Structural damage is anything that weakens the safety and integrity of your home. This includes both interior and exterior elements. Although anything can damage your home’s structure, the most common causes are wind and water. Water damage can come from both inside and outside your home. We look at how water causes structural damage to your home. Plus, we offer an overview of how to clean up water damage to limit structural issues.
What Are the Types of Structural Damage From Water?
These are the most likely structural elements of your home that water will damage.
Foundation
Water can seep through your foundation, weakening it over time. This can cause cracks and gaps that allow more water through. Plus, the water can cause your foundation to shift. If not addressed, your foundation could even crumble. This can leave your home structurally unstable or even cause it to collapse.
Support Beams and Joists
Support beams and joists hold up much of your home. They typically run horizontally across your home and form the basis for your floors and ceilings. Your home typically has a few support beams connected by many joists. If they remain wet for an extended period, they can cause floors or ceilings to sag or collapse.
Support Columns
Similar to support beams, support columns are vertical beams used in basements and crawl spaces to hold up the first floor of your home. These structural supports can shift, swell, or warp if they get wet. Wooden beams have a higher risk of damage, but even metal support columns can rust and deteriorate when wet.
Flooring and Subfloors
Although some flooring materials are resistant to water, almost any flooring can eventually get damaged by water. Vinyl tile will often pop off the floor. Hardwood and laminate flooring can swell, warp, or even crack. Carpeting will break down if it remains wet.
Walls and Ceilings
Most walls and ceilings are either lathe and plaster or gypsum drywall boards. Unfortunately, both will soften and eventually crumble when wet. Although metal studs are resistant to water damage, wood studs will swell and warp if they remain wet. This can cause walls to crack and crumble even faster. Ceilings will usually break down faster than walls due to the force of gravity pulling the water downward.
Roof Decking
If your shingles or roof flashing are old or damaged, they can allow water to leak through your roof. While it might not be enough water to affect your living areas, it can weaken the roof decking, beams, and joists. The wood can swell, warp and crack or even cause your roof to collapse.
How To Limit Structural Damage Caused By Water
You can limit structural damage by removing water and drying the area quickly after a flood or water damage.
Doing Your Own Water Cleanup
Depending on the extent of the damage, you can do the water cleanup yourself. We recommend that you rent pumps, air movers, and dehumidifiers intended for water extraction and structural drying. Consumer pumps and house fans will work, but they will take much longer and increase the risk of structural damage.
Protect yourself by wearing boots, pants, long sleeves, rubber gloves, and safety glasses. If there is sewage or the water sat for more than a day, you should wear a ventilator and a face shield. After extracting the water, remove damaged materials. Then use fans and dehumidifiers to dry the area. Once dry, disinfect and deodorize the space.
Hiring A Water Damage Company
There are several advantages to hiring a water damage restoration company. They are trained in water removal and structural drying methods to ensure your home is dry and safe. They have water extraction pumps that can quickly remove standing water. This reduces the risk of water soaking into the structure of your home.
Their drying equipment is much more efficient than house fans. Plus, they use moisture meters to find all of the water but ensure that every surface is dry. They can even repair structural damage as well. This way your home is returned to the same condition as before the damage occurred.
Get the help you need from certified professionals after a flood or leak. Call 1-888-443-3110 now for a free quote on fast water damage restoration.
