Water Damage Timeline: The Importance of a Quick Response

Shawn Folks • Feb 22, 2023

There’s a reason water damage cleanup companies are available 24/7 with emergency response services. It’s because time is of the essence when it comes to water damage. The sooner the water can be stopped, extracted, and dried out, the least amount of damage will occur. You need to act fast to ensure the best cleanup for your home or business. Below is a water damage timeline to help you understand just how destructive water damage can be over time.

 

Immediate Effects of Water Damage

 

Water spreads quickly and saturates everything it comes into contact with. Materials exposed to the water begin to absorb it after mere minutes, especially those that are porous, like wood. Paper goods will also deteriorate from exposure to water; if they are not removed quickly, they will no longer be salvageable.

 

24 Hours After Water Damage Has Occurred

 

After absorbing water, materials like carpet and upholstery will become heavy and sodden. Other materials like drywall, wood, and insulation will start to show signs of water damage, including swelling, warping, bowing, and peeling. Metal objects will start to tarnish, and colors from dyed fabrics can start to bleed out and stain their surroundings. Along with a high risk of electrocution, if there is standing water, mold growth will also begin within 24 hours of water damage.

 

48 Hours After Water Damage Has Occurred

 

Mold growth starts to spread and can even begin to be visible on surfaces. Stagnant water can also lead to the growth of other harmful microorganisms. Wood furniture and framing will warp, threatening your home's or business's structural integrity. By this point, any metal objects will show signs of corrosion, like rust, while other types of materials will continue to deteriorate.

 

One Week After Water Damage Has Occurred

 

Restoration becomes a much more difficult and expensive process if water is allowed to sit one week after the initial damage has occurred. In addition to structural repairs for all sodden materials like wood, drywall, and insulation, water contamination levels are a big safety concern. Very few items and belongings, if any, can be salvaged after this long. It’s important to note that only trained professionals should handle water damage cleanup of this size and scope.

 

Your Water Damage Restoration Professionals

 

No matter what type of water damage your home or business experiences, you will need the help of restoration experts to restore your property to its pre-loss state. Our team of water restoration experts will take all appropriate steps to ensure your health and safety are protected from potentially dangerous contamination levels. Meanwhile, we also work to get you back to normal as quickly as possible – staying true to our mission to ensure the continuity of lives and businesses. Contact Guarantee Restoration today to get started.

 

By Christina Mullins 08 May, 2024
Every time I write the May Meet the Team feature, my first instinct is to start it with “It’s gonna be MAY!” Must be the millennial in me to want to begin it with the iconic *NSYNC track. I digress. We are back with this month’s featured employee, Jordan Steib, who serves as the Marketing Manager of GRS. Jordan was born and raised in the South Louisiana city of Thibodaux. After graduating from high school, he attended Nicholls State University before joining the workforce. He was a Lead Administrative Assistant at the Terrebonne ARC for a decade. When he moved to Baton Rouge in 2017, he served in a few administrative and office management positions before joining our GRS team in December 2019. Since arriving at Guarantee Restoration Services, Jordan as served as administrative support for the Business Development and Marketing department and as an Executive Assistant to our CEO, Shawn Folks. In July 2022, he was promoted to Marketing Manager, where he has thrived in planning and filming most of our video content. During his tenure, he has also hired a marketing assistant, which has vastly improved the department’s functionality and capabilities. He has been instrumental in building and expanding our brand awareness. We have also increased the support we can provide our fellow GRS team members. In addition, we have steadily cultivated a better sense of teamwork and community through our company culture engagement activities, such as National Cocoa Day and “Pumpkins and Pies.” Personally, he is the second born of three sons to his parents, Martha and Damian. He is the proud cat father of Bridgette Anne Steib, who turns 3 years old this month. In his spare time, he has recently taken up home wine making and has really enjoyed the (literal) fruits of his labor. He has made wine with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries and raspberries. His hobbies also include camping, tubing, boating and fishing with friends. Additionally, over the years, he has become quite the home chef and enjoys cooking for himself and having friends over for dinner. He enjoys being creative and decorating for different holidays. Finally, when he can go home to Thibodaux, he enjoys nothing more than spending time with his parents, brothers, sisters-in-law, nephew and nieces.
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