Depending on where you live, you may or may not be intimately familiar with how much water can wreak havoc on our homes.
While drier climates may not have to worry about this as much, in a place like Pennsylvania it is certainly a huge part of our lives. On both sides of the state, we have a lot of rain.
What sort of impacts does this have for our houses and properties, though? Unfortunately, water damage can cause some serious problems, far beyond any aesthetic considerations.
If you want to know more about what it does, how we can prevent it, and how to treat it after the fact, keep reading. I aim to go over all of that today.
What is Water Damage, and Why is it so Bad?
Well, if you are unfamiliar with it entirely, I do recommend checking out a resource like this one to get some of the basics under your belt.
It can be defined as any disruption to a property that is caused by water. Often, rain is the perpetrator in some manner or another.
Now, depending on your location in Pennsylvania, you might also have some lakes or rivers nearby. For example, on the Western side we have three rivers and Lake Erie.
This often results in high humidity levels and an unfortunate amount of rainfall. When that happens, the chances for flooding are raised as well.
So, that is part of why we need to prepare. Things like mold are scary but a real danger. Protecting our houses is something we need to do to ensure the stability of it for years to come.
Mold is not the only thing we need to worry about in these cases. Structural damage is something to think about when it comes to this.
In a place like Bethlehem, it is likely that you have a basement. Most people in Pennsylvania do have one.
Unfortunately, they are one of the most common places where we see issues that come with water. They are an excellent receptacle for flood waters, especially during rainstorms.
If you have never seen examples of it before, you can look at websites like this one https://aircareonline.com/water-damage-remediation-bethlehem-pa/to get some context.
This is a good idea particularly if you are a newer or first-time homeowner. Familiarizing yourself with the issues that could strike is probably a solid thing to do, just so that you can prepare yourself.
Prevention: How Complicated is it?
This is a tricky question to answer. There is only so much that we can do in terms of predicting weather patterns and instituting methods to protect our property. However, in terms of internal issues, there are measures that we can take.
I am, of course, referring primarily to plumbing. Leaking sinks, showers, or even toilets can lead to serious water damage if left unchecked.
It might sound surprising to you, but this is where the majority of issues comes from. It is even more pervasive than rain!
So, in terms of prevention, something that we can do is keep a close eye on these appliances. If you start to smell something odd such as a musty odor, or notice strange discoloration spots, it might be time to consider finding a plumber or water damage remediation services.
The Havoc Water Can Cause
Sometimes, we do not realize that this is such a multifaceted issue. You see, there are even cases where we do not realize there has been damage for up to a month at a time.
So, in some instances you might sign off with an insurance company, only to discover that something is broken! One time, I even had my garage door stop working after a length of time when I thought things were totally fine.
Something else that we may not realize is how difficult it can be to deal with the aftermath of water damage.
Not only can it result in the physical clean up, which is a hassle in itself, but the emotional toll that it can have on you is immense. What do I mean by that? Well, let me explain.
Some examples of this are damage to your items and wrestling with insurance agencies.
Part of why I prefer to work with remediation services is less time spend arguing with insurance companies over what was there and what was not. Sometimes the items that we lose are irreplaceable, too.
For instance, photo albums and scrap books can not be replaced monetarily.
Old wedding dresses or collector’s editions of books can be hard to replace as well, especially in terms of sentimental value or if you had a book that an author had signed. All in all, it can be a pretty miserable thing to go through.
Support Systems – You Should Have One
When things like this happen, it is important to have people to fall back on. A support system is critical, even if it is a remediation service. Having those available to you is important to have.
Someone who is there for you to help with the emotional fallout is good too, though.
Just know that you should not ignore this sort of thing. It can also have serious impacts on our health, though. I briefly touched upon it above, but mold in a home can have serious consequences for the resident’s health.
For the most part, it is harmful for people who already have pre-existing conditions. Some examples of that might be asthma or eczema.
Both can be exacerbated by mold or water damage due to the unpleasant scents and spores going through the air.
In general, I would say that keeping your space clean and free of these harmful organisms should definitely be a priority.
So, beyond that, what else is there to worry about? Obviously, the staining is not attractive to look at. It can also seep down to the infrastructure in our home.
If you suspect that something is wrong, it is probably a good idea to have it checked out.