Understanding Water Losses

Time is of Essence! When you have experienced a water loss it is important to take immediate action to extract water and properly dry out the structure promptly. Problems can arise when a building has suffered a water loss by affecting the structural integrity of the building. When water enters a building through rainwater, roof leaks, pipe failures or even high humidity levels; the potential of microbial and bacterial life begins its life cycle. Therefore, it is important to keep your building dry. A dry building prohibits the growth of microbial life, mold, and bacteria. No matter how small you may think it is, it could cause a much bigger problem. Water can travel anywhere and everywhere. It gets under cabinets, wicks up drywall, wicks up insulation, travels through walls and even gets under flooring affecting the subfloor (see water loss example below). Your HVAC system may not be able to keep up with the additional moisture being released into the atmosphere. Which is why a professional mitigation service is needed. Excess moisture being released in the atmosphere can result in much bigger problem throughout the structure (visit the Mold section for more information).  

Each water loss is uniquely different in many ways and each will have their own set of strategic steps to rectify the damages caused to the property. I would like to share with you the different categories of water damage provided by IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification). IICRC has created the IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration. It is the Standard of Care for the industry, regarding water damage restoration. Water losses are broken down into 3 categories and 4 classes. We are just going to do a quick review of the categories for informational purposes. This will help the average homeowner or business owner understand the issue at hand. Please visit www.iicrc.org for additional information. 

• Category 1
  • • Originates from a source that does not pose a threat from dermal, ingestion, or inhalation exposure.
    • Sources: water supply line, broken toilet tank (that does not contain additives), rainwater, sink or tub overflow with contamination.
    • Note: Category 1 water loss may originate from a clean source, but when it comes into contact with a contaminated source it may no longer be treated as a Category 1 water loss. Time can also change a Category 1 source into a category 2 or 3 loss. 
• Category 2
  • • Contains a significant degree of contamination, either physical, biological or chemical, and has the potential to cause health risk if consumed or contacted by humans. 
    • Examples of Sources: overflow of toilet bowls with no feces-some urine, broken aquariums, dishwasher and clothes washer overflows, sump-pump failure from hydrostatic pressure (not surface water from saturated ground),etc. Category 2 source can quickly turn into a category 3 loss, given time. 
• Category 3 
  • • Grossly Unsanitary 
    • Contains pathogenic agents.
    • Examples: sewage back-flows, all forms of surface ground water, sea water, flooding from rivers and streams, water that contains medical waste, waste-line back flows that come from beyond the P-trap, water that has passed through chemicals or pesticides, water loss with visible mold.
    • Storm water from Hurricanes and Tornados can be consider Cat 3 water loss due to the high winds involved. As the storm passes through its picking up contaminates from nearby farming fields, rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, water reservoirs, water treatment plants, chemical plants, paper mills, nuclear plants, factories, landfills, etc. 

No two water damages are the same regardless of the category. We take proper precautions and follow the “Standard of Care” per IICRC S500, while utilizing our experiences in the field. Safety and Health concerns for the occupants, our employees and the home will be our #1 priority in our efforts to bring the property back to pre-loss conditions. During our inspection, steps will be taken to assess the extent of damage, measure the degree of contamination, and evaluate saturation levels within the contents and building materials. This allows us to create a tailored “Plan of Action” for your mitigation service. It also allows us to begin collecting data to document the loss for you and your insurance carrier. Why risk it? Call us today for your “free inspection”. 

Water Loss Example

Legion responded to a service call regarding a water loss. The homeowner stated it was coming from the toilet. About 5 miles from being there, the homeowner called to cancel the service. We explained that we do not charge for service calls or for inspections and would like to complete a free inspection to give them peace of mind. They agreed. 

Once we arrived on site, there was no standing water. The homeowner cleaned up the water with a shop vac and towels. They thought it was good enough and they got it dry. The toilet tank flush kit malfunctioned and overflowed the tank. The homeowners where home at the time and stated it ran for about 10 mins before getting to the cut off. 

After thorough inspection using a FLIR camera and moisture meter we reviewed more damage than they thought. It affected 3 adjacent rooms. Water had traveled through the walls entering the Master Closet and kitchen. The identified water damage is the following: water wicked up 6” of drywall, base boards had 100% moisture content, water ran under flooring affecting the subfloor, subfloor had 53% moisture content, water damage to vanity and cabinets, water affected the grout lines in tile, and water in carpet & padding in master closet. 

A simple clean up with mop buckets and shop vac is not enough. Not professionally mitigated will cause long term effects within the building materials. Examples of possible long-term effects are, but not limit to the following: delamination of subfloor, swelling or delamination of cabinetry, releasing of tile, releasing of grout, potential mold and/or bacteria growth, possible wood rot, and rusting of fasteners. Which all can affect the structural integrity of the building. 

What We Do

Legion Property Restoration will come to your home or place of business for a “free inspection”. We are a 24/7 Emergency Service Provider for both residential and commercial structures. We use an array of industry standard inspection equipment to locate the water source. Once we have completed a thorough inspection identifying the damages and its source, we will review our discoveries with the building owner. During this time, a Legion Representative will review your insurance policy and present a “plan of action” to rectify the issue at hand. We provide services that need to be done promptly such as emergency water extracting, securing the property, drying out the structure, emergency tarping, pre/post treatments and providing stabilization to prevent further damages. We can assist with the insurance claims filing process. Legion provides detailed data reports, photo documentation, and utilizes Xactimate for invoicing. Our team is designed and geared to take immediate action to preserve and/or restore your property to its pre-loss condition.  Call Legion Property Restoration today for your water mitigation project.