The Three Categories of Water Damage in Oceanside, CA, Part One: Category 1 “Clean” Water Damage

When plumbers assess the water damage to a home in Oceanside, CA, they assign the damage to one of three categories: clean, gray, or black. These categories are based on the type of water that does the damage. Costs associated with water damage to your home will vary greatly depending on the category in which it falls.

In this post, we’re going to focus on Category 1 “clean” water damage.

What is Category 1 “Clean” Water Damage?

Category 1 is the least severe type of water damage. It’s called “clean” because it’s free of sewage, bacteria, and other toxic materials, originating from a source that does not pose a safety risk to humans.

Examples of clean water sources include:

• Leaking water pipes
• Leaking water supply lines
• Falling rainwater
• Tub or sink overflows with no contaminants
• Broken toilet tanks and toilet bowls that do not contain contaminants or chemical additives
• Melting ice or snow

Once clean water comes into contact with a contaminated surface or certain materials, such as the soil, it can rapidly begin to lose its cleanliness.

Clean Water Damage is Still Water Damage

Even though Category 1 water damage is considered to be the least severe, it can still result in significant damage to your walls, ceilings, floors, and foundation, including warped wood flooring and water-stained walls and ceilings. Moist surfaces and items need to be dried and cleaned immediately to prevent further deterioration and mold growth.

The Category 1 water damage restoration process consists of several steps:

• Removing excess water. This can include pulling up carpeting and padding. Mops, industrial-grade fans, wet vacuums, pumps, and other equipment are used to remove the excess water.

• Evaporation. Evaporation helps remove any remaining water by turning it into a vapor.

• Dehumidification. Dehumidification removes moisture from the air.

• Temperature modification and control. Temperature modification and control is important for promoting safe, effective drying and controlling mold growth.

• Once the excess water and moisture have been removed, an inspection must be conducted to ensure the source of the water damage has been addressed, all water and moisture have been removed, and determine the extent of the damage and the scope of needed repair and restoration.

If Category 1 water damage is addressed in time, cleaning and drying may be all that’s required to restore the affected areas and items.

Oceanside, CA’s First Choice for Category 1 Water Damage Restoration

No matter what category of water damage is affecting your home, it’s important to begin repairs and restoration as soon as possible to mitigate the damage. 1st Choice Plumbing, Flood & Restoration has been providing expert water damage services to Oceanside, CA home and business owners since 2012. Our team of expert water damage restoration specialists can repair any plumbing problem that may be causing the damage and take immediate steps to mitigate the damage.

1st Choice Plumbing, Flood & Restoration offers 24/7 emergency plumbing services. In most cases, a licensed Oceanside, CA plumbing contractor can be onsite in less than an hour. You can contact us through our website or call us at 866-437-0205 to schedule a call any time of the day or night.