Water damage is a lot like an in-law visiting. It’s an unwanted nuisance that nearly every homeowner has to deal with sometime during their life. Don’t step in a puddle…read this guide to water damage!

Water damage occurs when unwanted water penetrates a porous surface of a home, such as drywall, wood floorboards, or carpet. Depending on the amount of water involved and the severity of the destruction, water damage restoration by a certified and skilled 911 Restoration technician may be necessary. The restoration process is quite elaborate and requires a blog of its own so for now, let’s find out more about the different categories and classes of water and water damage:

Not All Water Is Created Equally

You know what they say; it’s all about location, location, location! Sure they were talking about real estate, but the popular phrase also applies to categorizing water damage. Depending on the source in which it originated, water can be grouped into 3 categories:

• Category 1 Water (clean water) – water that comes from a water supply line like a bathtub or sink and doesn’t pose a significant health threat to humans.

• Category 2 Water (grey water) – water that contains harmful contaminants & microorganisms like a toilet bowl that have the potential to make humans sick.

• Category 3 Water (black water) – water that contains extremely harmful bacteria and fungi that can cause sickness, disease and even death if ingested.

Gross! If an unexpected disaster results in black water, definitely give 911 Restoration a call!

Stay Classy, Water Damage

In addition to differences in water categorization, water damage itself is grouped into four classes depending on the rate of water evaporation:

• Class 1 – Slow rate of evaporation involving minimal moisture, affecting only a portion of a room.

• Class 2 – Fast rate of evaporation involving wicked up walls not exceeding 2 feet, usually affecting an entire room or carpet.

• Class 3 – Fastest rate of evaporation generally originating from overhead, affecting an entire area including walls, ceilings, carpets, and floors.

• Class 4 – Specialty drying situations involving materials with a very low porosity like hardwood floors and concrete.

All classes of water damage should be addressed immediately by a trained professional who has both the expertise and equipment to fix the problem. Luckily at 911 Restoration, all of our licensed, insured, and bonded technicians are certified to address all classes of water damage. What this means is regardless of the severity of your disaster, we’ll be able to fix your problem and give you the fresh start you and your family deserve.

For more information on water damage restoration, visit our service page at 911Restoration.com. And don’t forget to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day…just make sure it’s not category 3 water!