According to the Insurance Information Institute, water damage and freezing can account for anywhere between 20% and 45% of homes’ property damage depending on the year.
That means that in many years, water damage is the top contributor to property damage. As one of the most common ways your home can be damaged, it’s important to understand how to respond when the occasion requires it.
One of the key things to know when figuring out how to handle water damage is understanding water class categories. Read this quick piece to learn everything you need to know about the different classes of water damage!
Table of Contents
The 4 Water Classes
The four classes of water damage measure how severely water has damaged your home. It also works as an estimate of how difficult it will be to clean up and restore your home to its former glory.
In general, how far water saturates into your home’s materials or items is a big part of determining what class of damage your home has suffered. The classes start at class 1 and move up to class 4. Class 1 is the least damage, and class 4 is the most.
Class 1 Water Damage
Class 1 damage is not that serious. If water has leaked onto surfaces that don’t absorb very much water, then you’ll have very low saturation and it’ll be much easier to repair the situation. You might see this when water leaks onto tile or another water-proof or water-resistant surface.
Class 1 restoration consists of just getting rid of the water and then you’re done! You could probably do it yourself with a mop and a lot of elbow grease if you were so inclined, but a professional can do it much faster and save you the effort.
Class 2 Water Damage
More porous surfaces are prone to suffer from class 2 damage. Wood is a common porous surface that lets the water seep in and potentially cause permanent damage or lead to mildew.
Class 2 restoration requires not only that you remove the water, but that you use various techniques to help fix damaged areas. In many cases, you’ll just have to replace wood or other materials that have been damaged.
Class 3 Water Damage
Category 3 water damage is like category 2, but more so. Things like carpet can be even more absorbent than wood, making it even more likely that they’ll have to be replaced. Class 3 restoration can even require re-building whole sections of the building.
Class 4 Water Damage
Class 4 water damage is like class 3, but worse in 2 ways. If damaged areas are very hard to get to, or if the water is contaminated, then more tools and repair techniques will be necessary to achieve a class 4 restoration.
Finding a high quality water damage restoration company can make sure that you get the best water damage cleanup and restoration available. Dealing with water damage can be difficult, but finding quality contractors can make the whole situation more manageable.
Repair Your Water Damage As Good As New
We hope you learned something helpful about water class damage in all its forms. To keep up to date on the latest in caring for your home, traveling with convenience and style, or other lifestyle information, check out our other pages!
