How the Clock is Ticking on Standing Water Standing Water Damage Standing water damage is a scary problem to deal with in your home. Flooding can be caused by anything from natural disasters to burst pipes. Whatever the cause, standing water needs to be evaluated and addressed immediately. Failure to act quickly can do major damage to the structure and surfaces of your home. Wood Surfaces Much of your home’s structure and furniture is made of wood. The damage done to wood by standing water is multidimensional. Not only can standing water ruin the surface of wood floors and furniture, but water can also cause wood to warp, weakening it. The subfloor under your flooring is a sheet of wood. If the wood of that subfloor stays submerged in water for any length of time, it can warp causing structural weakness, creaking, or breakage. Fabric Surfaces Standing water is a concern for fabric surfaces, particularly carpeting. Fabrics absorb water, and carpeting holds water right on top of your wooden subfloor. Holding water causes more damage. Water also does major damage to the sheetrock of your home. Any time water rises over the floor line, the sheetrock is soaked. Sheetrock has a fabric-type covering that creates the smooth surface we can paint on or hang things from. That fabric covering can also hold water. Because it is close to paper in consistency, it can deteriorate and disintegrate quickly in water. Mold and Mildew No matter what type of surfaces are in your home, the introduction of water into an environment always creates the potential for mold. Not only are damp surfaces an issue, but the moisture in the air also increases the risk of mold and mildew growth. Allowing water to remain in a closed space for a long period of time makes it a prime growing environment for mold and mildew spores. Removal of standing water after a natural disaster or pipe burst is a top priority. The Water Damage Team at DC Water Restoration has the equipment needed to come in immediately and eliminate the water from your home. The sooner we get the water out, the better we will understand the true extent of the damage. In some instances, we can save fabric surfaces and hard surfaces from having to be replaced. However, leaving the water to soak into those surfaces makes the odds of replacement much greater. Call us today at 202-792-7445 to remove the water from your home and begin the recovery process. Call (757) 434-6263 Report Loss Online Report Loss Form Fill out our online report loss form for a quick quote response! Just click button below to get started! No matter how serious the situation, we will provide you emergency service that offers true peace of mind. All you need to do is call Water Damage Restoration & Reconstruction Experts of DC or email us to get a call back in seconds!