When your belongings or business are on the line, it is personal, and time is not a luxury you have when it comes to disaster cleanup. This becomes especially true when water damage is the culprit, which can result from flooding, appliance and/or plumbing failures, storm damage and water from firefighting efforts.

In a matter of minutes, water spreads throughout your property, where it will saturate everything from the walls, the floors and upholstery to any belongings in its path, making them the casualties of water.

The effects of water damage within the first 24 hours include:

• Drywall beginning to swell and break down
• Metal surfaces beginning to tarnish
• Furniture beginning to swell and crack
• Dyes and inks from cloth and paper items spreading and staining
• The beginning of a musty odor

The damage continues to worsen as time goes on. Between 48 hours and a week later, you could begin to see:

• The growth and spreading of mold and mildew
• Swelling and warping of doors, windows and studs
• Metal beginning to rust and corrode
• Paint beginning to blister
• Wood flooring swelling and warping
• The possibilities of serious biohazard contamination

If left for over a week, water damage can lead to dramatically increased restoration time and costs and also impacts the structural safety of the building.