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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

What is the Category of your Santa Cruz County Water Damage?

11/17/2020 (Permalink)

Find out how to categorize your water damage

Mitigating water damage effectively requires more than extraction and ventilation. A mitigation company needs to accomplish much more than simply installing drying equipment and applying an assortment of products to resolve a moisture issue. Our IICRC SERVPRO certified professionals study and execute the science of structure drying and apply various principles to successfully attain the drying goal while ensuring to leave no contaminates behind.

The amount of water, the source of the damage, and the potential contaminates contained in the water are crucial factors that can dramatically affect the extent damage. These factors also help to classify the category of the loss and how to mitigate the area properly. It is vital to recognize that the category of a loss will worsen based on the initial cleanliness of the area being flooded, the affected environment’s temperature, and the duration of time waited until the water mitigation commences.

  • Category 1 – Clean Water: Clean water comes from a sanitary water source that has no significant dangers if exposed to people. Category 1 water loss examples includes overflows from a sink faucet or bathtub left running unattended, leaks from malfunctioning appliances like an ice-maker supply line, or falling rainwater. Less health risk are linked with Category 1 water losses.
  • Category 2 – Grey Water: Grey Water losses pose a higher heath risk due to the elevated levels of impurities present within the water when a person is exposed to it. Contaminates include microorganisms, chemicals, urine, and mold. Some examples of Category 2 water may include a washing machine overflow, an overflow from a clogged toilet with some urine but no feces, or damages from aquarium leaks. Category 2 water might look “dirty” or soiled but still a bit more translucent. Due to the quick bacteria growth and mold, Category 2 losses left ignored may leave your property susceptible to secondary damage.
  • Category 3 – Black Water: Black Water is highly unsanitary and obtains disease causing organisms, toxins, and waste that are likely to create significant health problems to humans when contact occurs. Category 3 water does not always need to visually appear the color black in order to be categorized as such. Sewer back-ups, contaminated toilet overflows, and floodwaters from the lakes, rivers, or oceans would all be classified as Category 3 water damages. Because black water exposure is associated with severe health ailments, it is fundamental to wear proper personal protection equipment to mitigate these losses. Porous materials such as upholstery, flooring, and drywall are recommended to be discarded if affected. Particular agents are used for sanitization of any surfaces affect by Category 3 water.


 
SERVPRO of Santa Cruz technicians are ready to respond day and night. If you find yourself face to face with water damage, do not hesitate! Call our office at 831-457-1997 when disaster strikes!

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