In our previous blog, we discussed the three different categories of water. In this blog, we’re going to be focusing on the classes of water damage. We know—it’s confusing! It’s easy to think of it like this: the three categories describe the water itself, and the classes explain the level of damage that has occurred and the amount of restoration that is needed.
Class 1
This classification is the least severe of the four and the most ideal for restoration. Typically with class 1 damage, minimal water has affected the area and materials have not absorbed much water. Because of the minimal damage, this is obviously the easiest to clean up and restore.
Class 2
With Class 2 damage, it’s a bit trickier to clean up as it can affect an entire room as a whole. The rate at which the water is evaporated is a lot quicker, so carpets and fabrics have a high chance of becoming damaged, as does sub-floor and other construction materials. Typically water damage within this class does not affect more than 40% of the area surfaces, making restoration a bit more manageable.
Class 3
Water damage identified as class 3 is intrusive and causes severe damage. Typically structures such as walls, ceilings, floors, are saturated and water has affected more than 40% of the area surfaces. This type of flooding can occur from ceiling sprinklers, a collapsed ceiling, or damage from upstairs plumbing. With this class of damage, it’s advised to get your insurance company involved, as the costs involved may be significant and there may be contents that are unsalvageable.
Class 4
In cases of class 4 water damage, the damage usually results in specialty drying situations. The structure of the property is severely saturated and is held or trapped as bound water. In this case, special equipment and professional help are necessary to dry the area and remove the water.
As always, if you’re unsure which class of water damage your home or business has, give us a call! Our technicians are IICRC certified and are properly trained to remove any kind of water damage.
