The Link Between Water Damage and Indoor Air Quality: What You Need to Know!

If your house has been hit with water damage, you may assume indoor air quality is the least of your concerns. Compared to the damage you're witnessing with your eyes, indoor air quality is a low priority, correct? Though, you could be inhaling invisible hazards to your health. Water damage defines many probable losses caused by water invading where it will promote attack of a material or method by destructive processes such as rotting wood, steel rusting, and many others. The harm may start to slow or come all at once. However, of how fast it happens, water damage significantly contributes to the loss of property.

Some examples of water damage are:

1. Leakage:

Machines and pipes leakage are some of the more likely causes of water damage and can be easy to detect and fix based on the place. But kitchen sink or water heater leaks retain clean water, whereas plumbing leaks hold sewage with them and increase the chance of spreading bacteria, viruses, and mold.

2. Water Condensation:

If the house's humidity is too high, condensation can start to form on any surface. In many cases, water damage from condensation can be difficult to detect, hiding out of view in your windows and ceiling tiles as well as within the walls. Homeowners have to be on the watch for excess condensation on windows and a musty odor.

3. Floods:

A flood that natural calamities can cause is one of the most hazardous forms of water damage, carrying substances from the outside, such as raw waste and trash, as well as other bacteria. Due to the large volume of water, floods cannot be cleaned up quickly enough, and the still water evolves into a breeding ground for bacteria and mold.

4. Affect health:

Your air vents act as the lungs of your house, moving air and harmful substances from one place to the next. If inhaled over an extended period, mold can cause congestion, throat irritation, coughing, and wheezing in otherwise healthy individuals. Approximately twenty-five percent of people are allergic to mold, and about two hundred thirty-five million people live with altering degrees of asthma, with children being specifically vulnerable. Exposure to mold for these people and anyone with different respiratory conditions can lead to asthma attacks and infections. The grown moisture and humidity in your house from water damage also allow for allergens, like pollen and dust pBlogs, to increase and fill the air.

Here are some things you can do to prevent or heal water damage:

If you are dealing with water damage in your house, your first step has to be to dry the place as quickly as possible, ideally within twenty-four hours. Now, focus on sweeping up the area to remove any left contaminants; this includes tossing away affected furniture and carpets. Eventually, address the origin of the problem by fixing leaky pipes, replacing broken machines, and installing a dehumidifier.

We recommend you call a certified professional when water damage occurs to inspect for potentially harmful situations around the house and in your air handling procedures. So, call us or visit. We are MSI today!