Standing Water? Standing IN Water? Call now.
If your building is flooded, stop reading and call us!
If you’ve had previous damage from water and it’s less of an emergency, you can call us or contact us by email.
The 4 Classes Of Water Damage
If you own property in New Berlin, Shorewood, South Milwaukee, and the Cudahy area, one of the things you hope you never have to deal with is water damage. Unlike other types of damage to a property, such as a broken window, or missing shingles on a roof, water damage is not as easy to fix as simply bringing in a replacement part and swapping it in.
Like termites, water damage can spread and be difficult to detect. This is especially true in a flood situation where you may not know how much water penetration there was beyond what’s already visible. Here’s how water damage is classified by experts.
Class 1 Water Damage
This is the smallest and easiest to deal with the amount of water damage. In this case, the spread of water is minimal and has avoided penetrating softer materials such as carpets or furniture. A leak in the roof, or a small break in a water pipe, away from a major area of the property are examples of this.
Class 2 Water Damage
This is more serious. Class 2 water damage could be described as minor flooding, in that water is everywhere. However, the height is still below two feet. In this case, some softer materials have now been affected, such as drywall, for example, if a basement has been finished. Other wooden materials may also be affected, but the water level is still low enough to avoid major structural damage.
Class 3 Water Damage
Water damage is prevalent, widespread, and severe enough that structural integrity may have been compromised. If a water pipe has burst in the ceiling and is neglected long enough that the ceiling has collapsed, for example, there is a danger of even more instability.
Personal safety and issues of liability premises are now major concerns. This is the type of scenario where an insurance company should be contacted about coverage because potential total damage is severe now.
Class 4 Water Damage
Structural integrity is now compromised to the point where a building may be considered a loss. This is the worst-case scenario where the water level has risen enough that the majority of a building has been flooded. Major structural elements, such as load-bearing beams, may be severely compromised by water damage, electrical systems are likely to need to complete gutting and replacement, and it’s possible that the majority of the furniture may be too water damaged to be recovered.
However, even in cases where water damage is at the class 4 level, never rule out the possibility that a building and some of the contents may be still be saved. Unless there’s an actual collapse, with the right amount of care and attention done quickly enough, a building can have water removed, furnishings, documents, and other items salvaged, and then have the structure dried out and inspected to be sure no moisture remains. Depending on the items, articles such as rugs, furniture, and even documents may be recovered.
Call ERS For Emergency Water Damage Restoration
If your home or business has suffered flood damage, we can help. Our water damage restoration company has over 30 years of experience right here in Cudahy, serving the Milwaukee area. Contact us 24/7 for a prompt, professional response.