Water Damage: How Does Moisture Affect My Foundation?

A common mistake for those who build or buy a home is forgetting about the foundation after it has been set. Because you don’t see it, it is easy to take it for granted that your foundation is in good shape. In reality, there are actually many different things that can cause significant damage to the foundation of your home and leave you with serious problems in the future. One of the most potent causes of foundation damage is moisture. From our water damage restoration professionals at White Knight in Waukesha, below are five ways your home’s foundation can be damaged by moisture.

 

Poor Drainage

Poor drainage is one of the most common issues that lead to water damage in your foundation. Usually, poor damage manifests itself in two different ways. First, it occurs when the slope of a yard is graded toward the home instead of away from the home. Yards should be graded away from the home to let gravity do the bulk of the work and move water away from the home. Second, it occurs when the rain gutters are clogged and unable to filter water away from the home. Either way, poor drainage causes water to erode away at the foundation of the home, possibly causing it to crack or settle.

 

Plumbing Issues

Plumbing issues are another source of foundation damage. Plumbing issues lead to water flooding around the foundation of the home causing the same effects on a foundation as poor drainage.

 

Tree Transpiration

Tree transpiration can damage foundations, but through the lack of water. First of all, transpiration is when trees absorb moisture from the ground. When too many trees are planted too close to the home, they can absorb all moisture and cause your foundation to shift, settle, and possibly even crack.

 

Heavy Precipitation

It’s no surprise that heavy precipitation can lead to water damage in your foundation. However, certain factors must first be in play for this to occur. The main factor is that the drainage around the home must be poor. If the drainage is working effectively, then even large amounts of rainwater shouldn’t be a problem. If not, however, even a moderate rainstorm can lead to water pooling around your foundation and causing damage.

 

Poor Construction

Issues for a home’s foundation can begin even before the house is constructed. If the contractor skipped or skimped on important steps such as testing the soil, preparing and compacting the soil properly, or designing adequate footing, the foundation may suffer, especially if exposed to excessive moisture or drastic soil expansion and contraction due to weather extremes.

 

Water Damage In Waukesha

With all these different methods through which your home can be affected by water damage, it is clear why you should be careful to avoid this hazard. Nonetheless, if your foundation or any other part of your home is affected by water damage, don’t hesitate to give us a call at White Knight in Waukesha for our help with the water damage restoration process.

Water Damage Restoration Tips For Waukesha

Water Damage Restoration — What Not To Do

When it comes to water damage restoration, there are just as many things that you shouldn’t do than you should do. Understanding what these common mistakes are and how to avoid them is a key component of the water damage restoration process. From our cleaning and restoration experts at White Knight Carpet Rescue in Waukesha, below are four of the most common water damage restoration mistakes for you to avoid.

Procrastinate

It is easy to procrastinate beginning the water damage restoration process. It can be such a daunting task that it is often difficult to know where to begin. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst mistakes that a homeowner can make after a flood. The consequences of procrastinating the restoration process include increased mold growth, greater damage, and a higher likelihood of insects and rodents finding their way into your home. As soon as you possibly can after a flood, you should contact a professional cleaning and restoration company so they can come out immediately to begin the restoration process.

Overlook  The  Details

Water damage is very pervasive and it is all too easy to miss the tiny details of leftover pockets of moisture. While it may not seem like a serious issue to allow some small pockets of moisture to remain, they can actually have devastating effects over time. For example, one small pocket of water can lead to significant mold growth over time that spreads to other parts of the home. This mold growth can also attract unwanted bugs and pests. Put simply, attention to detail is a key quality of water damage restoration and future problems are likely to occur without it.

Using  The Wrong Water Extraction Equipment

Effective water damage restoration is dependent on having the right equipment. Professional cleaning and restoration companies have the best quality equipment on hand while individuals rarely have the appropriate equipment. You shouldn’t expect household fans, dehumidifiers, or water pumps to be effective against a large flood. This is one key reason why hiring a professional cleaning and restoration company for water damage restoration is so important.

Not Relying On A Water Damage Restoration Company

At the end of the day, the biggest mistake you can make after a flood is failing to hire a professional cleaning and restoration company to help you through the restoration process. Cleaning and restoration companies have access to the best equipment, technicians, and resources necessary for effective water damage restoration. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you can clean up the damage from a flood on your own. Such an undertaking is almost always more difficult, dangerous, and expensive than people expect it to be.  

Now that you know what not to do, it’s also important to understand what you should do. You can check out our other posts for more information about that. Understanding these things may prove to be of critical importance to you if your house ever floods.

