Getting water damage in your Long Island home can happen for numerous reasons. It can result from extreme weather, a pool can burst with water flooding into your yard, or plumbing can malfunction, creating damages. 

Whatever the cause, it’s critical to pay attention to the warning signs of damage. Ignoring the problem only leads to more extensive issues, including the potential for mold or structural involvement where early intervention can preserve the home’s integrity.

When you see evidence of water damage, it’s essential to contact a professional like a Long Island, NY water damage restoration company who comes into inspect the damage and help with restoration. The first step, though, is to learn where the flow is coming from and stop it. Below, you will find seven unpleasant results of ignoring water damage.

What Happens If You Ignore Water Damages?

7 Poor Results of Ignoring Water Damage in Your Home

Neglecting to take care of water damages creates worse problems for yourself and greater expense. Not only is it unhealthy to live in those conditions, but there is the potential for the growth of mold and mildew when leaving damp conditions to go unresolved.

When you see signs of dampness and moisture in your Long Island house, it is vital to speak with a restoration company. These technicians have the knowledge, experience, and equipment to find where the issues are and rectify the situation so that the home can go back to the way it was. Some things you could be facing when ignoring the issues:

1. Damage To the Structure Itself

Damages left to spread and get worse over time can end up creating problems with the structure itself. No one wants to start to see cracks in the foundation or the property walls because these represent the need for extensive repairs to the house itself and substantial costs. 

You want to avoid issues getting to this extent. That is why it is critical to be mindful of the workings of the home each day so that when something is out of the ordinary, you notice it right away and can have it fixed in the early stages. View this guideline on fixing a French door sill leak here.

2. Mold/Mildew

Mold and mildew can develop as soon as 24 hours from the time dampness or moisture sets in. Dampness is not especially good for people with respiratory health issues, but mold and mildew are exceptionally worse. When you notice there is water coming into the house, causing damaging results. It needs taking care of immediately before the growth of this fungus.

If you miss the warning signs, but someone in your home has health concerns more so than usual, it is worth having the home inspected for potential mold spores and dampness issues.

3. Health And Well-Being

The kind of health concerns you start to notice when there is mold and mildew growth in the home include exacerbated respiratory problems for those at risk and skin problems like increased issues with eczema. If you can’t figure out these increases in health symptoms result from home conditions, the doctor will likely point it out with visits.

Once you learn what could be the issue, having the home inspected should be an immediate step so the damages can have prompt resolution with water damage restoration technicians.

4. Offensive Odors

One sign you can look for when there is water getting into your home is offensive musty odors. It can be the result of mold and mildew already growing in the house. 

In some cases, people can’t figure out where the smell is coming from and attempt to clean the house to rid it of the scent. But when your efforts are fruitless, it’s time to call in professionals to inspect and rid the root cause for the odor. The smell won’t go away until remediation occurs, and only professionals should take care of this process.

5. Staining

Water coming into the home is most often visible through stains on the walls, a darker color than the natural paint. In many cases, the drywall becomes saturated and needs to be taken down and replaced. The restoration company can look at the dampness and tell if it needs doing. 

Sometimes if there’s excessive flooding, you can hear water in the walls running. In those cases, there will likely be extensive work needed to fix the damages occurring within the home to avoid structural involvement and get the household back to a safe, healthy atmosphere.

6. Underlying Cause

If you do not only fix the damage that occurs from the resultant flooding in the home and do not learn where the water is coming from, you could have a bigger problem than you realize. If the leaks are coming from the roof, there could end up being substantial structural issues. 

You could also have significant plumbing problems that need resolving, or dampness and moisture will continue to plague the household until that problem is fixed. 

7. Energy Costs

When you have higher than average water utility costs, it should be a red flag, especially if you have not changed your everyday habits. That is an indication that damages are happening in the home somewhere, and water is being wasted, a significant hit to the environment.

In conclusion.

Suppose you are not sure whether you are exposed to flooding somewhere in the home and have resultant damages from that. In that case, it is wise to call in a water damage restoration company in Long Island, NY, to inspect your home and prepare to rectify the situation for you. Find out if duct tape can keep flooding from entering your home at https://www.hunker.com/12611720/can-duct-tape-keep-flood-water-from-entering-a-house/.

The earlier you bring in professionals to help you with the problem, the less likely you will be for the damages to spread and to have the potential for mold and mildew to grow. You do not want members of your family to develop health issues from the problem. Early intervention is always the best so you can be safe instead of sorry later.

If you have any questions or suggestions, we always love to hear from you in the comments below. Also below are links that will take you to more fantastic articles about ALL things DESIGN for your home or business.

Images Courtesy of Canva.

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About the Author: Ashley Edwards