When bad luck and freezing weather mix together and your pipes burst, you need to act quickly. At Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT, we believe water damage cleanup should be tackled urgently, because the ramifications of undetected moisture in your property can be serious. These include potential structural damage, and even the risk of mold forming and growing.
Rather than feeling stressed and helpless, act quickly by hiring a water damage company, like Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT. We can help you assess the damage and start repairing your property to get things back to normal.
This post looks at what causes pipes to burst, how water can damage your property, and the water damage cleanup steps to take after a pipe bursts in your home or building.
What Causes Pipes to Burst?
There are many different reasons a pipe can burst. The leading cause, however, is usually due to pressure. Let’s look at some of the reasons here:
Frozen Pipes
During winter, the most common reason for burst pipes is that the water inside them expands as it freezes, thereby blocking water flow, which increases the pressure inside the pipe. If the pressure gets too high, it can burst.
And once it explodes, it can cause significant damage to your property, especially if the leak is inside your walls or ceiling, and goes undetected.
Old Pipes
Your water pipes, whether metallic or plastic, aren’t made to last forever. Once they start to deteriorate, they cannot withstand the same amount of water pressure that they once did. Metallic pipes are subject to corrosion, and plastic pipes get brittle over time. And once this starts to happen, they are highly susceptible to bursting under pressure.
External Forces
Are your pipes being subjected to external pressure? Tree roots, passing cars, or construction equipment can all add stress to pipes that are laid underground. This can lead to them cracking or even bursting, and, of course, these kinds of leaks are difficult to detect.
Blockages
If your pipes are starting to get clogged up, you may be in for some problems. They can get blocked by an accumulation of minerals that attach themselves to the pipes’ surfaces or even solid material brought into the lines with the water.
Of course, huge blockages will prevent water flow, increase the pressure in the pipes, and eventually might lead to the pipe cracking or bursting open.
Other Causes
These include excessive water pressure when too much water volume is pumped through a pipe; ground movements such as earth tremors, earthquakes, or even heavy rains shifting the ground; incorrect pipework and layering, and faulty pipe connections.
How a Burst Pipe Can Damage Property
We consider a sudden pipe leak an emergency. The reason being that a burst pipe can damage many areas of your property at once. But by acting fast, a professional water damage cleanup team can prevent more significant issues from developing.
Interior and Exterior Wall Damage: The interior wall is the first to get damaged when a pipe bursts. If you have exposed electrical wiring inside your walls, they too may be damaged, cause electricity shorts, and even become a fire risk (if there are sparks). Your exterior wall may see bubbling in your plaster or stains on your wood from the water damage. After an extended period, this damage could even cause structural weakness if not repaired timeously.
Ceiling Damage: If you have more than one floor in your home or facility, and the pipe that bursts happens to be on the top floor, you may find the water soaking down through the floor and into the ceiling of the floor below. You may find light fixtures, support beams, and ceiling insulation all being damaged along the way.
Flooring and Interior Damage: Depending on the rate of water flow from your burst pipe and its location, you could be left with your carpet, wood, or cement flooring flooded and pooling with water. Moisture can warp wood and linoleum, crack cement floors, and create a nasty smell in carpets, and even mold if left damp too long. Of course, if this is the situation, you may find the water damaging the lower edges of furniture, electrical outlets, lamps, and other indoor appliances.
Mold Growth: One thing you don’t want is mold growth. And unfortunately, even with minimal water damage, damp drywall and wood is a breeding ground for mold if not dried quickly enough. Ask the professionals to come in with their wet/dry vacuums and industrial fans to dry up the area and suck up moisture to limit mold growth potential.
Steps to Take After a Pipe Bursts
It can’t be said enough, but starting the water damage cleanup process immediately is vital.
- Shut off the main water valve to keep any additional water flowing through your system. If you are renting or at a business property, call your landlord or the maintenance staff to help.
- Shut off the electricity at the main breaker panel, you don’t want water and electricity to mix and sparks to fly.
- If it’s mid-winter, let some heat in. Open your cabinet doors, turn up your thermostat, and let heat into the affected areas to stop any further water in your pipes from freezing.
- Document and photograph the damage for insurance purposes.
- Call a plumber to help diagnose the problem and fix the source of the leak.
- Contact Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT. Our reputable and experienced team can map out a plan for the dry-out and cleanup process, and start on restoration.
How We Can Help
Over the years, Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT have helped thousands of residential and commercial customers recover from water damage – both big and small. From community-wide flooding to burst pipes – our company has reestablished businesses and restored communities.
Water extraction services are more than just removing, cleaning, and repairing places that water has touched. You have to take into account how water affects your property, possible mold growth, as well as restoring the contents within.
Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT can provide you with all the tools and options that you need to get your property back to its original state. We take care of all water damage cleanup services and repairs beyond what can be seen at a glance.
Find out more about our water damage cleanup services at www.bmscat.com.