Avoid The Dangers Of DIY Water Damage Restoration In Fitchburg

Cleaning up water damage from toilet oveflows, sewage backups, appliance breaks, or flooding is a lot of work. Not only does the water need to be removed quickly and completely, but the drying process needs to happen in a certain amount of time to avoid further damage like mold growth. To avoid a bigger and costlier water damage situation, be sure to contact the professionals at White Knight Carpet Rescue in Fitchburg for any water damage cleanup and restoration help.

Top 4 Dangers Of DIY Water Damage Restoration

Structural Weakness

When the building materials of your home get saturated with water, they could become damaged. Wood can rot, sheetrock can crumble, metal can rust. With so many facets, pipes and plumbing connections, there are multiple opportunities for water damage in interior voids and hidden places behind the walls. 

When you try to restore a water damaged home, there are several physical dangers that are waiting for you since the structure of your house is significantly weaker. Even walking on the floor can be dangerous; you could slip. Any wood floor, or plywood subfloor, could weaken and can collapse easily after being exposed to flood. With a professional water damage restoration process, you are not faced with the trouble of dealing with any potential structural weakness.

Electrical Hazards

Water damage around the house introduces the possibility of ectrocution. If you have decided to do the water damage restoration on your own, you a risk of devastating property fire if there is faulty wiring around. Handling damaged wiring, or failing to notice electrified tools, equipment, or standing water are all good ways to get a bad zap, and you could wind up with serious injuries.

Electricity and wiring aren’t necessarily complicated, but they are extremely specific.  If you fail to correct damaged components, your initial water damage could cause more damage to your electrical system as well as appliances and devices throughout the home. Your damaged wiring may arc and you may experience power surges or other issues which can permanently damage devices plugged into the system.

Exposure To Bacteria

You can become more prone to sickness and disease if you attempt to clean up water damage on your own. Even if you wear protective clothing, there is still a high chance that you can come in close contact with bacteria when cleaning up water damage. WIth the tools and supplies stored in your normal laundry room,  you may not be able to kill all the bacteria present in your home.

Mold Growth

Another possible danger that will confront you after a flood is the potential growth of molds. Mold growth happens anywhere the right conditions are present:  moisture, a food source, and a place to live; homes that have experienced water damage or areas of high humidity are especially vulnerable. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests having a mold remediation professional assist you when looking for hidden mold. Specific safety precautions are required to avoid spreading mold  or exposing your family members to potentially harmful mold spores.

Molds thrive with moisture and a DIY water damage restoration does not completely eliminate moisture in key areas. Professional water damage restoration will allow a more thorough and complete cleanup of any remaining moisture. 

Professional Water Damage Restoration In Fitchburg

According to epa.gov it is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. White Knight Carpet Rescue in Fitchburg, Wisconsin serves residential customers with a one hour or less response time. Qualified water damage experts will protect your home with intense cleaning, refinishing and emergency flood response. White Knight Carpet Rescue will rescue you 24/7 from water emergencies at (608) 665-1742.

Water Damage Restoration Worries

Move Fast to Avoid More Damage

If you suffer water damage your first question may be, “why me?!” To this, there is no answer. But the second question may be, “how long?” Your dry out will depend on the extent of the damage and saturation, how long the property has been exposed to water, and how quickly you got a water damage team in to help? With a quality crew like White Knight, it usually takes from 2 to 3 days to dry an average home. If the property has been exposed for an extended period of time, it could take up to 5 days. There are many variables, but the sooner White Knight starts, the better:

Water Damage Within Minutes

·         Water contamination spreads, rapidly increasing claim costs.

·         Moisture-sensitive furniture finishes begin to turn white.

·         Furniture standing on saturated carpets will begin to leach and stain the carpeting.

·         Important papers get ruined.

Water Damage Within Hours

·         Furniture in direct contact with water begins to delaminate and swell.

·         Normal household odors get amplified by humidity.

·         Dyes from non-colorfast fabrics begin to bleed.

Water Damage Within Days

·         Within 24-48 hours, fungi appear, along with their characteristic musty odors.

·         Severe warping and cupping of wood floors begin.

·         Paint blisters, dark spots appear on the walls, and wallpaper adhesives start to peel away.

·         Wood structural members begin to swell, warp and split apart.

·         Food is ruined.

·         Metal begins to rust

Water Damage Within Weeks

·         Mold sinks roots into organic materials and destroys their integrity.

·         Occupants must be evacuated due to health hazards.

·         Allergen sensitivity may arise from microbial growth.

·         A complete gutting of the structure may be necessary, which will drive the claim up astronomically and displace the occupants.

