Hide and Seek

4/12/2019 (Permalink)

Anatomy of a Sioux Falls basement wall after water damage.

Water damage can be tricky and mischievous. Finding ways to hide and travel. Imagine your water heater bursting and all that water soaked your carpet. Every step you hear squish, squish. This is no day at the beach!  
 

It makes sense to many of us that once the carpet is dry everything is fine and goes back to normal. But does it really? 
 

We rely on what we can see, but what about what we can't see? Once carpeting is wet is soaks the carpet pad as well. This pad acts like a sponge retaining the water. With all the trapped water it tries to find dry areas. In most Sioux Falls basements, the anatomy of the walls is drywall on the front, a plastic vapor barrier, and some type of insulation inside wood framing. The water in the pad migrates to the dry wood framing, wicks up the drywall and insulation. Other areas of carpet that was dry at the beginning are likely now slowly becoming wet. These are the hidden damages from the water that we can’t see.  

SERVPRO of West Sioux Falls are experts in seeking out water damage that can't be seen. Time is so important after the water damage to slow that wicking process. The drying equipment used is for what is not seen. If the carpet is dry it doesn’t mean your walls are dry. If not dried quickly it can create a birthplace for mold.