Categories of Water Damage in Your Napa Home

5/5/2021 (Permalink)

Floodwater can cause substantial damage to your home or building and can be harmful to your health.  The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) classifies water into three types: clear, gray, and black. Knowing what the color of your floodwater means is important so you can clean and dispose of water safely. Typically, water damage restoration professionals from SERVPRO of Napa will complete an assessment to determine the extent of water removal efforts and the required equipment. Cleanup, drying, and restoration services follow. Part of this assessment involves determining what category of water has caused the damage to ensure proper safety procedures for extraction.

Category 1 (Clean Water)

Clean water is water that comes from your home’s inbound water pipes, also known as potable water. Clean water is water that you could have consumed safely before it flooded through your home or business. You’ll typically see flooding from clean water coming from a broken water line, toilet tank, a leaking washing machine, or the refrigerator. Clean water that is cleaned up quickly typically doesn’t create health risks, but after just 24-48 hours of contact with your home, it can become gray water.

Category 2 (Gray Water)Category 3 (Black Water)

Black water is water that has been contaminated by floodwaters or sewage. It can wash into your home due to a flooded river, or appear from a backed-up toilet, or clogged sewage line near your Napa home. This water typically contains harmful contaminants such as bacteria, mold, and viruses, which can be very dangerous to your health. If black water damage isn’t rapidly addressed by professionals, your home can become contaminated and an unsafe environment.

Call SERVPRO of Napa County for Excellent, Expedient Water Damage Restoration Services to restore your Napa home back to a safe and clean condition. We utilize top of the line industry equipment and techniques that compliment our extensive in-house, e-video, and IICRC-certified technicians. We provide cost-effective (we will coordinate efforts of clean up with your insurance adjuster) and expedient water damage restoration and sanitization to your home.

Call Us Today – (707) 226-2181