When your property suffers water damage, the emergency response is ready and available 24-7 to respond fast.  An on-call responder will assess the damage in less than two hours after your call, and extraction and drying will begin as soon as possible to mitigate any damages.

Whether your water intrusion is from a broken pipe or due to storm flooding, the White Knight Carpet Rescue Emergency Response Team (ERT) will treat you and your home or business with the respect you deserve. Multiple certifications in content and structural drying ensure that your property is restored to its original state in a timely manner.

Call For Help In Waukesha

When dealing with water damage, a prompt response is essential for mitigating damage, reducing your losses, and restoring your property as quickly as possible. When you call White Knight Carpet Rescue, you can count on us to work quickly and effectively. The longer water damage goes unchecked, the more the water will spread, the more damage is done, and the greater the potential for mold growth. If you have experienced water damage in your home or business, call our professionals immediately.

According to EPA.gov, it is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. White Knight Carpet Rescue in Waukesha serves residential customers with a one hour or less response time. Qualified water damage experts will protect your home with intense cleaning, refinishing and emergency flood response. Contact White Knight Carpet Rescue and we will rescue you 24/7 from water emergencies.

How to Prevent Water Damage

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Everyone’s a critic.” In today’s society, with the DIY craze sweeping the nation, it is pretty safe to say that everyone is not only a critic, but also a plumber, electrician, chef, interior decorator, you name it. While we are all for being independent and learning new trades and skills, there are still some things that need to be left to the professionals. One of those things that should not fall under the DIY category is water damage restoration.  Water damage in homes can have very costly effects, both to your budget and to your health. If not handled properly (from finding and stopping the source to completely drying everything out and replacing or restoring damaged items) mold can grow and the structural components of your home can be compromised. So, while your best bet , when faced with water damage, is to call in a restoration team instead of taking it on yourself, there are still things that you can do on your own to help prevent water damage in your home.

Prevention is much easier than restoration, and for all you DIYers out there, we have good news: you can completely take control of  helping to prevent water damage in your home. White Knight Carpet Rescue in Waukesha has come up with a list of DIY water damage prevention steps you can take to help mitigate the threat and risk of water damage, and show how you can play an active role in keeping your home and belongings safe from the devastating damage of leaks or floods.

DIY Water Damage Prevention

• Start with a visual inspection of your home or building. Check in rooms and areas that are not obvious or are less trafficked. Basements, garages, attics, under cabinets, the ground around rain gutters, roof tops, and window wells are all common places water can pool and go unnoticed. Make sure these areas are dry and show no signs of any moisture or water damage. Make it a habit to check these places periodically to be sure that they stay clear of any signs of water damage, and that there are no cracks or leaks in sight.
• Perform routine maintenance on household appliances that use water. Dishwashers, washing machines, and water heaters are all common culprits of water damage in homes. Water hoses that run to these machines can weaken over time, and are prone to leaks. Keep an eye on these appliances, and make sure that you are following manufacturer’s guidelines when it comes to installation, use, and maintenance. Consider replacing washing machine hoses regularly to avoid leaks from aging and overuse.
• Be aware of water outside of your home. Hoses left connected still house water, and if temperatures drop suddenly, water in a hose may freeze back into the pipe. Disconnect hoses to help prevent any water build up there. Rain gutters that are cluttered create blockages, which can lead to overflow. Gutters should be cleaned at least twice a year, and be sure that they are directing water away from the foundation of your home.
• Know where you water main is. If you plan on being away for long periods of time, you may want to shut off the main water line to your home. Also, if you find yourself in a situation where water is overflowing, you will need to know where your water main is and how to shut it off.
• Install water detection devices. Just as we use smoke detectors to warn us of a fire, there are detectors available that will warn us when moisture is present. These are extremely beneficial in areas where water leaks can go unnoticed.
• Use a water pressure gauge to check the water pressure to your home. You can get a water pressure gauge at most local hardware stores, and all you have to do to check your pressure is attach it to an outside faucet and turn the faucet on full force. The gauge will give you a reading of the water pressure going into your home, and if it is too high it can cause unnecessary strain on pipes and hoses and cause them to fail under the pressure. If your water pressure is above 100 psi, you should install a water pressure regulator. Regulators can also be found at most local hardware stores, and come with installation instructions so you will totally be able to DIY the installation.
• Last, but not least, track your water bill. If your usage spikes from one month to the next for no known reason, it may be due to a leak. If you cannot find a source, cause, or explanation to a sudden rise in your water usage, go back through your visual checklist of any areas of the home where leaks could be more prone. If all else fails, call in a restoration team to help with your investigation. They will work with you to help you find the source of any possible water leaks.

