Uncovering the Long-Term Effects of Water Damage on Your Property

Minor problems like water damage can significantly impact the value of your property. This is particularly true if you plan to sell your home.

The good news is that professional restoration services can often reverse even severe damage. The bad news is that this can add up to a lot of money.

Health Issues

Depending on the cause, water damage may lead to serious health issues for the occupants of a home or building. In addition to affecting the integrity of a structure, it can also lead to respiratory problems, allergies, and infections.

This is especially true if the water is contaminated from sewage or other sources. However, even clean water damage can lead to health issues if untreated for too long.

Leaking appliances, water heaters, and damp and mildewed areas can harbor mold and other microorganisms that can harm people and pets. The faster these areas are treated, the more likely they are to be free of these health hazards.

Structural Issues

The effects of severe water damage are not limited to catastrophic flooding or a burst pipe. Even a slow, unnoticed leak can lead to serious structural issues in a home. Foundation cracks, rotting wood, and other structural problems are costly and difficult to fix.

Long-term exposure to water can weaken the integrity of a house, especially in load-bearing walls and the roof. These areas are critical to the structure of a home, and if damaged, they can put the entire building in danger.

If a home suffers from significant structural issues, it can significantly reduce its resale value. Buyers will likely be reluctant to pay a premium for a home with a history of severe water damage and may negotiate down the asking price considerably. Taking quick action to address any structural damage will help maintain the value of a property. A reputable water remediation Pure Restore Restoration Denver company can advise on the most cost-effective way to do this.

Appraisal Issues

When water damage isn’t dealt with quickly, it can cause a property to have serious issues that decrease its value. These issues can range from structural compromises to the potential for mold and rot to ruin valuable materials like flooring or electronics. The structural problems resulting from untreated water damage include rotting wood, sagging beams, and wall cracks.

Potential home buyers are often wary of buying a property with water damage, even if the repairs needed to correct the water issue would be minimal. This is because the structural problems resulting from untreated water damage are costly.

However, the amount that a property’s value decreases because of water damage can be limited by making sure to identify any water-related problems during a home inspection, working with an experienced professional water restoration company to perform the necessary repairs, and subtracting the costs of the required repairs from the asking price before putting the property on the market.

Mold Issues

Molds are fungi that grow from microscopic spores and can be found on every continent and environment. They love damp, dark places and need a food source like organic material to thrive. When they have all of the ingredients, molds start to grow and can cause severe damage to property and health problems for people that inhale its spores.

Mold can rot wooden structures and furniture, damage wallpaper, and paint, and cause health issues for those that live in the home or building. Some types of mold produce mycotoxins, which are toxic to humans. Those that suffer from respiratory problems and allergies are most at risk of having severe health issues when living in an environment with lots of molds.

Mold only takes about 48 hours to start growing in a wet area, and the only way to avoid this is to hire a professional to dry out the affected areas quickly. This can be done using dehumidifiers that draw warm, wet air out and expel cooler, drier air, which makes the environment less habitable for mold.