe or joint behind a wall or under the floor is leaking. Even water damage on a seemingly smaller scale like this can lead to greater damage – and in the meantime, your utility bills will be higher due to wasted excess water.

Roof Calamities

Ignoring a leak in your roof can lead to mildew and mold growth. Mold can then spread throughout the house, growing on everything from carpet to furniture and even clothing in your closets. Mildew is tricky to eliminate – not to mention expensive – so dealing with it sooner rather than later is always best.

On a practical level, a leaky roof can create slick, slippery surfaces when it drips all over your floors.

Perhaps the greatest risk of ignoring a leaky roof is the potential to start a fire. Water dripping onto electronic devices increases the chances of a fire starting due to electrical short circuits. Since wiring behind walls is out of view, people do not notice the leak and the fire can start and spread quickly. Ignoring water damage to your roof can lead to extensive costs and tragedies.

Finding a Water Damage Restoration Contractor Near Me

The long and short of what happens if you ignore water damage? You incur greater damages, raise costs, and run the risk of further devastation. If you have water damage and are looking for the best mold remediation companies and a water damage restoration contractor near me, SERVPRO of Western Lancaster County is here for you.

The highly trained restoration technicians at SERVPRO of Western Lancaster County, PA offer 24-hour emergency service with state-of-the-art equipment and are faster to any size disaster. Call us today at 717-665-1270 or email us at Office@SERVPRO11604.com.

SERVPRO of Western Lancaster County can respond and properly clean and restore the water damage or mold in your house so that it looks, smells, and feels like home again. In addition to water damage restoration and mold remediation, SERVPRO of Western Lancaster County offers other residential restoration and cleaning services and commercial services. SERVPRO of Western Lancaster County is among more than 2090 SERVPRO franchises providing trusted restoration services throughout the United States and Canada.