If you do end up facing water damage, don’t go at it alone. Contact White Knight Carpet Rescue Inc and we can provide you with more information on our services. We have 24/7 emergency response and will be there to help with all the steps of water damage restoration.

3 Dangers Of Water Damage Cleanup

Most people know that a flood in your home causes a lot of damage. Standing water in any room that isn’t supposed to have standing water in it, can be a real drain on your wallet real quick. However, a lot of people don’t realize how dangerous standing water in your home can be. It can even be deadly, which is why you should always call a professional from White Knight right away to help you with your water damage cleanup in Madison. Here are some potential dangers of water damage.

Bacteria

Okay, bacteria might not sound as scary as it is in reality, but it can be a huge threat to your health. There are different degrees of floodwater and it is important that you don’t come into contact with any floodwater that is very dirty. Flood water that is caused by a leak from a water pipe in your home might not be very dangerous, but if your water damage is from a backed up sewer line spewing into your home, you are dealing with some pretty serious biohazards waste. There is a whole slew of diseases that you could get it you come into contact with this kind of water. If your standing water in your home is coming from a flood outside your home, there is potential for chemical or biohazards waste to be in it as well. It is best to contact a professional to deal with the water cleanup.

Electricity

Another huge threat to your safety is if you have electricity running while you have standing water in your home. If the flood waters have reached any wiring or outlets, then you could become electrocuted if you step into the waters. If this is your situation, turn the switches to the off position in your fuse box, but only if it is in a safe, dry, accessible place. If it doesn’t meet that criterion, then contact your utility company right away to figure out how to get the electricity turned off.

Gas

Another huge danger with your water damage cleanup project is if you have a gas line that has been compromised. If you have gas leaking into your home, it can be a huge hazard for a potential fire, especially if you don’t have your electricity turned off yet. If you have standing water in your home and you don’t know if these utilities have been dealt with, do not enter the home. Make sure you have a professional water damage cleanup specialist to see that all the necessary boxes are ticked off.

You might think that it would be very frugal of you to try deal with your own water damage cleanup project by yourself, however, there are just too many dangers associated with water damage to take that risk. Call a professional today to figure out how to be safe in a water damage situation and in what ways you can be the most helpful.

5 Signs Of Water Damage In Your Home

When it comes to a water damage situation, you probably think that it would be difficult to NOT notice. When we think of water damage, we often think of overflowing toilets, sink pipes bursting, or floodwater pouring in from the outside. We don’t always think of slow leaks from pipes inside of y0ur walls, or tiny cracks in the roof that allow water to slowly move through your roof structure. There are plenty of ways that water can damage y0ur home without your notice. But there are things you can do and signs y0u can look for that might indicate water damage. If any of these signs are found in your home, you will want to contact a professional water damage restoration company in the Waukesha area that can help you determine the extent of the problem and how to quickly remediate it.

Signs To Watch For

• Standing Water – Standing water is obviously a major sign of water damage. Standing water often occurs when water heaters, toilets, and other appliances malfunction and leak. Leaks from the ceiling will also cause water to pool in an area.
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• Discoloration – When an area is damaged by water, it will look different. The coloring will be off and you’ll probably notice a yellowing or browning in the original color. If mold growth is happening, the coloring could look more green or even black. Look closely at the walls and ceiling for cracking or bubbling. This will indicate trouble behind the wall. 
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• Texture – When water damage happens to flooring, the easiest way to spot it is by the change in the texture of the material. Flooring isn’t always going to discolor or bubble up like a wall or ceiling would. When it comes to texture, look for warping, buckling, sagging, sinking and expanding of the material.
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• Smell – If water damage is happening, more than likely there will be a mold problem. An area that is water damaged and moldy will stink! There will be a musty mildew-like smell that is unmistakable. Basements and attics are common places to find this odor when water damage is present.
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• Specific Areas – There are high-risk water damage areas in buildings that should be paid consistent attention to. Ceilings, walls, floors, attics, and bathrooms are common places for water damage to occur. Check under cabinets, around toilets, and in the structure for these signs.

Contacting Professionals When You Find Water Damage

If you find any of these signs of water damage in your home, it is important that you contact a certified professional right away. When water damage is ignored, it can quickly turn into a much bigger, (and much more expensive) problem. Successful remediation of water damage requires immediate water extraction and cleanup. If the culprit of the water damage is a pipe leak, it may be a good idea to contact a plumber to have the water stopped before restoration begins.

If you live in or around the Waukesha area, White Knight Carpet Rescuers is an experienced and qualified water restoration company who can also detect and remove mold if the water damage has progressed into a mold problem. Whichever direction you choose, make sure you are in the hands of skilled professionals.