Hidden Dangers of Flood Water: Why Professional Cleanup Matters

Every home and business owner knows flood water is annoying and costly, leaving floors, walls, and valuables wet upon entry. But not as many people know the true dangers of flood water. Flood water can carry hazardous microbes and bacteria, contaminating your home in less than 24 hours. 

This is why you can’t just use a mop and bucket to solve the issue. When flood water makes its way into your property, it’s important to make the safe choice call a water extraction company like Northeast Power Dry. We know it’s tempting to remove flood water in a DIY fashion, but water damage has several long-lasting effects that can only be halted with professional equipment and advanced drying strategies.

In the following blog, we’ll detail the true dangers of flood water and why hiring a professional cleanup team is the right choice for your wallet and well-being.

Understanding the Types of Flood Water

1. Clean Water Floods

Clean water floods are the safest type of flood, but they still pose risks when untreated. Clean flood water typically enters basements through burst pipes or rain storms. This water, when left alone, will become a breeding ground for bacteria and facilitate mold growth.

2. Gray Water Floods

Gray water floods contain contaminants from appliances like dishwashers and washing machines. These types of floods are particularly susceptible to hosting bacteria. Gray water, when left untreated, can quickly spread harmful microorganisms throughout your home or business.

3. Black Water Floods

Black water floods are the most dangerous form of intrusive water. Black water often enters your home or business through sewage leaks and natural disasters, covering your surfaces with pathogens and toxins. If black water isn’t treated by sewage removal professionals, it can permanently damage your property and make it uninhabitable. 

Hidden Dangers of Flood Water: Why Professional Cleanup Matters

Why Should You Avoid Direct Contact with Flood Waters?

Direct contact with flood waters can lead to an array of serious health issues, including: 

  • Difficulty breathing/long-term respiratory defects
  • Gastrointestinal imbalances
  • Severe skin infections
  • Bacterial infections

For these reasons, water damage professionals use specific hazard gear to address floods. You should not attempt to clean up flood water without high-grade clothing and water removal equipment.

The Hidden Health Hazards of Flood Water

The lower cost of DIY flood cleanup is not worth the health risks it poses, especially when your property is overrun with black water. The safety of your family and employees should come first, so be sure to hire a trustworthy water damage emergency service. The right team will remove the following threats from your property:

  • Mold-related respiratory problems, such as asthma and severe allergies
  • Viruses
  • Bacterial infections
  • Headache-inducing spores and microbes

Why DIY Cleanup Isn’t Enough

Flood water does a whole lot more than dampen your floor. It causes widespread water damage, which seeps into walls and stays there when untreated. If this hidden water damage is not dried, mold will grow within 24 to 48 hours. As mold spreads, it weakens structural materials like wood and drywall. If this problem continues long enough, your building can suffer buckles and collapses. Mold tends to stay inside walls, so you may only discover it after extensive damage has been done. 

Specialized equipment is often necessary to identify flood water’s hidden threats. Mold may only be found through moisture meters and thermal imaging, which most home and business owners do not have access to. A professional mold removal and drying company can find these issues before they spread. 

Even if flood water is far away from walls or corners, its contaminants can still spread throughout your property. This typically happens when improper equipment is used. If flood water isn’t dried and removed by high-grade equipment, it might transfer mold spores and harmful microbes through the air or damp structures. 

Proper flood water cleanup comes down to two things: certified training and powerful equipment. You’ll need both to guarantee your property’s long-term safety. Let’s look at how a professional water damage restoration company combines these two factors to create a hazard-free environment.  

Benefits of Professional Flood Cleanup Services

Hidden Dangers of Flood Water: Why Professional Cleanup Matters

When you accidentally drop a glass of water on the carpet, that’s no big deal. You can likely clean this up with a towel and vacuum. But flood water isn’t just any old spill a thorough cleanup plan is required to reverse the negative effects of a flood. 

A professional flood cleanup service can do the heavy lifting. At Northeast Power Dry, we have a rigorous plan for addressing flood water every detail counts when protecting your property and health. 

When we arrive at a job site, we thoroughly investigate damages before setting up our high-grade equipment. If your flood water is particularly hazardous, we’ll section off the area to prevent the spread of contaminants. 

With hazards blocked off and powerful equipment running, you’re in good hands. But our job isn’t done yet a huge part of water damage restoration is addressing mold growth and removing unsalvageable materials. We safely discard moldy and weakened materials and can help you reconstruct walls if needed. 

Without a restoration team by your side, contaminants may spread and structural materials may weaken. Professional help can save you thousands of dollars in future damages. 

Call Northeast Power Dry For Your Water Damage Remediation Needs

Hidden Dangers of Flood Water: Why Professional Cleanup MattersProper flood cleanup can be the difference between long-term damages and temporary hiccups. At Northeast Power Dry, we work to make your flood recovery as stress-free as possible, taking thorough steps to restore healthy air quality and repair structural issues. 

DIY cleanup is perfectly fine for small spills and leaks, but a full-on flood is best left to an experienced team. We will keep you informed every step of the way, focusing on the best possible outcome for your home or business. We are proud to be Central New Jersey’s choice for flood water restoration, and we’d love to help you next. 

You can contact our water damage experts 24/7, we offer emergency services for those times when flooding catches you off guard.

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