Flood water extraction gets your home or business back to normal faster. More importantly, these services can preserve your family’s health and safety. There is no such thing as a harmless flood, and you should always treat standing water as a serious risk. The longer you leave these hazards in your structure, the worse they will become. To stay safe and healthy, act quickly and call the professionals.

Flood Waters Bring Contaminants

Flood waters are not purely water. They carry mud, bacteria, and plenty of outdoor spores into your home or business. Severe floods are far more likely to bring even more hazards indoors, most notably sewage. Although it’s easy to underestimate the dangers of mud and bacteria, it’s hard to overstate how dangerous sewage materials are. Once any of these contaminants are in your home, they will cause secondary problems. Sewage carries many diseases. History is full of examples of what happens when sewage encroaches on human habitation. Sadly, a flood brings these hazards inside your home, which is why prompt flood water extraction to important.

Standing Water Creates Rot

A rotting building is a safety and health hazard in many ways. Modern structures are built almost entirely from materials that rot when exposed to water. Only external features like siding and roofing are somewhat immune. However, even they can rot if not properly maintained. Even steel will corrode if exposed to water and left untreated.

When you leave standing water in your basement, wooden supports, drywall, and insulation begin to decompose. Water accelerates rot. Therefore, when flood water fills the lowest level of your home or business, it will corrode it. As a result, it compromises the structural integrity of the rest of your building. It also makes it far more difficult to remediate ongoing damage without replacing large amounts of building materials. It’s another reason home and business owners should pursue flood water extraction as soon as possible.

Mold, Mildew, and Bacteria

Even when the standing water is gone, without proper drying, indoor spaces become hosts to mold, mildew, and bacteria. Once these infestations find a foothold in your structure, they will continue to spread. Since many find homes inside your walls where it’s dark and damp most times of the year, you may not realize you have a mold problem until your family begins to display symptoms. Mildew isn’t as hazardous as mold or bacteria, but it still devalues your property. It also signals damp areas that may also host more dangerous growths.

Flood waters bring plenty of hazards. It’s important to remember that a room that looks dry may still play host to things like mold and bacteria. To be safe, you need professional flood water extraction services. These experts will ensure your space doesn’t just look dry, but actually is dry. In the end, it prevents the flood from damaging your structure in the days, weeks, and even years to come.