Water damages today differ from water damages of the past. A hundred years ago, few structures in this country had indoor plumbing to generate water damages. Most water damages were caused by roof leaks or flooding in storms. Structures and contents were from natural materials such as clay, wood, paper, cotton, wool, and animal hide. Dyes were derived from leaves, roots, berries, barks, insects, etc. Hardwood floors were made from solid slabs of oak, walnut, pine, or mahogany. Some furniture used veneers, but the vast majority was made of solid wood, oilstained and oil-based varnished or shellacked.
Jump ahead to today and see the differences. The water creating the damages comes from a gigantic list of new sources: ice-maker connections, washing machine hoses, water beds, HVAC leaks, indoor plumbing leaks/failures/overflows, sprinkler systems, etc. New homes are manufactured or constructed so tightly that additional mechanical ventilation is required to prevent indoor air quality and moisture problems. We are more dependent upon adequate drainage and humidity control systems and consequently suffer more losses when these systems fail. Drying these environments is often slowed by too air-tight environments with poor air exchange rates.
The changes in building materials and related products have changed the damages resulting from water losses, some for the better and some for the worse. Some of the new products will absorb, hold, and release moisture faster or slower than materials previously used. Sometimes the new material will resist damage and dry or clean faster than before. Other times the new materials are damaged and less salvable that the older materials. Most new products were introduced to save the builder or manufacturer production costs, though at times the mitigation and repair costs exceed the cheaper replacement costs. Sometimes the newer materials are more available than the old and are chosen to expedite a claim faster. It’s a challenge for the professional water damage restorer to take these changes into consideration when mitigating and restoring any loss.
AFTERDISASTER® believes the best solution for a WIN-WIN-WIN result for the property owner, the insurer, and the restoration company together is to mitigate the loss faster, inspect more thoroughly, then communicate better with everyone involved. Call your local Business Center today to discuss ways we can work together to handle water losses faster and more cost effectively through a better understanding of these changes and improved communication.